The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-08-25
Norman Walker, Commerce
Texas, 20 Years Old Passes
Through Terrible Expert
ence Unscathed
PUBLIC FUNERAL AT
LONDON FOR VICTIMS
INVESTIGATION OF CALAMITY UN.
DER SUPERVISION BRITISH AIR
MINISTRY; AMERICAN LEGION
MEMBER AMONG LOST

Howden, England, Aug. 25.-Nor
!,on Walker, sole American survio+
Of the wrecked cirehi2 ZR.2 today
gave the Associated Press the first
crcumstan;ial account os the disaster
which late yesterday destroyed the
great super-drigibla and every Ameri-
can member OF the crew on board ex.
cept himself.
Walker was seen at the Howden
airdrome near Hull where he has
just been brought after the terrible
experience through which he passed
unscathed. He comes from Commerce,
Texas, and was n rigger on the i'll
f ed airship. He is Of boylso. ar-i-dr-
arcs, &c years old and Il a. 'SSy
build.
I'VE were all in me highest spirits
when we loft Powoen sa 10 trial
flight" he said. "r.'a sancd over the
North Sea first aud then started down
the north coast 10 rulham.
"a thick fog developed. so IL was
found impossible to land at Pulham.
| In fact, the fog was so dense We were
more or less lost, although we knew
the general locality.
We We're flying at n height OF
obout $500 feet with the wireless keep
ing in touch with both Howden ana
| Pulham. The ship was behaving finely
and there was not Il sign of weakness
anywhere.
I'VE drove out over the sea aglin
and as the fog continued bad We flew
along the coast until Wednesday after
noor. when ne sighted Hand nj Huh.
We then flew across TO Howden. where
/, was decided to land at $50 y. m.
so We sailed over Hull again. We
encrclcd Hull twice and the speed
trial was completed without n hitch.
\ test OF the ships control then began.
1t was at the lower ruddcr. proceed.
ing back 10 the tail and had Just
reached the cockpit when there was
q tremendous crash. The grders On
the ship broke and the ship split In
halves.
Both the tail and the nose lmmr-
Ciately pointed downward and the
halves started to descend toward the
Humber.
81 certainly cannot describe my sen.
sation. but thought my time had
come.
Rush for Parachute
II made q rush FOR the tail TO ge,
parachute. but found two OF my
English comrades. Harry Bateman ana
Walter Potter. were already there.
Il knew there was only one chute
there Tor the three ~ us. Batcman had
! the chute and jumped. but 1t f5uleo
End he hung to the tail OF the dlrig,
blc.
Both Potter and started 10 run
forward for other parachutes. but
. Just Us got In the keel there came an
explosion Of either n petrol tank ~
! hydrogen. and flames Immediately be.
gan to sweep the forward part " our
, half Of the ship.
what was happening 10 our com.
, rudcs In other parts OF the dirig.blc I
, don't know. Most u the officers and
crew WE'RE amidships. either seated OF
2 living In their hunks. when the cir.
. drrs broke. At least one man dropped
. iNI| WNW wv zap UlttN' ~ tHt HitAhs
Possibly others did. but probably most
d oi them rolled forward when the air.
, shir's nose went down.
, II ran back iu the tail 10 get away
/. from the fire In the baF Batcman, Pot
i ter and got into the cockpit By
. this time the Eas was becoming de-
y nlctcd and the ship was shooting down
|, rapidly. The forward half had already
b beaten us toward the water. We could
not use parachute then. as We were
I TOO low. only a few hundred feet up.
o. Jumped Into Water
]. u aw Wc were going TO land in the
s. water so climbed un the fabric for.
10 ward ut ihc tail cup couldn't tell
, how fast W. were falling. bat when
J. thought W. were rOing to strike
= Jumped.
/. u was surprised 10 find my feet
tConunuvd on page two.b