Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-22
III Killed, 28 Hurt
\ as Airship Falls
Continued From Page One

Continued From Pase One
above the engine. In moment
there was puff of smoke and the
flames attacked the big egg -shaped
gas bag. Almost simultaneously four
parachutes leaped from the nirship.
Three got free Of the burning craft. but
the fourth was caught in the falling
balloon and burned it's passenger. Carl
Weaver, mechanic, of Akron, plunging
to death. Earl Davenport, publicity
man for the amusement park and one
time sporting writer. did not jump
from the machine. His body was hurled
through the bank roof and burned to a
crisp.
- Back Broken in Leap
Harry Wacker. of Akron. chief me
chanic of the dirigible was one of those
who came down alive. His back was
broken, however, and he is not expected
to live.
Milton G.. Norton. n photographer.
employed on a morning newspaper also
landed, bat in doing So his legs were
n broken and his condition is critical.
n Jack Boettner. pilot. who escaped in
: parachute. said: "As we neatcd
J State street I felt the machine buckle
sand there was tremor throughout the
fusilage. knew something had hap
pened, and saw the flames licking the
bag shouted for all to jump and
! ieaped out of the car" State street is
three blocks from where the airship fell
Investigations Begun
Federal, state and city officials to-
\ day began n searching investigation of
the explosion Of the balloon.
Charges that several devices used on
the giant blimp were virtually untriod
and were used for the first time on
this type Of aircraft will he made the
subject of rigid inquiry by officials.
One of these devices was rotary
motor which was loaned for the pur
pose by Major Clarence Maranville.
chief of army aircraft division at
the Akron, o., flying field, who de-
clared that while there was danger Of
fire in it's use. he believed every ncccs
sary precaution had been taken to pre-
vent an accident.
Another device said to have hccn used
for the first time on blimp was Il
number of silk ballooncts attached to
the main body and Major MnranviTle
says the friction of these ballOonctS :
against the silk sides Of the structure
may have been responsible for the acci
dent.
Promise Thorough Probe
Coroner Peter NJ. Hoffman and
States Attorney Hoyne declared that
1t was probable that several officials
of the Chicago office of the Goodyear
Tire and Rubber Company would be
taken into custody before the end of
the day. They said every effort would
be made to fix responsibility for the
disaster and punish those found to be
guilty.
Seventeen persons are detained at
downtown hotels for use rs witnesses
at the inquiry.
Marcus c. Callopy. foreign exchange
teller of the Illinois Trust and Savings
Bank. who was seriously burned when
the blazing blimp crashed through the
roof of the bank building. lapsed into
,unconsciousness early today and it is
said he may die. All the others who
were injured are expected to recover.
Coroner Hoffman cmpanelcd cor
Onpr s Jury Ol wei hutN II nuNlh'N~
men to investigate the disaster. He also
named a commission Of six electrical
engineers to act with the jury in an
advisory capacity in fixing the blame
for the tragedy.
Charles F. Clync. United States dis
trict attorney. detailed several Of his
assistants to assist in the inquiry and
gather evidence for possible use later
in prosecutions for manslaughter OF
criminal carelessness.
Body Falls at His Feet
F. I. Cooper. assistant cashier of the
bank, left his desk a few minutes be
fore the burning balloon crashed through
the roof to put some records away.
THE body of man, so badly burned
and mangled that | could not tell at
first that it was a man at all. came
hurdling through the air and fell at
my feet said Mr.. Cooper. Then
there was an outburst of terrified scream d.
Ing from the rallied off space where the
girls worked and everything in their
space seemed to be a mass of flames.
when the first shock was over the
men employees quickly manned the
emergency fire hoses and turned them on
the burning mass. and soon had the
fire under control and had managed to
extricate many of the injured from the
wreckage.'
The damage 70 the building was not
more than SIS 1000. according to John
J. Mitchell. president of the bank. He
was reticent in discussing the property
4 loss. in view of the death of SO many