Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-07-22

questioning the witnesses"
Two Tksories Advanced.


Two Theories Advanced.
w. C. Young, aeronautical expert
who came here june 20 with instruc-
tions to fly the ship, says that he has
two theories, one that the fire was
started by oil thrown against the bag
by the engines, the cylinders OF which
revolved. or by static electricity. The
latter, he said was possible but not
probable. The burning oil was
strengthened by Maj. J. ~ York, of an
engineering regiment. who told tho
states attorneys office that he saw
the balloon fall and was positive the
fire started over the engines.
[Story Of the Chicago disaster on
page two Of this issue.--Editor.l
Pilots Story Of Disaster.
Under the questioning Of John j.
Garrity, chief Of police. and John AL
cock, first deputy. J. A. Boettner, pilot,
told the story of the disaster to the
dirigible. The pilot was taken In Gus
tody by Detective Sergeants Flanagan
and Egan In front Of the Illinois Trust
and Savings Bank, where he was
found wandering thru the crowd look
Ing for his fellow passengers. Com
Wandering an automobile the de-
tectives rushed the pilot thru the loop
to the chiefs office.
The pilot showed no excitement
from his thrilling 1900 foot jump and
coolly related his version Of the ac-
cident.
I'VE were at least 1900 feet above
the ground when / first felt the heat
'of the flames. Looking back, I saw
shots of fire on both sides Of the rear
end Of the bag.
Orders 'Over the Top"
IT watched the flames for couple
of seconds before I said anything to
the other fellows. Knowing the ship
was finished, yellow Over the top.
everybody As I yelled I felt the
frame buckle. but by this time they
were beginning to slide over the sides.
I think was the last to jump. as I
saw all the parachutes In the air when
was hanging on ready to drop. ! saw
one Of the parachutes was on fire.
II must have had about a fraction
of a second start of the ship. as it
passed me when it fell. My parachute
opened perfectly.
II fell about seventy-five feet when
It spread out. I began to drHt a bit
when the flaming ship fell by me.
THE worst sensation experienced
was after my parachute opened. be-
gan sliding down rapidly, and. look
ing up. I saw 1t was beginning to burn.
In an instant 1t began to whirl, and
went around so fast I could not see
where was falling. I kept whirling
q tn ftV0 oil ,n9f r
Dazen by Fall on Roof.
II must have been Httle dazed
when landed. as didn't know where
II was until I rolled over and discov-
cred was looking down into a street.
Realizing had fallen on, top Of a
building began to look around. Find
ing fire escape, started down. It
must have been a high building, as
ut seemed q long way down the
ladders.
II started toward the lake when I
saw the crowd about the building
where the ship had fallen. was
starting to find some of the other
fellows when the etdetectives picked me
up.
Question as to Cause.
II don't know how the fire started
It is possible that it caught from
sparks going out Of the exhaust, al
though the open ports Of the exhaust
are covered with hood. and never
heard Of any Of these makes Of ma
chimes catching fire that way. The
only other way 1t could have started
was from the static in the air. We
were unusually high.> and atmospheric
conditions over the lake were not
very good when we started. The La
Rhone rotary tractor type motor,
which was used in this machine was
working perfectly on the two other
flights we made after dinner. 1t was
running well when I discovered the
fire, altho the mixture might have
been a little too lean. I have never
seen an engine Of this type back fire
thru the hood strong enough to carry
any sparks.
1T was hell about the other fellows.
I guess my guardian apgel pulled me
thru"
The pilot told Chief Garrity that he
had been civilian dirigible pilot in
structor for the aviation department
during the war. He had had about
three years experience and had been
stationed along the Atlantic coast in
fo1o '.r