Evening journal., 1919-07-22
9 KILLED when
DIRIGIBLE FALLS
Continued from First Page.

Park.
The following statement was given
the Police Department by Jack Boett-
ner, assistant pilot, OF Akron, o., who
escaped by leaping from the balloon in
parachute:
Il have no idea how the ship caught
l,lre. The two eighty horsepower mo-
ters had been working perfectly. Prior
to the explosion we had made two sue
cessful cruises, not experimenting a
bit OF trouble.
"Just before she caught nre we were
running smoothly. We had headed
away from the lake when / felt the
ship buckle. I saw the flames leap
from the side and yelled TO the passen-
gers TO Jump. They were all strapped
In parachutes and obeyed Immediately.
l think the fact that all did not land
safely was due to the speed with which
the burning dirigible fell. My own
parachute caught fire. but / managed 10
land safely. The others probably caught
FIRE also and fell when the silk had
burned from the parachute"
Boettner said the ship was the small
est one built for experimental pur-
poses by the Goodrich Comusny. 10
was ii2 feet long and had a capacity OF
100000 cubic feet OF gas.
The experiments conducted here con-
sisted Of carrying freight OF various
kinds, under the direction Of govern
ment officers Among the dead are:
John Weaver, Akron. ohio, assistant
mechanic; Carl Otto, Akron, Ohio, as
sistant mechanic. and Earl II. Daven-
port, formerly well known sports writ
er and at present publicity man for
local amusement park.
President John J Mitchell OF the
bank hesitated to estimate the amount
OF property loss involved.
I'm thipking OF the dsaths OF those
people / knew personally" he said.
He thought $4,000 would replace the
fixtures. The original fixtures in
moment as burning gas and gasoline
almost instantly turned metal into a
white molten mass and cracked the
marble pillars.
Mitchell indicated the Goodyear oom-
pany had offered 30 settle damages
and. do whatever was right for fam
lies Of the victims"
The dirlgible cost $4,000. II was
built IN Chicago at the hangar Of an
amusement park. It's trips yesterday
were complimentary 10 army officers
and newspaper men. II made several
cruises successfully.
10 was almost Ave o'clock when the
final trip began. Aboard were six
men. Directly over the business part
OF the city a tiny 1ame was seen 10
spurt from the rear and sides. Almost
instantly a figure slid over the side
Of the fuselage and A parachute opened.
That was Pilot Boettner. Others fol-
lowed.
. The city council was in session
mediately a resolution was adopted
calling for immediate enactment OF an
ordinance regulating aircraft flights
over the city.
Pilot J. A. Boettner. first blamed
static for the burning OF HIS machine
Later he said sparks from the rotary
motor-an experiment for ',blimps"-l
may have set tho gss bag sfre. The
motors, he said. were intended TO
pull" instead OF driving a machine. !
as they were exhaust flames
may have blown against the fabric.
The dlrigible was inspected sitter |
each OF three short flights during the
afternoon. A theory that fire may |
have been smoulderlng for some time
was dismissed.
The men held for investigating are
employees OF the Goodyear Tire and
Rubber Company. Their names were
lot made public.
Screams arose as flames leaped up
,r flowed along the floor IN rivulets Of
yasoline. Women became hysterical. |
4 terrified rush for the two main ex-
is followed.
Gallery workers leaped from the
windows. Inside a few remained too |
errors-stricken TO move or slow to
'eallze the danger.
Some dived TO the big vault and |
iwung its door as far shut as they |
safely could. Men slid under their
iesks TO escape the spraying liquid |
Ire. The flames caught them and |
irovs them out through other rivers
II fire.
Those who died in the bank were
,inned by the heavy motors or frame
work OF the '-wlngfoot." Flremen
allied when the dlrlgible nrst burst !
nto flame rushed into the building at
,nce TO drag back those fallen on the |
,dge OF the blaze Some Of the res
.ued were so blackened by the FIRE
hat they could not be recognized.
Evelyn Meyers was one OF the flrst
o die. She was completing a call al
Ter switchboard when a cylinder OF
yasollne fell on her work table. she
vas caught instantly In quickly killing |
lanes. At her side worked Myrtle
Messenger. Myrtle saw the death OF
Ter co-worker. tried TO put a call
through to the FIRE department but the
Ire spread toward her. singed her hair
nd drove her out after one frantic
Mort 10 pull Evelyn's body away
rom the blaze. Myrtle jumped through
window and landed safely.
C. c. Hyford, running from his private
,nlce at the first explosion, Jumped
nto a man carrying a woman.
'Nfy God it's raining hell" burst from
he mans blackened face. The figure \
le carried apparently was lifeless.
'I don't know Just what happened"
azed victims said hours after the fire.
I'VE thought Of the reds right of"
aid Walter Degrosse. bookkeeper.
They're razlns a building near here
nd my thought was that reds were
mong the workmen. Then | saw the
nan fall through the roof and land in
ront OF the vault. Then the hpat-like
,ody Of the ship came through There
vas a slzzle like that Of a giant frying
an. After that girls began running
round with their waists almost burned
n and with their clothing still burn
ng. | made for the door grabbed one
4 the girls as ! went and tried to beat