◆ SpookStack

ibid Wil. side Lees Bie bed ae oN ~e commissioned. Frior to that time he had been a cook on board the Graf Zeppelin since the year 1932. He stated that at the time the ship came to a halt om the approach to the mooring mast at Lakehurst, he was located in the for- ward part of the ship in the frame. He stated that he was more or less assisting the trimming of the ship, and that his usual landing station is in the kitchens He informed that he was looking out of the ship at the time, and that he is the only member of the six or seven of the erew that were forward toward the bow that escaped with his life. He stated that at the time of the accident he must have either dropped cut of a hatch or was blown outs He cannot recall exactly what hap- pened nor how he reached the earth. He did state that he has a vague recolletion of a vibration being feit. This was accompanied with a muffled explosion. He also stated that he recalls a feeling as though the bow of the ship was lifting upward and thie evidentiy either fell er was blown through the ventilation hatch at the bow. Upon further questioning he stated that he was to the left of the lower gangway in the forward part of the ship and that he first observed fire just dove him, but he cannot state from whence this fire had progressed. He also testified that he saw no evidence of fire prior to the feeling of the explosion, and that the explosion cocurred prior to the fire insofar as he wes concerned. He also does not recall hear- ing any subsequent explosion after hearing the first, and that it was entirely possible that he could have been unconscious at the time the ship crashed to the ground. He stated that he has no recollection of seeing the ship on the ground or noticing any fire. He stated that before the detonation, by locking through the ventilation hatch, he could see the mooring chain at the cone of the ship which is located on the foremost portion of the bow, but he does not kmow whether this mooring chain ever touched the ground before the accident happened. He stated, however, that he is sure the guide ropes, both starboard and ‘Port, reached the ground after they were thrown a Tames har th Gusgar wy wig oFewe He informed that for the purpose of cooking,aboerd, the Hin- denburg used stoves which had electric plates, and that two of these electric plates were in operation for the purpose of heating water at the time of the accident, but to his knowledge the electric stoves on board had always functioned properly.