To the opinion of Dr. Hugo Eckener on the cause of the catastrophic burning of the giant dirigible Hindenburg, pronounced at Lakehurst three weeks after the disaster (TIME, May 31): A Report by the U. S. Department of Commerce corroborating Eckener's reasoning that atmospheric electricity (otherwise known as St. Elmo's fire or "brush discharge") accumulated on the ship must have ignited leaking hydrogen. Weighed and rejected by the investigating committee were theories of sabotage, broken propeller, ignition by radio spark, structural failure, lightning.
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