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WBN PR ein de a a, ce BPE He further advised the Board that during the trip he did not notice anything umusual among the passengers or the crew, and that he did mot kmow of any difficulty with the lighting system during the entire trip; further, the lights were burning at the time of the acci- dent. He stated that the Hindenburg had experienced no trouble on prior trips with the lighting system or any of the fuses burning out. Kubis advised the Board that he had been on the Hindenburg since the very first trip and has been on airships for the lest twenty- five years. As the ship was approaching the mooring mast Eubis was opposite the center window on the upper deck and observed that the ship was about 120 feet above the ground, and at this time he saw the back port line drop and the landing crew take the line and bring it to a medium degree of tension. It was shortly after this that he felt the shock of an explosion and then noticed that the ship was afire at the stern. The nature of the explosion was that of a muffled report. The effect of the explosion did not cause him to lose his footing. At the time of the explosion some of the passengers on the upper deck were in the lounge and some in the dining room and connecting quarters. Before the explosion there had been no indication of any danger. So far as he mew there were no passengers in the smoking room at the time, and the only person there was the smoking room steward. The time inter- veal in making the observation of the warious locations, particularly from the dropping of the landing line wntil the lifting of the bow of the ship, according to Kubis, was approximately one mimte. Kubis advised that when the ship wes in portat Germany he did not know of any visitors to the ship, but he did know that certain people have access to the ship while it is in port. During the trips of the Hindenburg the passengers are conducted on tours through the shipe Kubis conducted a few of the tours, but they are usually assigned to the ship's doctor and one of the stewards. So far as Kubis kmows, while the ship was in port in Germany, no one was conducted through the intericr of the ship. The ship, as is usual, is always closed to vis- itors one and onehalf days before making a trip. The company regulations are that while the ship is in port visitors are only sonducted through the ship by officers of the ship. Smoking is permitted only in the smoking room, and then only after a half hour from leaving port until a half hour before landing. The smoking privileges, however, may be denied by order of the Ceptein at any other time that he deems it ad- visable. All matches and lighters are taken from the crew and passengers before the trip begins. Kubis, however, stated thet members of the crew — Pi ee a omen amma mE HE CH