Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-08-25
ILLINOIS RESIDENT is
DEAD FOLLOWING AIR
DISASTER
SEARCH FOR BODIES
BRITISH GOVERNMENT TAKES UP
TASK OF RECOVERING RE
MAINS OF VICTIMS LOST m
GIANT AIRSHIP EXPLOSION.

Elgin, H., Aug. 2j.-Gcorge Welch
member of the ZR-2 crew. reported
in press dispatches to have been XIII
ed in the dirgiblc explosion, had been
resident Of Elgin, ILL.,, for iorty-two
years Born in Brigdon, Canada, Nov
40, 1875 he was iG years old At the
age of years he came to Elgin with
his parents, lie attended public
schools here and graduated from The
Elgin High school. After several
years of employment in the watch fac
tory here he entered naval service
fourteen years ago Eighteen months
AGO he was transferred To the avia'
tion service as an expert mechanic.
Besides his mother, Mrs Lizzie
Welch, Elgin. three brothers and five
sisters survive They are, John and
Harry Nelch of Elgn, win Wolch OF
California, Mrs Lille zimmerman,
Montclair. ~ j.; Mrs. Anna Nicrke,
Detroit. Mich; Mrs, Frank BGrk, Ma
rcngo, H., Mrs Mamie Burk, Lake
,it.6 Iowa, and Mrs Roy Pierce, Peca-
tonica, Ill,
Divers Seek Bodies.
Hull. England. Aug. 25-Diyers be-
gan at dawn today to explore the fire
twisted wreck OF the dirigible H,R ,
which last evening exploded above
this city and fell into the Humber,
carrying with her more than forty Of
her crew
Only one American, Norman O. Wal
ker. a rigger and four British Flight
Lieut., A. H. Wann, Earnest DAVIS,
airman II. Bateman, scientific assis
tant and Walter Potter, mechanic
survived the disaster that in a twink
ling changed the trial cruise of the
airship into CHASTITY tragedy.
During the hours Of darkness that
followed the ccllapsc and destruction
of the ZR 2, tugs stood by the wreck
age and keen eyes scanned the water
for any bodies that might have been
Sislodged by the tide that flowed over
all that remand of what was yestcr-
day Great Britains mightiest dirigible,
which officials expected to turn over
W the United States navy today. It
was believed that the ruins of the
aerial dreadnaught held the bodies Of
fifteen American and tWenty-siy Brit,
ish officers and enlisted men who were
engaged in the final test of the ma
chine. All hope that there might he
other survivors of the disaster was
tlissipated during the night The
wreckage fell only 200 yards from the
shore, and the six gondOlas in which
most of the airship's personnel was
riding, sank Immediately to the bot
tom of the Humber. The men in the
gondolas, it was believed would have
little chance to escape after the dirig
ible struck the water, as the weight
OF the engines and machinery quickly
carried the ruined structure beneath
the water Experts here were at a
loss to account for this greatest of
peacetime air disasters.
Broke in Middle.
Residents OF Hull who were watch
ing the IR when her cruise came
to its sudden and tragic end, declared
that it seemed when the craft attempt
ed to make a sharp turn during a
speed test, some of her girders buck
led and broke, probably because OF a
strain too heavy for the structure to
bear. Some members Of the crew
appear to have this same idea of the
cause of the accident.
Charles Harrison Brown of the
United States flying force. was an eye
witness of the disaster
Il noticed" he said today, that the
NR- was moving in a peculiar manner,
the nose of the dirigible showing an
unusual tendency to drop down |
knew at once that something was
wrong, and watched the machine care
fully. In less than two minutes the
hugh envelope broke in two and fell
in flames. | ran to the riverside,
where / secured a tug and went to the
place where the wreck had fallen. |
put out a small boat and went into
the gun cockpit in the aft section of
the airship and then swan along the
keel. | secured the body of one man
and turned it over to the boat men,
but could find nothing else"
Recover Lieut.. Litte's Body.
The body of Lieut. Charles G. Little,
one of the American officers was to
day at the Hull infirmary where he
died after being removed from the
wreckage of the IRE. The body of
Lieut.. Marcus Esterly, another Ameri
can victim, was at mortuarv and both
were being held pending an inquest
which probably will not be held until
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