The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-07-23
EXPLODED BL|M P
CRASHES THROUGH
ROOF, L Kill LED.
DIRIGBLE STARTS FIRE IN CHI
CAGO BANK, BURNING FIVE
GIRLS TO DEATH
ALSO A BOY AND 3 N { n

Two Passengers of Big Gas Bag Die
Pilot Descends In Parachute Cnin-
jured-Twenty. eight Persons Hurt
! Airship Was Making Maiden Trip
Over City for an Amusement Park
Investigation Stars.
Chicago, July 22.-Federal, state
and city officials today began
b searching investigation of the
explosion of the Goodyear Tire
and Rubber Company's drgible bal
loon which yesterday resulted in IL
deaths and the injury of % others, and
wrecked the interior of the Illinois
Trust and Savings Bank.
Charges that several devices used
on the giant blimp were virtually un'
tried will be made the subject of rigid
inquiry. One of the devices was a
rotary motor which was loaned for
the purpose by Maj. Clarence Maran'
willie, chief of the army aircraft divis'
ION at the Akron Ohio flying field.
Another device said to have been
t1sed for the first time on a blimp
WAS Il DuI1DcI VI petioS'NNNNS
tached to the main body, and Major
Maranvile says that the friction Oh
these balloonettes against the silk
sides of the structure may nave peeh
responsible for the accident.
States Attorney Hoyne declared II
It was probable that several officiais
of the Chicago office of the Goodyear
Tire and Rubber Company would De
taken into custody before the end OF
day.
The twelfth victim of the disaster
was Milton G. Norton, photographers
employed by a Chicago newspaper VINO
fell from the machine. He died of his
Injuries shortly before noon today
Seventeen employees of the Goodyear
Tire and Rubber Company of AKRON
Ohio, owners of the airship, have oeen
detained pending a decision as "
whether charges Of criminal careless
ness shall be billed against them.
Among those detained are Jack Boett-
sner. pilot of the dlrigibe, who escapeu
by jumping with a parachute, ana
w. C. Young, in charge of the aero
nautic department of the Goodyear
Company.
or the II dead, nine were employees
of the bank, and two were passengers
in the airship. Five persons were III
the airship at the time of the accident
and three escaped. When the balloon
crashed through the skylight of the
bank. at 5 o'clock. more than 200 en-
ployes. mostly girls, were at work.
Was Making Maiden Trip
The balloon, with its five passen'
gers, was making its maiden trip ABOVE
the city in the interest of an amuse-
ment park According to witnesses
a spurt of flame appeared at the stern
above the engine. In moment there
was a puff of smoke and the flames
attacked the big egg shaped gas bag
Almost simultaneously four parachutes
1eaped from the airship. Three got
clear of the burning airship but the
fourth was caught and burned, its pas
senger, Carl Weaver, of Akron, ONO,
plunging to death.
Earl Davenport. publicity man for
The amusement park and one time a
sport writer, did not jump from the
machine. His body was hurled through
the bank roof and burned to a crisp.
Harry Wacker of Akron chief me-
chanic Of the dirigible, was one OF
those who came down alive. His back
was broken, however, and he is not
expected to live.
Milton G.. Norton, a photographer
employed on a morning newspaper, al
30 landed, but in doing so his legs
were broken and his condition is crit-
cal.
j. A. Boettner, civilian pilot. was
The only member of the Inflated air
ship to land without injury.
Five Of the nine killed in the bank
we're women employees, three were
men, and one a boy. There We're but
two exits in the iron cage, in the cen
ter of the bank, and as the wreck
age of the balloon crashed through the
skylight to the floor, there was no
time for the employees to escape. The
gasoline tanks exploded and the inter
lor of the bank was sprinkled with
which quickly ignited, burn
ing the employees to death. The bal
loon had been sailing over the city
'or several hours and its progress was
being watched by thousands on the
streets and in the office buildings.
Pilot Shouts for All to Leap
Boettner the pilot, who was taken
% police headquarters. said:
"As we neared State street, l felt
he machine buckle and there was a
.remor throughout the fusilage. l :
Snew something had happened and saw |
he flames licking the bag. / shouted a,
or all to jump and leaped out of the
ar {
State street is three blocks from ,
rhere the airship fell. ,
F. L Cooper, assistant cashier of
he bank, left his desk a few minutes =
before the burning balloon crashed /
through the roof, to put some records
.way. He said:
1.-The body of a man, so badly burned
md mangled that 1 could not tell at
irst that it was a man at all, came
iurling through the air and fell at my
eet Then there was an outburst Of
errified screams from the rallied off
pace where the girls worked, and
in their space seemed to
e a mass of flames.
when the first shock was over,
be men employed quickly manned the
mergency fire hose and turned them
N the burning mass and soon had the
ire under control and managed to ex-
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