The San Francisco call., 1908-05-25
''NO!" SAY POLICE
TO NEW AIR SAIL
MorreII Declares He Will TRY
Again." but Officers of
LawFOrbid Flight

BERKELEY. May 24-'-we will try
again" is the determination OF the
hackers OF MorreIl in his airship pro-
5ect, undaunted by the wreck OF his
4S2 foot balloon and the miraculous es-
cape from death of its crew OF 20 men,
We will not allow Morrell to imperil
his own and others lives by attempting
another ascent in this city,, was the
gist of Chief of Police Nollmers re-
marks Yesterday when informed that
The Boulevard gardens. a tract on
san Pablo avenue just north OF TINS
city, is the site chosen for building the
new machine. and il may be that po-
lice interference viii now be added to
the other obstacles confronting the dar-
ing naviRators of the air. From an
authoritative source it was learned
that construction of a new ship de-
signed upon the lines of the one
wrecked Saturday. but $50 feet in
length and with compartments in the
gas bag to prevent the repetition of
Saturdays disaster, would be begun as
soon as possible.
GATHER UP WRECKAGE
Today those members of the airship
crew but slightly injured In the mis-
hap were busy gathering up the broken
engines to ship them 70 the San Fran
cisco shops of the company. Although
tdtu OF the ING 3U horsepower engines
was badly damaged in the fall an eff
fort VIII be made to repair them for
use in the new airship. The canvas
netting and the silk OF the propellers
viii, however. be of little use, most of
il having been cut to ribbons by the
crowd in rescuing the men caught un-
derneath the mass of wreckage.
The officers of the Morrell airship
yesterday as TO the causes OF the ac-
cident. Vice President r. OFT, who was
j. command at the lot at Grove and
Kittredge streets. where the Ill fated
shin ascended and where II feli. seemed
70 feel that IL was none OF the public's
business what caused the disaster. In
answer TO a query he said:
REFUSES STATEMENT
There has been so much to do and
think about since the accident that the
company cannot make a statement at
this time In . few days when Mr..
Morrell is able he viii issue a formal
account of the accident from head
quarters in San Francisco"
But the public is interested in the
causes Of the accident" persisted the
interviewer.
1T is of no concern to the public.
We have never received any support
from the public and IL is not for the
public 10 inquire into the affairs Of the
who is some of the company" he
was asked
Il am not at liberty TO tell who they
are. 1t is of no interest 10 the pub
Don't you suppose il is of consid-
cradle interest both 10 the public and
the stock holders who will have TO pay
. Tor the damage done to know that
criminal negligence did not cause the
accident 1t has been said that the
principles Of construction were entire
ly wrong and that the cloth covering
was of the cheapest grade of muslin
and would not Withstand even ordinary
pressure"
Yes. you hear all sorts of rumors
about the principles of construction.
We have faith in the airship and any
one who says that the cloth was not Of
the best kind for the purpose does not
care 10 discuss The subject further.
fight?"
7 cannot give out information OF
that kind. as that is the business Of
the company. Good day.
CREW SCORES COMPANY
Members Of the crew were not as
reticent as the officers of the company
In talking Of the causes of Saturdays
wreck The insufficient filling with gas
Of the forward end of the balloon and
the fimsy character of its muslin COW
ering were accounted the reasons for
the fasco.
The providence which is said to have
4 special care for children sailors and
air navigators seems TO have presided
over Saturdays Ill advised flight. for
-NNNA Aiit LlbAC ScLROUSll injured OF the
voYageurs showed Improvement in their
condition yesterday.
Otto Olsen, whose station was near
the third engine and who sustained In
ternal injuries; c. A. Nelson, a sailor
who sustained a fracture of the pelvis
and L. Y. Rogers, an assistant engineer
with a fractured ankle and internal in
luries. are still In a serious condition.
More hope is expressed today, however.
for their recovery than immediately
after the catastrophe.
ENGINEER TELLS STORY
Otto Whipple, in charge of the third
engine near whom Morrell stood guild
ing the ship, told his story today.
Whipple blamed Morrell for the acci-
dent, but praised his courage. He said
Morrell was cool UP to the very
time that the bag was being filled with
The gas. Then his eyes became blood
shet and his face swollen and one
could see that he was slightly out OF
his head with the excitement attending
the final preparations for the flight
Ordinary precautions he overlooked in
his anxiety to free the ship from the
guy ropes. and when I look over what
happened-that which was bound to
whole crew should have been sent to
an insane asylum
No safeguard protected the lives of
the men in the car. We were inclosed
bag and hardly had a way of escape
except through the holes near the en-
Fines. Parachutes were not thought
OF by MOrrell. / am glad that I es-
capped with my life and shall never
go up in airship again unless the
ordinary precautions are taken
MoRRELL BLAMES EMPLOYEES
Morrell in talking about the accident
has made the statement that his own
employees were responsible for the ac-
cident Some of them, he said, tried
10 stow away on the air craft and this
distracted his attention. Then the
others. according to Morreu. did not
obey his orders. When the airship left
the ground, he said, and the front end
began to rise above the stern he gave
orders to let go the holding ropes be-
low that the equilibrium might be re-
stored. This, he says. was not done
causing the gas TO go to the rear enc
and the bag to burst
Morrell said that the spectators by
shouting also made il impossible for
his orders to be heard by the crew
below him The wings used as pro
pellers We're the right principle. ac-
cording to Morrell. and the engines
We're good, but the holding OF the ropes
threw the steering gear out of use be-
fore it broke the bag. This also de-
stroyed the control OF the volume OF
gas
He believed that the ascent. which he