SWeeps who like reading about history: What is the context of this phrase?

I am always saying about these online so called "Dr's" and "professors" and other self proclaimed educated, intellectual phonies who Google and paste everything they say to put on an illusion of being smart. I would rather rely on my retained knowledge and be wrong than Google everything before I post.
That being said, I will admit that I never understood what was the context to what the announcer was saying during the Hindenburg disaster. I can only assume he was emotional and meant to describe the great and immediate loss of human life.