The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-07-02
79HURT WHEN BIG
AIRSHIP EXPLODES

BALTIMORE, July 2-Seventy-nins
persons, including soldiers at Camp
Holabird, were burned and houses Cor
many blocks near By were shaken yes
terday afternoon when the huge navy
dirigible, C-s, exploded at her moor
ing in field at Fairviev, in the east
ern suburbs. Sixty-five Of the injured
were taken to the Government In
Urinary at Camp Holabird and four
to the Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Several persons also were shocked,
but not hurt enough to 90 to the hos
pItal.
The diriRibIe, under the command
Of Lieut. N. J. Learned. United States
Naval Reserve Force. left the Cape
May naval air station yesterday
morning for a nonstop flight to Wash
ington, but was forced to descend at
Fairview when the horizontal nm on
the forward section was carried away.
She had been in the field for more
than an hour when there was . burst
Of flame, followed by the scattering
Of burning debris on scores OF
onlookers.
Ensign c. W. TyndaIi, the diree-
tfonal pilot, owes his life to Private
Andrew washburn. Company 5, Motor
Transport Corps. who, dashing into
the burning wreckage, rescued the
officer, who was entangled In the
fuselage. WRshburp was burned Sc
verely on Il hands and arms and -
in Camp Hol4bird Hospital
The other members OF the party in
the airship, who were in the pas
senger gondola, escaped burns. They
were Lieutenant Commander Quigley,
4. r. TiIburne, wireless operator;
ElsOtrician Lynch, Warrant Engineer
B. F. Sherman, Machinist's Mate KEEL
lar, and Commander r d. Weyer-
hacker, navigation officer.
Five Escape UnbuRRed.
Twenty minutes after the explosion
but the twisted and partially |
melted engines could be found, not a |
vestige Of the rubberized skin Of the |
big balloon or the framework was |
left Immediately after the disaster |
a call was sent for the Camp Hola- |
bird fire company, which put out the |
fire.
No one was able to explain how the |
accident occurred, but it is supposed |
that some one unfamiliar with the |
tempered with the air |
valve, permitting air to mix with the |
hydrogen in the bag and causing COM |
bustion.
Other Theories Advanced.
According to one OF the dirgible's |
crew. the. explosion may have been |
caused by rapid descent from q cold |
air pocket into a warmer one.
Naval aviation officials also ex-
pressed the belief that the explosion |
may have been the result OF the care |
less use Of lighted match or cigar |
cite or cigar by a spectator who ap-
preached too near the big hydrogen |
filled bag.
The dirigible was seen by thousands
Of Baltimoreans lowering over the |
eastern suburbs before 1t finally made |
a landing, and hundreds Of people |
we're on the field as 1. was anchored |
to the ground by soldiers under the
OF Col. W. z. Chitty, COM
Of Camp Holabird.
George H. Linthicum, a civilian |
driver who served or three fronts ]
during the war, was sitting directly |
beneath the section OF the bag where |
the explosion occurred. but was not
injured, while persons several hundred /
feet away received burns on the hands /
md legs from the flaming pieces
90 Per Cent Of Injured ChiIdren-
Ninety per cent OF those burned !
Tere children, many Of whom rushed |
home, and consequently were not ad-
nitted to the hospital for treatment
until late yesterday afternoon. The /
ward of the infi-mary pre-
;ented an almost wartime spectacle
Is soldiers carried the children In.
Several stenographers in the offices at
he post were pressed into service as
lids to the members of the medical
.orps. III
Several houses near by had virtual
y all their windows blown in and
fishes thrown to the floor.
Ambulances from the camp secured
he streets for victims for several
lours, and patients were admitted for
rea tment as late as o'clock.
Naval Court of Inquiry.
A naval court OF inquiry Will be
it was announced from
last night, to try to learn
he cause, with a view Of preventing
imilar accidents in future.
The crew left last night for Wash
ngton.
The C-S, a sister dirigible to the
%. which broke from its moorings at
t. Johns, y. F.. and drifted out to sea
fter making a record breaking flight
rom Rockaway to the Newfoundland
ity, was one Of thirty similar dirigi-
les contracted for by the navy during
he war. After the armistice was sign
d the contract was reduced to fifteen,.i
even Of which have been delivered.
The C-S was the latest OF the class
0 be accepted and was zoo feet long.
had q total lifting power OF more
han six tons, carried a crew Of five
len and cost complete with all equip
lent about $4,000. Two 150-horse-
over Hispano-Suiza motors furnished
he power.