Evening star., 1937-05-07

electricity when the landing ropes
were dropped, touching of the highly
explosive hydrogen.
He said the tragedy may have re-
suited also from q spark from one Of
the engines. Some Of the hydrogen,
which the ship had been valving
preparatory to landing, might have
gathered In a pocket under the tail
surfaces, he said, and detonated from
the spark.
The Hindenburg, which had put out
from her home base, Frankfort -on-
Main, Germany, 76 hours before, had
cruised majestically over New Eng
land and the skyscrapers OF New York
and headed to Lakehurst for an eve
ming landing.
Because Of the strong winds that
sweep the broad plain during the day,
the ship always had landed at dusk
or at dawn. Headwinds met on its
voyage prevented the anticipated 6
am. landing.
The big ship was sighted at Lake
hurst soon after 3 O'Clock. but how
cred over the pines, awaiting favorable
landing conditions and the clearing OF
4 light rain and electrical storm.
The ground crew Of 80 Navy men
and ITO civilians, in charge OF Lieut..
R. K. Tyler, former flight officer, who
few in lighter-than-air craft during
the World War, moved toward the
mooring mast feet lower than last
years to permit greater control of
the craft as she was wound in by the
nose.
The motors droned as she ap-
preached the mast. Two nose lines
were dropped through trap doors. The
lines were attached and the huge sill
yer bag cleaned despite fast-falling
darkness. A light rain was still
falling.
Lights cleaned from the gondolas.
Then came a cracking roar, and
the few hundred spectators-a mere
handful compared to the thousands
who watched the Hindenburg end her
maiden North Atlantic flight year
ago this month-gasped.
The detonation tore the ship in
half. She burned as she crumpled.
BY the time she settled the 200 feet
to earth she was blazing tomb.
At first it was feared that all
aboard had perished.
Then a steward and two cabin boys
appeared out Of the wreckage, stunned.
Rescuers took heart. Perhaps there
was hope for more.
A man crawled out OF a gondola. his
clothes burned off, his body scared.
A woman leaped from a window. More
came stumbling out.
The ground crew found the dead. as
well as the living.
1t was the job Of the first watch,
as E. D. Matthews, first machinists
mate, related. Ito haul the dead ones
out of the wreck"
Have you ever seen a guy burned
50 badly that he shouldn't be walking,
but he does?" he said We found
sailor who knew If there were any
burnt clothes on him he would be
stripped. taking his flesh with him,
80 he had taken off everything except
his underclothing.
VIC ehN lllIll WdllOcI!Ilk AIOU1lO dll
black from the hands to the elbows,
and from the feet to the knees, and
still he walked. He had no more than
an inch of skin all over him
Under Ship When 1t Fell.
| E. 2. Matthews, flrst-class machin-
lists mate, United States Navy, gave
this vivid eyewitness account of the
disaster:
Il saw the explosion, the whole
thing, since was underneath the very
center OF the dirigible when it fell.
L was on the port side. heard q
terrifying explosion overhead and !
was knocked down by the blast. I
caught my balance and started to run
when the second explosion hit me, and
no more had I got up from that than
another blast hit me, and at the end
was no more than a hundred feet
away from the burning ship.
The port side Of the ship gave way
first, and then the opposite side, both
opposite the motor nacelles on the big
balloon.
That vas only the beginning Of