New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
Dirigible Cruising Over
City Bursts Ahame and
the Blazing Wreckage
Goes Through Skylight
Tank Explodes as
1t Enters Room
Craft Carried Passengers
and Cargo in Service
of Amusement Park

test flight caught fire and fell 500 feet,
crashing through the glass roof of
the Illinois Trust and Savings Bark,
jackson Boulevard and La Sallc Street,
at o'clock this afternoon
Most of the dead were employees of
the bank, trapped and burned to death
In fire caused by the explosion of
the balloons gasoline tanks as they
hit the floor of The bank rotunda where
more than 200 bookkeeocrs and clerks,
nearly all girls. were work ;rg
The balloon, owned by the Goodyear
Tire and Rubber Company. of Ak
ron, Ohio, had been flying above the
city for several hours when the acci-
dent occurred.
Crowds See Airship Fall
When approximately 500 feet above
the bank a squirt of flame was seen to
shoot from the top, near the middle of
the gas bag. Crowds gathered in the
streets to watch the fight saw the ma
chine buckle and Quiver. Then 1t start
ed on its fatal plunge.
Four of the occupants jumped, and
two landed safely in the streets as the
blimp, ball of flame, struck the roof
of the bank with a crash audible
Throughout the downtown district.
There was nothing to warn the hun
dreds of employees of the institution of
the coming tragedy. A shadow passed
over the marble rotunda, where 15O
were busy, and a crash followed.
The banks closing hour for patrons
had passed, but the clerks we're still at
work in various departments. 1t seemed
according to the survivors, that the en-
tire bank was on fire. Breaking through
the iron supports holding the glass
overhead the fuselage Of the balloon,
with two heavy rotary engines and sew
eral gasolene tanks, smashed to the
floor.
Employees Sprayed with Flame
Instantly the tanks exploded, scat
tering a wave of flaming gasolene over
the workers for a radius Of fifty feet.
A panic ensued. There were only two
exits through which they could leave
the wire cage which surrounded the
rotunda.
Men and girls with clothing flaming
fought their way through these exits
Girls on the second floor ran scream
Ing to the windows and several jumped
to the street
In an instant the marble rotunda was
cleared except for the dead, whose
bodies were buried under the mass of
debris. and the dying. who crawled
away from the ire, their clothes burn
ing off.
The intense heat made rescue work
difficult until after the Fire Depart
ment arrived. 1t was thirty minutes
before the bodies under the crafts
fuslage could be dragged out They
were burned beyond recognition.
Meanwhile ambulances from every
hospital and undertaking establishment
near the centre of the city came and
the police threw a Gordon about the
Y,Jo
more or less seriously cut by the show
er of glass which preceded the explo-
sion.
Cause of Tragedy Unknown
The cause Of the fire which brought
the flaming gas bag down os not
known. None of the crew could as
cribe definite reason.
Two theories were offered. however.
One was that spark from the rotary
motors set the gas afire The other
was that the balloon was overcharred d
and the suns rays caused it to expand
and burst, the fire following the con-
tact of the gas with sparks in the
motors.
When Jack Boettner, an employe Of
the Rubber company and pilot of the
craft. saw the flicker of flame he
shouted a warning to the passengers
and jumped from the fusiage. All
were protected by parachutes attached
to their bodies by belts.
Henry Weaver and Harry Wacker
mechanicians, followed Boettner. F.
n. Norton, photographer for a morn
The fifth man, Earl H. Davenport, pub
licty agent for an amusement part
where the balloon has it's hangar, did
not get out. His body struck the roof
Of the bank and burned to a crisp.
Balloon Overtakes Parachute
Wcaver's parachute was abazc and
he was overtaken by the flaming bal
loon and carried down to death. Boett-
ner and Wackcr landed practically un-
hurt. Norton suffered broken legs and
severe internal injuries. The others
dead we're crushed and burned in the
rotunda Of the bank.
The central portion Of the bank was
wrecked and it was an hour before the
fire could be extinguished.
The following statement was giver
the Police Department by Jack Boett
ner, assistant pilot, 90 Akron, Ohio
loon in parachute.
81 have no idea how the ship caugh'
fire. The two eighty horse power
motors had been working perfectly
Prior to the explosion we had made
two successful cruises, not experience
ing bit Of trouble.
Flames Burned Parachutes
"Just before the airship caught fir,
we we're running smoothly. We hae
headed away from the lake when
felt the ship bueklc. saw the flames
leap from the side and yelled to thu
passengers to jump. They were al
strapped in parachutes and obcyed i'm
mcdiately.
81 think the fact that all did no
land safely was due to the speed with
which the burning dirigible fell MI
own parachute caught fire, but man
aged to land safely. The other prob
ably caught FIRE also and fell wher
the silk had burned from the para
chutcs."
Bocttner said the ship was thu
smallest one built for experimental
purposes by the Goodyear company. L
WAS 1852 feet long and hnd capacit,
Of 100000 cubic feet of gas.
The experiments conducted here con