A wave of sympathy has been evoked the world over by the terrible disaster to the British airship, the R-101, which exploded with such an appalling loss of life on its flight to India. The disaster is unparalleled in the history of aviation for not only has the world's largest and most modern dirigible been wrecked—a vessel which carried the greatest hopes for Britisn Empire—communications,—but the flower of the British airship service have lost their lives. its own sphere it is comparable only to the wreck of the Titanic for the blow it has dealt to a service which only recently has demonstrated its practical character is such that it will necessitate the greatest national effort to overcome. The list of victims includes all the leading airship experts, men who have been with the service since those difficult days when airships were a German monopoly and their study and construction were a matter of national concern during the w: Colmore, Scott, Leach, Irwin, Richmond were all pioneers, and formed the backbone of a service which after the war turned its attention to the commercial aspects of this type of vessel which offer such prospects of development in the aeronautical future. Lord Thomson, the Air Minister, and Sir Sefton Brancker, the Director of Civil Aviation, were also outstanding in their contributions to this form of communica tions which hi through the enthusiasm and support of the many but through the efforts of a very devoted little band whose faith was never unshaken despite the tremendous expansion of the rival aeroplane services. They died the deaths of heroes wa were one unswerving effort directed at an ideal and the nation mourns their passing.
It is not easy or proper at the present time to dilate lengthily on the possible causes of the disaster. The Air Council has decided on a public enquiry which will be held in England with French collaboration, The evidence of survivors indicates that there was a structural defect in the dirigible which was recently enlarged by the addition of an extra section increasing her gas capacity and making her length 770 fect. The vessel's tail apparently broke she struck the ground in the sale and the explosion which followed resulted from the hyde rogan which she was inflated. The technical explanation will be afforded at the enquiry for the vessel was equipped with Diesel engines whose virtue is their minimized fire The parallel with other airship disasters, especially that of the R38 at Hull, as explained
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.