New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-26
River Holds
40 of Dead in
ZR-2 Crasl
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in weakening them, are matters that
will DE investigated officially.
Ship Did Not Break, One Insists
Bateman gave the Tribune CORE
spondent description of the acciden
which is strikingly different in several
particulars from the narrative of eye
witnesses from the ground. Bateman
IS sure that that airship did not break
into two pieces and then fall into the
water. as has been the generally &C
cepted report among onlookers, but
insists that it came down as unit.
II saw the whole length OF the air
snip lying on the surface of the water
before tug rescued me- he said
bateman, who is blond and short
Of stature, was badly shaken I'D by
the accident. When the airshin was
cruising over Hull he was in stern
compartment taking photographs Of the
rudder in action and consequently
could not see any of the other pas
sengers.
The first thing I noticed" said
Bateman, was an unusual swaying mo-
ton from side to side. Then the ship
ouckled violently. / was already wear
ing a parachute. I had been consider
ing what might happen to the ship when
travelling at such speed as we were a
few minutes previously, and these
thoughts had induced me to put on the
parachute. / jumped, but the ropes
fouled and I was left clinging to the
sides of the car.
"By this time could see the flames
enveloping the whole forward struc-
ture. | pulled myself up on the side
Of the car, disentangled the ropes and
asked Potter to cut me loose and then
Jump with ne. He refused TO put that
much extra strain on the parachute
and rushed forward for his own, but
found the passageway blocked by
flames.
"By the time he had returned to
where was it was evident that the
rear portion was settling gently, so
that neither of US jumped. Norman
Walker (the only American saved).
jumped from the height of few feet
and landed on a sandbar in the middle
Of the river. Potter, however, sat
calmly on the edge Of the cockpit and
the only wetting he got was when he
slipped on the Shiny deck of the barge
that rescued HIM"
Radio Operator Kept to Post
Boteman said that Flying Officer
Wicks, the British radio man, stuck to
his post even after the explosion and
was sending a report Of the disaster
to Howden when the airship went
down
Bateman insists that he did not no.
tee any turning movement by the bal
loon, to which is generally attributed
the strain which broke the girders, but
believes that the ship buckled YER
tically.
We all knew she was built a bit
llghtly,' he said, "but only ten min
vtes before the accident General Matt
land British air marshaD and Mr.
Campbell, representative of the
builders, came aft to visit me and ex-
pressed delight with the success of the
tests which the ship had just com
ple+ed.
II believe that The buckling ruptured
the petrol pipes and that the hot water
exhaust pipes set fire to the leaking
fuel
81 also believe that the reason more
OF the crew did rot escape with their
lives is that they we're cut off in the
the outer envelope and dsd not have
time to reach the parachutes in the
gondolas.'
Cracked Like Egg Shell, He Says
The best eyewitness story of the
disaster was told by David E. Phipson.
d photographer. whose narrative is
printed in "The London Evening News
Il was standing at the quaysde near
& pier" Phipson said. "The airship
had just emerged from behind some
clouds and was clearly outlined against
the blue sky. was watching it when
a wrinkle appeared in the middle Of
the great envelope like frown in a
mans forehead. The wrinkle deepcned,
then in two or three seconds the whole
structure lurched and sagged in the
middle. The nose and stern vent up
IN the air and great split appeared
On the bottom Of the balloon. 1t looked
very. n uch like a huge, elongated egg
shell that had been cracked and each
end turned upward to permit the yolA
to fall out.
1.-TWO very loud explosions rent the
airship further. Fragments Of the
frame work broke away and fell. Other
objects that sank more slowly took
TO be men, members OF the crew who
had tumbld cut or had been shot out
by the force Of the explosion.
1.-THE explosion shook the whole town.
a great window pane behind me was
shattered by the conclusion. The peo-
pie swarmed into the streets. terrified
by the thought that they would be
crushed by the falling wreckage.
The giant airship split n the mid
die, and the two halves hung with their
open ends down, so that could see
INTO the black, gaping interior. Both
ends tloated in the air drifting slowly
The nose end burst into flames, which
wrapped the whole structure suddenly.
and in few seconds had eaten it UP.
The structure dissoIv but was still
buoyant and soon driftcd over and set
FIRE TO the tail piece aome distance
away.
Flaming Wreck Drops Into River
"The tail was no sooner alight than
the nose crumpled up into a LIQUID
mass Of flames and smoke and plunged
downward. A long trail u smoke and
flames stretched behind t. from It's for
roer place in The air 10 the water where
IL III, 300 feet from the quay. The
petrol tanks burst ~ she hit the water
and the surface was quickly covered
with oil and the air filled with fumes
As the flames reached the petrol there
was u conclusion and q great burst Of
fire. Enormous flames leaped through
the black smokc-a fearful sight Of