◆ SpookStack

PR aw ue eee er et oe rey cee | nen ne ete mener y ee ee ee ee ee ” | hia wee te ene ee that they might find same exploded shells and apparently they were definitely of the opinion that somebody had come upon the reservation and fired into the Hindenburg. They advised that in connection with their search, they hed found the tracks of two. persons who had climbed over the fence on the far side of the reservation and had walked in approximately 1,000 feet along the road, which leads towards the headquarters building and to the North of the place on the fieid where the Hindenburg hed landed, They pointed out these tracks to us at this time and indicated they were making some investigation as to thise They were referred to Lieutenant Commander F. W. Reichelderfer, former Executive Officer at the Naval Air Station, for information, inasmuch as we had learned in the afternoon, from conversation at beadquarters, that two boys hed surreptitiously entered the confines of the reservation and had been picked up by the Naval Guard and brought to headquarters and it was suggested thet possibly these tracks might have been made by these boys on May J, 1935. Special Agents in Charge Vetterli and Devereaux took photographs of these tracks as made by these two individuals and on May 10, 1937, plaster of paris casts were made of these tracks by Special Acent in Charge Vetterli, as subsequently will be covered in more detail, They also made inquiry which indicates that at the point where entry was made, resulting in these tracks, a road runs along the outside of the fence of the reservation and numerous spectators were along this road in automobiles and on foot at the time the Hindenburg attempted to lend. After the explosion and fire, numerous of these swarmed over the field from all directions and apparently for a period of three or four hours the people continued to roam over various parts of the reservation in an endeavor to get near to the wreck of the Hindenburg, after which they were a1] ex- cluded from the reservation. The wreck of the Hindenburg itseif has been under a constant military and naval guard and no one, other than the persons who went in to take out the injured and the bodies of the dead, were allowed to go into the wreck itself. Other persons have not been allowed to approach or touch anything in connection with the wreck and it has been maintained intact as such. On the afternoon of May 7, 1937, I understand that the wreck was officially turned over by the Navy Department to the Department of Commerce for their investigation subsequently opened as of 10 ae m. on May 10, 1957. A Navel Board of Inguiry was con- vened at 10 a. me Monday, Mey 10, and adjourned pending the investiga~ tion to be made by the board appointed by the Department of Cormerce.