Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-07-22
BURNING SAUSAGE
BALLOON CRASHES
THRU ROOF Of BANK
TWELVE KILLED IN SPECTACLE
LAR ACCIDENT OCCURRING
OVER CHjCAGO'S LOOP-MOST
or DEAD ARE EMPLOYEES Or
ILLINOIS TRUST AND SAVINGS
BANK.

Chicago, July 22.-IWelNe were
killed and twenty-five injured when
gigantic dirigible on its test fiisht
caught fire and fell 500 feet, crash
ing through the glass roof of the Hi
pois Trust and Savings Bank, Jack
son boulevard and La Sale street
shortly before O'Clock yesterday aft
eincCn.
Most OF the dead were employees OF
the bank, trapped and burned to
death in a whitening rain of fire
caused by the EXPOSITION OF the bal
looms gasoline tanks rs they hit the
flcor of the bank rotunda, where over
2G0 bookkeepers and clerks, nearly
all girls, were working.
The hlmp. 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. Thousands wit
messed it.
Squirt 0, Flame Starts Tragedy.
When approximately 500 feet above
the bank a squirt of flame was seen
% shoot from the top of the gas bag
near the center of the aircraft. The
crowds gathered on the streets 20
watch the flight saw the great ma
chine buckle and culver as it started
en- its fatal plunge.
-Four OF It's five occupants jumped,
and two landed safely in the streets
as The blimp. veritable ball of fame.
struck the roof of the bank with Il
crash audible throughout the loop dis
trict.
There was nothing to warn the hun
dreds of employees OF the banking in
stitution OF the coming tragedy. A !
shadow passed over the marble ro
'unda. where $50 were busy. and a /
terrifying crash followed. The banks
closing hour for patrons had passed, /,
but the clerks were still at work in
various departments.
II seemed, according to the sur
vivors. that the entire bank was Oh
fire, Breaking through the iron sup.
ports holding the glass overhead. the
fuslage of the blimp. with two heavy
rotary engines and several gasoline
tanks. smashed to the floor
Tanks Explode Among Bank Workers.
Instantly the tanks exploded. scat.
tering wave Of flaming gasoline over
hn rn1 pf
a panic ersued. There were only two
exits though which they could leave
the wire cage which surrounded the
rotunda.
Men and girls with clothing flaming
fought their way through the exits
Girls on the second floor ran scream
Ing to the window and several Jumped
to the street
In an instant the marble rorunda
was cleared except for the dead,
whose bodies were buried under the
flaming mass, licked to a white heat
by the gasoline blaze, and the dyins
who crawled feebly away from the
scorching fire, their clothes burning
off.
The intense heat made rescue work
impossible until after the fire depart
ment arrived on four-eleven alarm
call. 1t was thirty minutes before the
bodies under the crafts fusilape could |.
be dragged out. They were burned
beyond recognition
The Dead and Injured.
Tho dead
Davenport, Earl H. 544S Calumet ay.
enue, publicity manager White Cit.
Carpenter, James. 1249 Cornelia az.
onue, bank messenger.
Florence, Maria, 5000 Cornell avenue.
bank stenographer
Munyner Edward A., S00G Kimbark
avenue.
Unidentified man with watch bearing
initials &c. H. b."
Weaver Buck, Akron, Ohio. mechanic
Meyers, Evelyn, 5135 Blackstone ave.
me, stenographer.
Scanlon, Edward, 1850 Ingleside ave-
nue., bank messenger
Unidentified girl.
Unidentified girl.
Otto, Carl, APIS North Lincoln avenue.
Berger, Helen, 4j16 Beacon street. !
Evanston.
Injured.
Norton, Milton G., 214G Villas place. {
Cullsty, M c., 1920 Constance avenue. :
Ryan Mabel 1922 West Race street.
Smithman, c. T., Lexington Hotel.
Cory, George, address, unknown.
MacBeath, Josephine.
Williams, Willard, 1897 Lowe avenue.
Harris, Robert, GA Judson avenue. !
woodward, William, 1921 Harper ave. Z
nue.. :
PetAnick, Lillian, $3.50 Glenwood ave-
nue.. y
Watt, Mabel. 1920 Harvard avenue,
bank clerk; four stitches on ring !
finger of RICH hand four fractures
en- right hand
Durland, Helen, La Grange, H.. bank