DISASTER TO AIRSHIP R 38.

BLOWN UP OVER HULL. VESSEL BREAKS IN TWO. FALL INTO THE HUMBER.

We regret to announce that last evening a terrible catastrophe overtook the giant airship R 38 (now known officially as ZR 2), which was recently purchased by the American from the British Government, involving the total destruction of the vessel herself and the deaths of nearly all those on board.

The disaster occurred shortly before six o’clock last evening when R 38 was over the city of Hull. As was announced in yesterday’s Daily Telegraph, R 38 left her mooring mast at Howden, Yorkshire, at 7.10 yesterday morning, after having been overhauled, and proceeded on a test flight which was to last twenty-four hours. After the completion of these trials she was to go to the aerodrome at Pulham, Norfolk, to undergo final preparation before starting on her flight across the Atlantic. The conditions in some respects were not very favourable, and during yesterday the weather having become foggy, the vessel remained out over the North Sea awaiting a clearing of the atmosphere, which would enable her to proceed to Pulham.

Apparently the weather conditions had improved sufficiently for this purpose, and at 5.40 p.m. R 38 was sighted over Hull. A few minutes later she was seen to buckle and break in half. Two violent explosions followed, and the blazing remains of the airship fell into the river Humber, taking with them the majority of those on board.

Eye-witnesses state that the whole affair was over in a minute. So tremendous were the explosions that considerable damage was done to buildings in the city. Had the disaster occurred a couple of minutes sooner, the broken and burning airship would have fallen on to houses and crowded streets, instead of into the river.

Unhappily there appear to be only five survivors of the crew of the ill-fated airship, including Flight-lieut. Wann, her commander, who is injured, though not dangerously. R 38 had on board eight British officers, five civilian experts, and nineteen other ranks, together with six American officers and eleven other ranks – a total of forty-nine. Thus, unless other survivors are found, which seems improbable, the total death-roll amounts to forty-four.