Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1921-08-31
MANY LIVES Lost IN WRECK
Of Great Dirfgible in Europe--Forty-
Three Lost in Mid-Air Explosion.

Hull, England, Aug. 24.-Sixteen
officers and men Of the United States
navy and 27 officers and men Of the
British navy met death to-day in the
collapse Of the great dirigible, ZR-o
over the city Of Hull Only one Of the
Americans on board the ill-fated
Craft escaped, as far as could be as
certained at midnight tonight.
Only five men Of the 40 who were
making the trip in the dirigible prior
D the vessel being turned over tn
he United States navy are known to
lave been saved. The British losses
include the famous air veteran, Brig.
Zen. EN-. Maitland, and all the other
officers on board except Lieut.. Wann.
he commander Of the ZR-2.
Was on Test Flight
Starting from Howden Tuesday
morning on a test flight to Pulham,
he big aircraft had been afloat for
, Sd hours, at times in bad weather,
md was returning to the Pulham
tirdome at the time of the disaster,
which constitutes the most terrible
If Its kind in peace times.
The ZR-2, which was a sister ship
20 the famous R-34, the first dirigi-
Die to cross the Atlantic, was on her
anal test trip prior to being accepted
oy the United States navy and taken
across the Atlantic by an American
crow especially trained for that pur-
pose. She was 695 feet long and was
built to carry a crew OF 30. Her speed
was estimated at 20 miles an hour
The American navy was TO pay ST..
100000 for the craft.
While dying at about 1000 feet
over Hull spectators saw the IR-2
seemingly buckle amidships and
plunge downward over the city and
into the Humber river. One theory
of the cause OF the disaster is that
while the ships rudders were being
tested the giant craft took sharp
turn, which caused her framework to
buckle, and that the explosion of Il
gasoline tank completed the tragedy
| Of the air. She actual cause, how
ever, may never be known. A rumor
had been anoat for some days that
the ZR-2 was structura.ly weak, but
this was stoutly denied by all in au-
thority.
Tens Of thousands Of spectators
saw several men climb outside the
balloon and drop from the falling
/ W1aS whi!c was anT@itlGd H. rUlg}tC.
an" others jumped tngo ihN Humber
aa tjH "riNr'ed craft came ov3G The
't">tet - me J'riGjpIa styt.aN, 'mu
w.-C4aGC tu1V" the Ma.cr Mas hurn-
! ing, and there was Slight cnance for
any Of the men caught inside to es-
| cape.
Tugs Immediately put out into the
stream and brought ashore survivors,
who were taken in ambulances 10
hospitals. Among these ives the
American Quarterma s;er, y. O. Wal
kcr, suffering fr - severe burns.
Lieut.. Little also was rescued from
the debris alive, but succumbed %
his injuries on reaching the infirm-
ary
A rescue tug pulled another Ameri-
! can out of the water. He was dead.
Inside Of his coat was the name
Commander MaXficld."
American Survivor Tells story.
Ho%den, Eng, Aug. % Norman
Walker. sole American survivor of
the wrecked airship ZR-2, to-day gave
the first circumstantial account Of
, the disaster which late yesterday de-
| stroyed the great dirigible and every
American member OF the crew on
| board except himself.
Walker was seen at the Hawden
airdrome, near Hull, where he has
| just been brought after the terrible
experience through which he passed
,unscathed. He comes from Com
| merce, Texas, and was rigger on
| the ill-fated airship. He is of boyiSh
! appearance, 20 years old, and of wiry
build. lie said:
1--WE were all in the highest spirits
! when we left IIowdcn on the trial
| flight. We sailed over the North Sea
| first and then started down the north
| coast to Pulham. A thick fog devel-
|