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. a, a a Lo - Pee OE Herta ee Pooky #1N EDGAR HOOVER » ») foot So Ee ai oI re . * ‘| /- “I. ang tenths ‘PEF: CDW , an Federal Burean of Investigation © 7 United States Department of Justice : - wuashingion, B.C. : : ay 6, 1937. ALL 1 PLEMAT iON CONTA NED ; DLE “9-45 ( ae D)R bir Time - op MEMORANDUM FOR THE DIRECTOR if 4 SAC Devereaux of the Newark Division telephoned me and said that a flash had just come over the wires to the effect that theHindenburg had blom up in -—. widair just as it was about to land st, New Jersey. Wr. Devereaux said that inasmuch as this is of a/reservation, he. Tn YIELD th d th t °, dorm ere end lock e situation Ove CORTES af L / hi a oe 3 bey I told tir. Devereaux that he could go down there, t aA ‘andey no circumstances * should he start any inyestication without notifvine the Bureau of the facts 6060uU1G MO OO GF BAO UE Va ee Oa he Ve ee, Ledisi iia aad involved so that « determinetion might be made as to whether. the Bureau: wis justified in making an investigation. I told Mr. Devereaux that after he gets down there and looks the situation over, he should ‘cali us and. advise... us of the situation. ; L ao of Ti- Time ~ 11:55 P.M. eT te e Mr. Deveresux telephoned me from Lakehurst, and said that the Hindenburg sterted to eircle the field for 2 landing et about 4219 PB, Mes standard time. After dropping the landing ropes at “6: 225, P.M., the ship came in for a landing, and when about 210 feet from the ground, fire broke out, due to an explosion approximately 100 feet in front of the rear fin. The dirigible was demolished by the fire. Of the 61 members of the crew and 36 passengers, 44 of the crew and 20 of the passengers are alive. Twenty-six unidentified bodies have been recovered, and seven bodies are still missing. The explosion was due to a hydrogen explosion. The American Zepplin Transport operated the airship, which wes in command of Captains Lehmann and Pruss. Secretary of Commerce Roper is en route end is due tc arrive in about 15 minutes. Several high officisls of the Navy are also coming there. There appears to be nothing the Bureau can do at the present time. Mr. Devereaux wanted to know whether he and Mr. Conneliey, who went down there with him, should get a list of the crew so that the information would be available for future reference. I told him that he should do nothing further on this matter at this time; that if we need the names of the crew, that information will undoubtedly be availeble from a number of sources later on. I told hin thet at this time, there is nothing to indicate that the Bureau has any investicctive jurisdiction, and consequently, nothing s7ould be done in the premises. Mr. Devereaux and Mr. Connelley are retursing at once to Newark. 3), pa ae . 7a : . Ue Lea lca Etat a te ee ee er ee anew 2 ene ee ee _\