Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-07-22

Boettner, pilot of the dirigible, who
escaped by jumping with a para
chute, and w. c. Young, in charge
of the aeronautic department of the
Goodyear company.
Escape by Jumping
OF the eleven dead, nine were
employees of the bank and two were
passengers in the air service. Five
persons were in the airship at the
time of the accident and three es-
capped.
John J. Mitchell, president of the
bank, said he would have legal rep
resentatives at the investigation to-
day to take steps to prevent any
accident of this kind in the future.
1T is for the safety of the people"
he said. II will present this mat
ter before the bankers committee
and other interests to see if some
step cannot be taken to prevent
such accidents. / do not think any
flying should be done over a large
city unless really necessary"
The Corporation CcIncil to-day
began the work of drafting an ordi-
nance regulating the operation of
aircraft above the city.
Major Clarence Maranville, chief
of the Army aircraft division at
Akron Field, who witnessed the ac-
cident, has sent report to the War
Department at Washington.
Untricd Devices
Charges that several devices used
on the giant blimp were virtually
untried and were used for the first
time on this type of airvraft will be
made the subject of rigid inquiry
by officials.
One of these devices was a rotary
motor which was loaned for the
purpose by Major Maranville, who
declared that while there was dan
ger of fire in it's use, he believed
every necessary precaution had
been taken to prevent an accident.
Another device said to have been
used for the first time on a blimp
was a number of silk balloonettes
attached to the main body and Ma
jor Maranville says the friction of
these balloonettes against the silk
sides of the structure may have
been responsible for the accident.
Coroner Peter NJ. Hoffman and
States Attornew Hoyne declared
that it was probable that several
officials of the Chicago office of the
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
would be taken into custody before
the end of the day
Most of the dead were employees
of the bank, trapped and burned to
death in q fire caused by the eX-
plosion of the balloons gasoline
tanks as they hit the floor of the
bank rotunda where more than 200
bookkeepers and clerks, nearly all
girls, were working.
The balloon, owned by the Good
year Tire and Rubber Company of
Akron, Ohio, had been flying above
the city for several hours when the
accident occurred.
When approximately 500 feet
above the bank a squirt of flame was
seen to shoot from the top of the
gas bag near the center of the air
craft. The crowds gathered on the
machine buckle and quiver as it
started on its fatal plunge.
Four of its occupants jumped,
and two landed safely in the streets
as the blimp, a ball of flame, struck
the roof of the bank with a crash
audible throughout the downtown
district.
There was nothing to warn the
hundreds of employees of the insti-
tuition of the coming tragedy. A
shadow passed over the marble
rotunda, where they were busy, and
crash followed.
The banks closing hour for pat
rons had passed but the clerks were
still at work in various depart
ments.
Breaking through the iron sup
ports holding the glass overhead,
= 1,
heavy rotary engines and several
gasoline tanks smashed to the floor.
Panic Follows Clash
Instantly the tanks exploded,
scattering a wave of flaming gaso-
line over the workers for a radius
of fifty feet. A panic ensued. There
were only two exits from the wire
cage and through them men and
girls with clothing flaming fought
their way. Girls on the second
floor ran screaming to the windows
and several jumped to the street.
In an instant the marble rotunda
was cleared except for the dead,
whose bodies were buried under the
mass of debris and the dying, who
crawled away from the scorching
fire, their clothes burning off.
The intense heat made rescue
work difficult and it was thirty min
utes before the bodies under crafts
fusilage could be dragged out. They
were burned beyond recognition.
Cause of Fire Unknown
The cause of the fire which
brough the flaming gas bag down
is not definitely known. None of
the crew could ascribe a definite
reason.
Two theories were offered, how
ever. One was that a spark from
the rotary motors set the gas afire.
The other was that the balloon was
overcharged and the suns rays
caused it to expand and burst, the
fire following the contact of the
gas with sparks in the motors.
When Jack Boettner, an employe
of the Rubber Company and pilot of
the craft, saw the flicker of flame
he shouted warning to the other
passengers and jumped from the
fusilage.
All were protected by parachutes
attached to their bodies by belts.
Henry Weaver and Harry Wack-
er. mechanicians, followed Boettner.
E. H. Norton. a photographer for
a morning newspaper, was the last
to leap. The fifth man, Earl H.
Davenport, publicity agent for an
amusement park where the balloon
has its hangar, did not get out.
His body struck the roof of the
bank and burned to a crisp. wea-
Ver's parachute was ablaze and he
was overtaken by the flaming bal
loon and carried down to death.
Boettner and Wacker landed
practically unhurt. Norton suffered
broken legs and severe internal in
juries.
The others dead were crushad and