Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1919-07-25
TEN PEOPLE KILLED
IN D|R|G|BLE DROP
MORE THAN A SCORE PEOPLE
HURT IN BALLOON ACCIDENT
AT CHICAGO.
TANK ExPLODES With FORCE
Blazing Wreckage Crashes Through
Skyient in Business District
Pilot Escapes eDath-Has No
Idea of Cause of Blaze.

/
| Chicago.-Ten persons were killed
and 20 injured when a large dirigible
on it's test flight caught fire and fell
| 500 feet, crashing through the glass
| roof of the Illinois Trust and Savings
bank. Jackson boulevard and La Sale
street, at 5 O'Clock Monday afternoon
Most of the dead were employees of
the bank, trapped and burned to
death in fire caused by the explo-
sion of. the balloons gasoline tanks as
they hit the floor of the bank ro-
tunda, where more than 200 book
keepers and clerks, nearly all girls,
were working.
Flying Several Hours.
The balloon. owned by the Good
year Tire and Rubber Co. of Akron,
Ohio, had been flying above the city
for several hours when the accident
occurred.
When about 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 aircraft. The crowds
gathered on the street to watch the
flight saw the machine buckle and
culver as it started on it's fatal
plunge.
No Warning for Victims.
Four of it's five occupants jumped
and two landed safely in the street,
while the blimp, a ball of flame,
struc kthe roof of the bank with a
crash audible through the downtown
district
There was nothing to warn the
hundreds of employees of the bank of
the coming tragedy. A shadow pass
ed over the marble rotunda, where
$50 were busy, and crash followed
The banks closing hour for patrons
had passed, but teh clerks were still
at work in various departments.
Explosion of Tanks.
1t seemed, according to survivors,
that the entire bank was on fire.
Breaking through the iron supports
holding the glass overhead, the fusi-
lage of the balloon, with two heavy
rotary engines and several gasoline
tanks, smashed to the floor.
Instantly the tanks exploded, scat
tered wave of flaming gasoline over
the workers for radius of 90 feet
A maple ensued. There were only two
exits through which they could leave
the wire cage which surrounded the
rotunda.
Bodies Burned Under Wreckage
Men an dgirls with clothing flam-
ing fought their way through the
exits. Girls on the second floor ran
screaming to the window and several
jumped to the street.
In an instant the rotunda was
cleared except for the dead, whose
bodies were buried under the mass,
and the dying, who crawled away |
from the scorching fire, their clothes
burning
The intense heat made rescue work |
difficult until after the fire depart
ment arrived. 1t was 80 minutes be-
fore the bodies under the crafts fusi-
age could be dragged out They were
burned beyond recognition.
Meanwhile ambulances from eyery
hospital and undertaking place near
he center of the city came and the
police threw a Gordon about the bank
DOZENS were more or less cut by the
shower of glass which preceded the
explosion.
The cause of the fire which brought
he flaming gas bag down is not
inown definitely. None of the crew
'ould ascribe a definite reason.
Two theories were offered. One
vas that spark from the rotary
motors set the gas afire. The other
vas that the balloon was overcharged
nd the suns rays caused it to ex-
and and burst, the fire following
he contact of the gas with sparks in
he motor.
1t was intended to charge the bag ;
nth pure mixture of hydrogen gas
mich IS not inflammable. 1t was !
however, that quantity [
1 oxygen became mixed in the charg- {
1g process, rendering a highly ex- S
losiye combination. {