Norwich bulletin., 1921-08-25

N@A~Ss
 Hull England. Aug. 24 Cby the A. Pl-Seveuteen officers and men of the United States navy and twenty-seven officers and men Of the British navy met death today in the collapse of the great dirieihle ZR-2 over the city of Hull.
 Every one of the Americans on board tho Inflated craft nerished. as far as could be ascer;ained at midnight to- night.
 only five men of the 49 who were making the trial t:iN in the dirigible prior. 70 the vessel being turned over to the United States navy are known Co have been saved.
 Americans Who Started Trip.
 The American officers who started the Trip included Commander Louis H. Max field. Lieutenant Commander Emery Coll. Lieutenant Henry W. Hoyt, Lieu tenant Marcus H Esterly. Lieutenant Commander Valentine Y. Bieg and Lieu tenant Charles c. Little.
 The American enlisted men who went ID with the craft from Howden were C. l. AUer. Robert Coons L. F. Crowel, J. T. Hancock. William Julius, NJ. Lay, A L. Loftin. A l. Petit. W. J. Steele, N O. Walker and George Welsh
 The British losses include the famous air veteran Brigadier General F. T. Maitland and all the other officers on board. except Lieutenant Wann, the commander of the ZR-2.
 Starting from Howden Tuesday morn ing on a test flight to Putnam the big aircraft had been afoat for 34 hours. at times In bad weather and was return ing to the Putnam airdrome at the time 'f the disaster. which constitutes the rno-t terrible of its kind in peace times. The ZR-2. which was a sister ship of The famous R-34 the first dirigible to --ozs the Atlantic. was on her final test rip prior to being accepted by the Unit ,7 States navy and taken across the At- tsrffr hv an American crew especially -rained for that purpose. She was 695 Feet long and was built 10 carry a crew ,f thirty Her speed was estimated at -n miles an hour The American navy vas 70 pay s2oOo.ooo for the craft
 PiunEed Into River.
 While it was flying at about 1000 f-rt over fyuu spectators saw the ZR-2 suddeniv seemingly buckle amidshlps and plunge downward over the city and Into The Humber river. One theory of Tho cnuse of the disaster Is that while The sh.1's rudders were being tested the giant craft took a sharp turn. which -ausef her frame work 10 buckle and irat tho explosion Of gasoline tank, which completed rhe tragedy of the air. Tho actual cause. however, never may ,r known. A runor had been ahoat for some days that the ZR-2 was structur- -uv weak. but thls was stoutly denied by all in authority.
 Spectators Saw Men Jump.
 Tens of thousands of spectators saw several men climb outside the balloon and dror from the falling mass, which was enveloned in smoke, and others iumu Into the Humber as the crippled craft came over the water. As the dfriribIe strudx. the wreT TSage above water was burning, and there was slight chance for any Of the men caught inside Co escape
 Tugs immediately put out into the stream and brought ashore the five sur tIvors who were taken in ambulances Co hospitals. Among these was the American quartermaster. N. O. Walker, who died soon after reaching the hospl- faI from burns he had received. Lieu tenant Little also was rescued from the frh-.e alive but succumbed to his in- fu~ies on reaching the infrmary A res -r. tug pulled another American out of Inc water. Ho was dead. Inside of his coat wss ths name Commander Max feid" Early reports were to the effect that Lieutenant Esterly had been saved r-nhsnnilv this report proved to be without foundation.
 Heroic Work of Reseuers.
 One member of the rescuing party raid that when they got alongside ths earning airship the pilot of the tug ask ss for volunteers 10 board one part thaf rtir was almost intact. Jumping upor Pho wreckage the rescueTs ripped oper nart of tho fabrla while parts of thu debris were pulled away by means O -ooes. The task was a hazardous one because one of the balioonettes was stil Eled with gas and another explosion was feared.
 In the wreckage an American maya man was to be seen hanging by his coa 70 a girder in the frame of the airshir It was believed he was dead, owing t Inc peculiar position of the body. whicl vas not recovered. Another rescuer sai one man was hanging onto the tall O The ship. apparently uninjured, while an other was found floating in the water Both of them were saved. While tn rssrueTs were at work the balloon be gan to turn ever and the rescue part had to return to the tug.
 When first seen from Hun the ZR- was coming from a southeasteriy direc fiau over the Humber. When sailing O au even keel above the city, accordin to soms eye witnetses, a huge cloud e dense smoke burst from the tail of tn aircraft and 1t was seen that she ha broken in two and was taking a tre rlendous nose dive which appsrentl would bring her down into the thronge streets
 Explosion and Great Crash.
 Then there came a loud explosion an great crash followed by another ez nIosion. which was accompanied by tn breaking of glass In the windows O land The concussion was SO great ths it wrecked windows over an area c ah0ut a mile square.
 Some spectators assert that the alr ship began to buckle before any fam or explosion was seen or heard. Tn broken halves Of the ZR-2 reached tn water nearly a mile apart. The genera