Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1919-07-24
FALLING BLIMP
CATCHES MANY
BANK WORKERS
Giant Balloon ExplOdes al Chicago
and Crashes through Skylight
in Loop
(From Tuesdays Daily.)

(Frrom Tuesdays Daily.)
Ten persons were killed and 20 in
iured when a large dirigible on its
tenth fight caught fire and fell 500
feet, crashing through the glass roof
Of the Illinois Trust & Savings bank
late Monday at Chicago
Most of the dead were bank em7
ployees, trapped and burned to death
in a fire caused by the explosion Of the
balloons gasoline tanks as they hit
the floor, where more than zoe book
keepers and clerks, nearly all girls,
were working.
The balloon, owned by the Good
year Tire e Rubber Co, Of Akron, O.,
had been flying above the city several
hours.
When about 500 feet above the bank
squirt of flame was seen to shoot
from the top OF. the bag near the CEN
ter. Crowds on the streets saw the
machine buckle and culver.
No Warning to Employees
Four of it's five occupants jumped,
and two landed in the street as the
blint. ball of flame, hit the roof the
bank with crash.
There was nothing to warn the en-
ployees. A shadow passed over the
rotunda and crash followed. 1t
seemed, according to the survivors,
that, the entire bank was on fire.
Breaking through iron supports hold
ing the glass overhead, the fusllage
of the balloon, with two heavy en-
gines and several gasoline tanks,
smashed down.
Instantly the tanks exploded, scat
tering gasoline over the workers for
a radius Of SO feet. A panic ensued
There were only two exits.
Men and girls with clothing afre
fought their way out. Girls on the
second floor ran screaming TO the
window and several jumped.
ie In an instant the rotunda was
cleared except for the dead, and the
dying who crawled away with clothes
afire.
Bodies Burned Beyond Recognition
The heat made rescue work difficult
until after the fire department ar
rived. 1t was 80 minutes before the
bodies could be dragged out They
were burned beyond recognition.
Meanwhile ambulances came, and
the police threw Gordon about the
place Persons were found to have
been caught by the glass. The cause
of the fire which brought the flaming
gas bag down is not definitely known.
None of the crew could ascribe a def
mite reason.
Two reasons were offered. One was
that spark from the motor set the
fire. The other was that the balloon
was overcharged and the suns rays
caused it to expand and burn.
Passengers Jump, Two Escape unhurt
When Jack Boettner, employee OF
the rubber company and pilot, saw the
flames, he shouted to other passengers
and jumped. All were protected by
parachutes.
Henry Weaver and Harry Wacker,
mechanics, followed. A. III. Norton, a
photographer for Chicago paper, was
the last to leap. The first man, Earl
H Davenport, publicity agent for an
amusement park where the balloon
had it's hangar, did not get out. His
body struck the roof of the bank and
burned to a crisp. Weaver's para
chute was ablaze and he was over
taken by the balloon and carried to
death.
: Boettner and Wacker landed prac-
tically unhurt Norton suffered brok-
en- legs and severe internal injuries.
The other dead were fried and
burned in the bank.
The Illinois Trust & Savings bank
is one of the largest in Chicago, hav-
ing deposits of more than $l00,0O0,-
1000.
The building is at La Sale and Jack
son streets, opposite the board OF
trade, and is only two stories high.
Steps toward regulation of air traffic
with a view to prevent future disas-
ters like that of yesterday were taken
by the city council last night.
(F'rom Tuesdays Daily)
G. w. Risley, brother OF I. F. and
C. E. Risley of Baraboo, was in the
Illinois Trust and Savings Bank IN
Chicago when the disaster occurred
on Monday evening, according to q
telegram received short time after
the building was wrecked by the fall
ing balloon. They called up their
brother later and were told more OF
the particulars. Mr.. Risley is en-
ployed in the bank and has held a
position there for a number OF years.
While yet in the building he saw
number of the dead and injured
carried away AS soon as possible
those employed In the bank turned on
the fire lighting apparatus, saving the