The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-07-22
BEGIN SEARCHING
PROBE INTO FATAL
D|R|G|BLE CRASH
Federal, State and Chicago
City Officials Investigating
Explosion Which Caused II
Deaths and Injuries to 28.

CHICAGO, July 22.-Federal, state
qua Guy officials today began a search
4hg investigation of the explosion of
.ne goodyear Tire and Rubber COM
5any dir1bigle balloon which yester-
gay resulted In II deaths and the in
Jury OF 2S others and wrecked the in
ings bank.
/, Charges that several devices used on
me, the giant blimp were practically untried
NIL, ~iii De MADE the subject Of rigid in
curry by officials One of these de-
wees was a rotary motor which was
loaned for the purpose by Mai. Clarence
Maranville, chief Of the army aircraft
Sglylslon at the Akron, (Ohio,) flying
Another device said to have been used
Tor the first time on a blimp was a
number of silk balloonettes attached to
the main body, and Mai MaranvilIe
says that the friction of these balloon-
ettes against the silk sides Of the struc-
the accident
States Attorney Hoyne declared it
was probable that several officials of
.ho Chicago office of the GOODYEAR
IRE and Rubber company would be
taken into custody before the end of
Seventeen employees of the GOODYEAR
IRE and Rubber company, of Akron,
y, owners of the airship, have been
detained pending a decision as to
whether charges OF criminal careless
ness should be filed against them.
Among those detained are Jack Boett
ner,, pilot of the dirigible, who escaped
py jumping, with a parachute, and w.
=. Young, In charge of the aeronautic
department Of the Goodyear company.
u the II dead, nine were employees
oI me bank and two were passengers
IN the airship. Five persons were in
the, airship at the time Of the accident
and three escaped. When the balloon
crashed through the skylight of the
oapk more than 200 employees, mostly
girls, were at work.
The balloon, with it's five passengers,
i was making its maiden trip above the
city in the interest of an amusement
park. According to witnesses, a spurt
OF flame appeared at the stern OF the
gas bag. Almost simultaneously four
parachutes leaped from the airship,
the fourth WAS caught in the. falling
balloon and burned to death its pas
senger, Carl Weaver, mechanic OF Ak
ron. Ohio. Earl Davenport. publicity
man for the amusement park and one
time 2 sporting writer, did not jump
from the machine. His body was hurled
through the bank roof and burned to
a crisp.
Harry Wacker, Akron, Ohio chief me-
chanic of the dirigible, was one of those
VINO cdIne uoWn awe. his DaCK was
broken, however, and he is not expected
to live.
Milton G. Norton, a photographer en-
ployed on a morning newspaper, also
landed, but in doing so his legs were
broken, and his condition Is critical
J. A. Boettner, civilian pilot, was the
only member of the Inflated airship to
land without injury.
Five of the nine killed in the bank
were women employees, three were men
and one a boy There were only two
exits in the iron cage in the center of
the bank and as the wreckage of the
balloon crashed through the skylight to
employees to escape. Trhe tanks ex-
ploded and the interior of the bank was
sprinkled with gasoline which quickly
gnited, burning the employees to death.
Boettner, the pilot, who was at po-
lice headquarters today, said: