Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-06
RELATIVES SEEK
NEWS OF VICTIMS
Air Ministry Is Besieged With
Inquiries Concerning
Crash of DirigibIe.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON. October 6.-An air tragedy
pervaded the precincts of the ~ min
istry in London today. Not only were
ministerial officers borne down by the
heavy we ght of emergency duties
brought about by the R-10l catastrophe
in France and its sorrowful conse-
quences, but the air of gloom was in
tensif1ed by the appearance through
out the day of sad-eyed relatives of
victims coming for further news of
those they loved
Learns of Husbands Death.
One of these was Mrs. Radcliffe of
Bedford, wife of Bigger Walter George
Radcliffe of the R-10l, who called with
her elderly father to ask If any word
had been received about her husband,
who was listed yesterday AS one of the
injured in the crash. They were white
faced and tense as the clerk telephoned
to another department The clerk
paused as a reply came, then passed the
receiver to the wife with the words,
You had better speak"
Those standing by saw her face go
bloodless as she heard the news of her
husbands death in the French Emer-
gencv Hospital He is gone,I she
gasped and the receiver dropped from
her hand.
Among the victims of the air tragedy
none was more widely lamanted today
than Lord Thomson, air minister, who
was an extremely popular figure. Many
stories are told of his enthusiasm over
airships. especially for the R-10l.
Feared Only Motor Trip.
with a good skipper and good
crew l Would travel in the R-10l in
6o renaY1flI, told
friends. Speaking at a dinner in Lon
don on the eve of the departure of the
R-10l, Lord Thomson told his hearers
he was just going to Cardington for
the flight. adding. 1.-The only risk fear
is tonight's motor journey to Card
ington."
Notwithstanding his intrepidity and
optimism, he always professed the earn
est determination of the air ministry
to take no unnecessary chances. There
were many today who pointed out that
when Thomson was made a peer he
chose the title of Lord Thomson of
Cardington. expressing his great at
tachment for the airship center.
Empire Mourns Tragedy.
All Britain mourned the tragic end
Of the R-101 and AZ of the 81 men
who Saturday night left aboard her
On WHdb WdS W AdFS bCcu q Zip W
India
Prime Minister Macdonald was given
the news by telephone to Chequers,
where he was entertaining Prime Min
lister Bennett of Canada. He imme-
diately came to London
King George and Queen Mary, at
Sandringham. personally sent messages
Of coincidence.
Messages from every ruler in Europe
and many from overseas flooded the
foreign Office.
Village of Death.
Cardington. the proudest town in all
England as the R-l0l left her berth
Saturday for a trip to India, was a viii
lage of death TO-DAY.
More than a score of homes were
directly touched by the disaster which
killed 48 aboard the great airship.
The most pathetic case was that of
Mrs. z. G. Rudd. whose husband of only
two weeks was among those killed.
The survivors in general stood up
well under the strain, however, fortified
by the training which for generations
has sent Englishmen down TO the sea
in ships.
There was a touching scene in The
little Norman church when, in the
gloom, which was illuminated only by
a few candles, the vicar said prayers
for the dead.
Their sacrifice was not wasted" he
said. They have been sacrificed for
the cause of knowledge and human ad-
vancement."