The Kendrick gazette., 1919-07-25
TEN PEOPLE KILLED
IN D|R|G|DLE DROP
MORE THAN A SCORE PEOPLE
HURT IN BALLOON ACCIDENT
At CHICAGO.
TANK ExPLOOES WITH FORGE.
Blazing Wreekase Crashes Through
skyIight in Business District
Pilot Escapes eDath-iias No
Idea Of Cause OF. Blaze.

Pilot escapes eOAfn-t1aS no
Idea Of Cause Of Blaze.
Chicago.-Ten persons were killed
and rs injured when large dirigible
on its 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 S 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
quiver as it started on its fatal
plunge.
No Warning for Victims.
Four of its 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.
hundreds Of employees of the bank OF
the coming tragedy. A shadow pass
ed over the marble rotunda, where
$50 were busy, and a crash followed.
! The banks closing hour for patrons
had passed, but teh clerks we're 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 ovel
the workers for radius of SO feet
A napic 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 raj
screaming to the window and severa
jumped to the street
In an instant the rotunda wa.
cleared except for the dead, whose
bodies were buried under the mass
and the dying, who crawled ava,
from the scorching fire, their clothe!
burning.
The intense heat made rescue worl
difficult until after the fire depart
ment arrived. It was 30 minutes be
fore the bodies under the crafts fusi
lage could be dragged out They wer'
burned beyond recognition.
Meanwhile ambulances from ever!
hospital and undertaking place nea
the center of the city came and tn
police threw a Gordon about the bank
Dozens were more or less cut by tn
shower of glass which preceded tn
explosion.
The cause of the fire which brough
the flaming gas bag down is no
known definitely. None of the crev
could ascribe a definite reason.
Two theories were offered. On
was that a spark from the rotar,
motors set the gas afire. The othe
was that the balloon was overcharge,
and the SUMS rays caused it to ez
pand andr burst, the fire followin
the contact of the gas with sparks il
the motor.
1t was intended to charge the ba
with pure mixture of hydrogen ga
which is not inflammable. It wa
conjectured, however, that a Quantit
of oxygen became mixed in the chare
ing process, rendering a highly g,