Evening star., 1937-05-17
H|NDENBURC BLAST
LAID TO GAS CELL
Couldn't Tell Direction of
Flames, Rigger Tells
Pr0bers.
BY the Associated Press.


from her stern gave the department
OF Commerce Investigating Board to-
day his opinion that gas cell started
the disaster.
Hans Freund, the only one OF the
dirigible's three riggers to survive, was
the first witness yet called who was
able to give any account of what took
place In the stern when the fire and
explosion occurred
His story emphasized the speed and
lack Of warning which characterized
the destruction Of the dirigible.
He had reached a station near the
fms, he related. and was attempting
to pay out a manila landing cable
when it happened.
There was muff1ed detonation
and I was standing in fire." he re-
lated. 1T went so quickly"
Surrounded by Fire.
How far were you from the source
Of the fire?" he was asked.
Il was surrounded by fire." he
answered. 1T came, Of course, from
above"
Il had the impression it was a gas
cell" he added after saying he could
not tell whether the flames envelop-
ing him came from the forward or
after direction. The flames and ex-
plosion were simultaneous, he said.
From that moment don't remember
anything until got out of the fln."
Before that there was nothing
wrong and landing preparations had
proceeded In q normal manner, he
said. The cable he was lowering had
become temporarily fouled by the
tail surfaces. but that was not un-
usual and another member Of the
crew quickly got the cable clear.
He felt no shock as he started to
drop the cable. he told the board,
and he noticed no glow Of static elec-
tricity about It.
About As feet forward of the tail
cable, Freund said, he had previously
dropped a spider line-a steel line
with many smaller manila ropes at
tached to it for the ground crew
There was no static glow here, he said,
and he felt no shock from the line.
Freund said he was one of the three
men who inspected the dirigible's gas
cells, but the other two perished in
the disaster. He could not supply
information on the gas level of the
last cell in the stern at the trips end,
for he did not have the final watch on
that duty.
Knew Of No Repairs.
Freund knew Of no repairs being
made to the gas cells even before the
ships maiden 1887 trip to America
started, and could not say whether
hydrogen had been Waived during the
landing maneuvers. During his watch
between 2 and pm. as the ship
neared Lakehurst, he estimated that
all l6 gas cells were 13 to IA per cent
less than full.
Did you hear anything like struc-
ture being ripped or something thrown
against it?"
NO" was his answer to the oues-
ton, which was apparently based on
the possibility broken propeller blade
may have hurled itself through the
hull, puncturing gas bag and causing
the explosive fire.
Is there any odor to hydrogen?"
Yes, one can smell it," he said,
and one can tell leak by the SMELL
No Odor, He Testifies.
There was no leak smelled during
the voyagle or landing maneuvers, he
testified, and there was no other odor,
such as burning wood or rubber.
He dismissed the possibility that 4
gas pocket could have formed outside
cell. The ships ventilation system
prevented this, he said.
Did you ever know Of q gas cell
valve sticking?"
"Yes. in the beginning Of last year.
I only had to pull at the valve slightly
and it closed"
One of the board members inquired
II valve had not stuck on voyage
to Brazil last year, causing the gas
cell to expand to a dangerous con-
dition.
"Yes," Freund replied and told how
differently designed piece was in
stalled and no further trouble had
been encountered. He said the Brazil
situation could not have required on
the ships last voyage.
Questioned further on the cable
he was handling when the fire and
explosion occurred Freund said it
was a manila line and had caught on
two fin wires.
WAS there any electrical connec-
ton nearby?"
II don't know of any"
Does it rub against steel any
place."
mo"
Did any one drop q tool or metal
Instrument"
NO"
The electric generator was about
100 yards forward OF the fin," he said.