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a 2s ee. oe, . a ne , This officer atated that last year the Hindenburg had usually utilized what they called "epider lines" in landing at Lake~ mrst, but that for sane reason or other on her initial trip for this year she preferred to use the guide line form of landing. officer Buckley also stated that to his knowledge mothing has been found on the field in the vicinity of the wreckage of the Hin~ denburg that would indicate that it had been removed from the wreckage in the manner that it was blown as if from an explosion. He also sta- ted that to the best of his reoollection the flame and detonation heard and observed by him seemed to occur almost similtanecusly, and further, that he does mot recall feeling a concussion on the ground at all. On May 13, 1937 there also appeared before the Board rep- resenting the Department of Commerce in connection with the instant investigation, CHIEF BOS'SN'S MATE FREDERICK JOSEPH TOBIN, who informed that he had been associated with lighter-than=-air craft since the year 1922, at which time he was stationed at the Navy air field at Pensicola, Florida, This officer was a member of the crew of the ill-fated Shen- andoah, and was one of the crew on board at the time that the Shenandoah orashed in the middie west. He was also a member of the orew of the Los Angeles, and was attached to the ground orew that took care of the landing operations of the Airship Akron, as well as the Airship Hinden- burge On May 6, 1937 Tobin was assigned to the duty of assisting in the mooring the Hindenburg, and in conneotion therewith his duty was to have his men attach the ground ropes (the yawl guide lines) to the guide lines which were thrown out from the ship. Besides this he also had more or less of a roving commission in that he was to observe the entire landing field and see that all of the operations were functioning prop- erly, and be of any assistance possible in the event the lines fouled or one of the landing crews became confused and performed their work in an inefficient mamer, According to Tobin the Hindenburg on Mey Gth passed over the ground crew in more or less of a manoeuver and proceeded across the field, making a left turn, It was at this time that he noticed that one of the rudders at the rear of the Hindenburg on the port side was 5k