Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-10-06

which were charred beyond recog-
milton. some OF them only bones
with scraps Of tendon attached. So
intense was the heat that rings in
some cases were melted about the
fingers OF the victims.
The R-10i. big sister of the R-l00.
which successfully crossed the
Atlantic and returned last July,
was eve hours out OF Cardington
en- route 10 Karachi. India. on an
6.C00-mile journey when the crash
occurred. After hours OF fighting
the violent storm which ragged over
northwest France Sunday morning.
the dirigible lost altitude. and some
time after 2 a. m. failed to rise
above an eucircling row OF hills
about a valley south OF here.
II. j. Leach, engineer OF the
Royal Airship works and pilot OF
the ship at the time. gave the most
coherent account OF the tragedy:
I'VE got into a terrific storm with
high winds and the dirigible simply
would not rise. I gave her more gas
70 get her up into the air. but she
did not respond.
Rain In Torrents
Rain was falling in such tor
rents that ship was blown down
to earth. She bumped twice slight
~ and then with q terrific impact
she buried her nose into the ground.
Immediately there came a tremend-
ous explosion. followed BY two
H5sSer ones, and flames engulfed
airship.
VI was shot outside my pilot
window do not know how-and
found myself on the ground. At the
moment Of the catastrophe every
body aboard except myself and
assistant navigators were asleep
The motors were turning 70 perfec-
tion. II was the tempest which
caused our destruction"
Residents about Beauvais were
awakened first by the n -ors OF
the ship as II passed low over
their heads. perhaps 400 OF SO feet
high. Many remarked that the pilot
did not seem in absolute control OF
the ship. that il wobbled unneces-
sarily and did not seem to respond
to his handling.
Shock Shakes Countryside
The shock OF the explosion which
followed the impact with the hill
side shook the country for miles
around. Peasants thereabout, un-
mindful OF the t%orrential rain and
wind. ran across muddy fields and
through woods 10 the spot. where
pillars Of fire rose into the skies
and illumined a vast are
The heat stopped them dead a
considerable distance away. Much
nearer the flames they could see
men running about frantically. At
tempting to break through the walls
OF the cabins where their comrades
Of the flight were imprisoned, one
nan could be seen ~ O window
with a spanne- II his hand at
tempting TO break through and
out. The right hand OF one OF the
bodies recovered afterwa-d, and
unidentified, held q spanner tight
~. -,
By daybreak the fire had settled
k~LIl1C4EIL4N 10 dlOH ACoNAC AAC1o
ures &c proceed, but there was nc
hope OF finding anyone alive on
the ship. Metal Orders had to be
sawed through to get st some OF
the bodies which were taken out
and laid IN a dell not far away.
covered ty sheets furnished by The
SAINTS. and tagged according to
ucss.ion in the dirigible with the
hlrc tina. this would aid in ident-
sfftas.ol.
Peasants Bring Flowers
Il was noon before all the bodies
were recovered. The bodies later in
the day we're taken 10 Allonne, o
village near here. and placed in an
inpromptu chapel. The peasants
came with flowers and kind-
Frenchmen found several unix&
lacks to adorn the walls and make
4 fitting temporary resting place
for the remains.
LeBcurget. French airdrome. had
a graphic account OF its own OF the
ill-fated trip to tell. From the start
of the voyage at 1880 p. m. d:30
%. m. SSH Saturday the radio
station there was III contact with
the dirigible. AT l:50 a. m. Sunday
the dirigible asked its position and
ascertained 1t was about half q
mile south OF Beauvais.
A message was then sent that al
that moment the passengers after
ENJOYING an excellent dinner anC
smoking many cigars. were pre-
pairing TO 60 to bed. The R-10l
due 10 extensive f~.re-proofing. is
the first lighter-than-air craft or
which smoking has been permitted
It was a few minutes after this
message that the end came.