◆ SpookStack

i , ee Da dah = we ~ ved COommaAnaSsr mos hl atated he was a per sonal frisnd of HugoJEckner, the German . hirenip Technician, and that engineer had stated to him, on numerous occasions, that the first opinion that he had formed of the disaster of the Hindenburg was that her wreckage was caused by sabotage. Further, that he now knew that he had made @ mistake in expressing such an opinion to the journalistic fraternity in Germany and that to remedy this mistake he had made a statement to the press in this country that he did not feel that sabotage could possibly have been the cause of the instant disaster. According to Rarendah atebead ta ™ asn a rete, Rosendahl, he has stated to him confidentially, however, thet he is convinced that the airship Hindenburg met her illetimed fate due to the employment of sabotage, either on the part of Communists or on the part of sympathizers with the Anti-Nazi movement. Commander Rosendahl, on this occasion, also informed that he has always entertained the sabotage theory as being a logical cause for the destruction of the Hindenburg and further, that this opinion has gradually grown until, at the present time, he also is confident that there was sabotage present in connection With, the des truction of this ship. He stated that on May 18, 1937, Helm lau, a member of the German crew who was functioning in the capacity of helmsman, as well as Rudold] sauter, who held the position of Chief Engineer on the German crew of the sirship Hindenburg, had stated that at the time of the catastrophe they were occupying positions in the stern of the ship and that they were located near the lower rudder. According to their testimony, the first evidence that they had that anything was wrong on board the Hindenburg was that they noticed a glow that appeared in the gas shaft that separates gas cells numbers 4 and 5. They testified further that immediately after the appearance of this glow, which reminded them of a Japanese lantern, that the entire sec- tion of cells numbers }; and 5 seemed to burst and immediately flames enveloped the entire stern. This is the first testimony that has been given before the Board of Inquiry that has shown a definite origin for the fire and this, therefore, places the fire as definitely be- ginning in the gas shaft located between cells numbers 4, and 5. For the information of the reader, it should be noted that there are 16 gas cells in the super structure of the airship Hinden- burg; that each cell is filled with hydrogen gas and through the use of this hydrogen gas the airship obtains its lifting power. For the airship to lose altitude, it is necessary that this hydrogen gas be 4S