The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-07-22
FLAMING BALLOON.
FALLS into BANK;
DOZEN ARE KILLED
Employees, Gagged In, Unable To
Escape Furnace.
Airship Occupants Jump for
Safety, Two Killed.
START AN INVESTIGATION
Officials of Goodyear Rubber
Company Are Held.
City Council May Stop Flying
Over the Metropolis.
City Council May Stop Flying
Over the Metropolis.

Chicago, July 22.-Twelve dead and
twenty-six injured was the final count
today of casualties in Chicago's most
modern tragedy-the fall of an air
craft thru the skylight of a metropol-
itan business building. Late yesterday
16o-foot dirigible fell blazing into
the counting room of the Illinois Trust
& Savings company.
Three members of the 'Wingfoot'
Express and nine employees of the
/ bank were among the dead. Most oe
] them were burned to death when the
! gas bag with its heavy fuselage burst
thru steel and plate glass and spread
/ burning gasoline in all directions
! Milton G. Norton, newspaper photo
grapher aboard the Goodyear COM
/ pany's "Wingfoot" when it fell head
! long into the Illinois Trust and Saw
/ ings bank here, died of injuries today.
bringing up the death toll to a full
/ score. Norton descending in a para
chute. landed heavily in Chicago's
! wall street" La Sale street. On re-
/ covering his senses. his first words
were:
| where are my plates?"
! Start Official Inquiry.
| Official inquiry was started today by
| States Attorney Maclay Hoyne to fix
responsibility for the disaster. United
States District Attorney Charles F.
Clyne also assigned an assistant United
| States attorney to attend the coroner's
inquest set for today.
Seventeen employees of the Good
year Tire & Rubber company of
/ Akron, o., owners of the ''Wingfoot
| Express" have been detained pending
a decision as to whether charges OF
criminal carelessness shall be filed
against them.
! Among those detained are Jack
Boettner. pilot of the dirigibIe, who
escaped by jumping with a parachute
and w. c. Young in charge of the
aeronautic department OF the Good
year company
The List Of Dead.
The dead:
Carpenter, Jacob, 1e, bank mes
scngcr.
Berger, Helen, bank stenographer.
Davenport, Earl H., publicity man
In the "blimp.'
Florence. Maria, bank clerk.
Gallagher, Mary. bank stenog-
rapher.
Miles, Irene, bank stenographer.
Meyer, Evelyn, bank stenographer.
/ NIunzer, Edwin, bank clerk.
| Otto, Carl, bank telegrapher.
Scanlan, Joseph, bank messenger.
i Weaver, Carl, mechanic, in the
dirigiblc Akron, Ohio.
The dirigible sailed over the city at
a. height of 500 feet. The course of
the big silver bag was watched by
| thousands in the streets.
The straining thousands saw a
flicker of flame at the rear of the bag,
then four black dots dropping over the
sides. then the crumpling and twist
ing dirigible sliding downward. over
taking the parachuted dots and crash
ing into the building.
Chose Most Likely Victim.
OF all the buildings in Chicago's
business district, the "blimp' chose
the one likely victim for such an acci-
dent. The bank building, a two-story
structure, squatting among the giants
of Chicago's financial district, was the
only one with a skylight of such pro-
portions.
II The heavy machiner of the dirigible
brought the bag down with such force
that steel supports for the heavy glass
were snapped like matches. Workers
in the bank-it was after customers
hours-saw a shadow over the sky
Il light More than 500 employees, mostly
girls, were al work. There was a crash,
then the room was filled with roaring
flame. Six were dead almost instantly
Others. singed by the terrific heat of
burning gasoline. fought blindly for
the few exits. Workers on the bal
cony rushed to the windows, few at
tempted the short jump to the street
The flames were controlled only
|, after the gasoline had been burned
from the floor.
]. A. Boettner. pilot of the wing
foot" was the first to see the danger.
Crew Leaps for Safety.
lover the top" he yelled to his
: companions and slid over the side. His
parachute opened nicely and he land
ed on a roof. other occupants fol-
lowed him. Three got clear of the
b-rning airship but the fourth was
caught in the falling ship and burned,
it's passenger, Carl Weaver of Akron,
Ohio. plunging TO death. Earl Daven-
! port, publicity man for the amuse-
ment park and at one time a sport
writer, did not jump from the ma
chine. His body was hurled thru the
= bank roof and burned to a crisp.
Harry Wacker. Akron, Ohio, chiei
mechanic 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
- rr7--