Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-07-22
BURNING D|R|G|BLE
KILLS 10 PERSONS
Airship Drops Through Bank
Roof at Chicago, Claiming
Girl Victims.
FLAMES CATCH MANY CLERKS
Two of Five Passengers Die, but
Pilot Escapes by Leaping
With Parachute.
FLAMES CATCH MANY CLERKS

airship Of the army diriEiblc type eX-
ploded while flying at an altitude OF
1000 feet over the business district
little after o'clock this afternoon.
\ mass Of flames. II fell to the top of
the Illinois Trust and Savings Bank
building. and plunged through the roof
10 the top floor where a crowd Of bank
clerks and stenographcrs were work
ms
The accident took n death toll OF ten
and injured twen;y-thrce Eight OF
the victims were bank employees and
two were passengers on the dirigiblc.
Jack Boettner pilot in charge OF the
dirieiblc, escaped with but few
scratches by a parachute leap.
The dirigible. which belonged to the
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company,
had started early in the afternoon for
a tria! trip from White CITY. an amuse-
m,ent Park. 20 Grant Park. 1t made
the fight safely and picked UP four
passengers and started for trip over
the city. 1t climbed steadily for !, 900
feet, Thousands OF spectators watch
ing IT. Jaw wisp Of smoke suddenly
spurt from the tail OF the gas cnyeI-
ope. The pilot also observed 1t and
began TO point the nose down.
Passengers Take Lcnp.
The machine appeared to be under
control; but near the ground veered
bounded upward several feet There
was a lash and the gas envelope
srwmpied and the whole mass sho,
toward the ground
The pilot and the four passengers
mad fiXeNd their parachute belts and
all i.aped, The ,piot ianded safely
on the rooi OF a building: his assist
ant. Henry Wacker. expert. vas Sc
rious!X injured. although it is believed
he g.: VIII live; Earl II: Davenport. pub
passenger, Killed; Carl Weaver. motor
expert for the Goodyear Company.
kiled; Milton q. Notion. photographer
bolh legs broken.
The other victims were employees
OF the bank. Four were girls. About
mliE clerks were sitting near the skv-
.ihshii .h Inc steel engine. followed by
me lishter mechanism, crashed through
without warning upon them. Throug IN
the doors they stampeded, injured
some son mn. IN names mes cangh, from the burn
were burned TO death and their bodies
charred beyond recognition.
Victims Get No Warning.
mere was nothing to warn the hun.
| dreds or employees of the institution
OF the coming tragedy.
y shadow passed over the n,arhle
Fotunda. where l5o were busy and a
crash followed. The banks closin: :
ouI nouI ior patrons had passed. but the
clerks we're still at work in various
departments.
IT seemed according to the survivors.
na Rreakins lns throgrn fmtgs bank b was on re
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
terins a wave OF faminc easolina n%e
,he workers for a radius OF fifty feet.
panic ensued There were only two
exits through which they could leave
the wire cage which surrounded The
rotunda.
Men and girls, with clothing Raining.
Girls on the second floor ran screamin .
to the window and several jumped 10
the street
In an instant the marble rotunda
DooieS were buried under the mass OF
Debris and the dying. who crawlcd
away from, the scorchng fire. their
Clothes burning Off
Rescue Work Dimcult.
The intense heat made rescue work
difficult until after the fire department
arrived 1t was thirty minutes before
the bodies under the crafts fusilaSe
could be dragged out
,, 6osttner. the pilot, gave the follow
ing description of the accident:
have no idea of the cause OF the
accident. We acrried TWO eighty
horsepower Rhone motors, and they
tested them before going up. In the
morning we had taken up Colonel
Joseph Morrow. OF the United States
ar service. on one trip. Just before
it caught fire il was running smoothIy
was sitting up in front when. I
felt the ship buckle II was the frs;
warning | had. tried to make the
landing.
hen saw we couldn't make it, I
yelled for every one to jump"
Boettncr was taken TO the police
station for questioning as to the cause
OF the accident.
Anxious About "PIates."
Notion the photographer. was en-
proved Gy the international Film Ser
wee He was making the parachute
descent safely when he struck build
ing and was hurled into the street.
asked: e
We're my plates all right"
me airship originally had been built
TOT experimental purposes and il was
intended To be used temporarily to
carry passengers from the amusement
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