The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1921-09-01
j. s. A|RSH|P zR-2
WRECKED BY BLAST;
FORTY-THREE DEAD
0irigible PIungeS Into River at
Hull, England.
COMMANDER MAXFIELD DIES
OF Forty-Nine Officers and Enlisted
Men in Air Crafts Crew All but
Six Pershed When Machine
Burst Into Flames-Four
Leap in Parachutes.

London, Aug 26.-America's So
100000 airship, the ZR-2, Titanic of
the air, is a wreck in the River Hum
Der near Hull. Eighteen of the
tWenty-One Americans who were to
pilot her across the Atlantic to the
United States are believed to have
persisted.
OF the fOrty-nine officers and en-
listed men in the huge dirigibles
crew, twenty-elght of whom were Brit
iSh, all but six lost their lives when
the ship exploded over the city of
Hull at six o'clock in the evening.
Twelve bodies have been recovered,
among them that of Commander
Louis II. MaXfield of Washington, ID.
c., who was in command of the ZR-2.
Air Commander Maitland of the
British air forces. who piloted the
dirigible and was Britain's foremost
pilot, also was killed.
Cause of Disaster Unknown.
None of the six survivors has been
able to advance a theory of the cause
of the disaster. The ZR-2 had been
in the air 80 hours on her trial flight
She got out from Howden early in the
day and was prevented by storm
from landing that night.
The next day she had been cruising
about in further tests, her commander
planning to moor the giant craft at
Pullman, i'm Norfolk. The dirigible was
floating easily over Hull in plain sight
Of thousands of people on the streets,
when suddenly the crowds saw a flash
and heard Il tremendous explosion.
The concussion shook buildings and
broke windows in Hull The airship
burst into flames and appeared TO
break in two. While the panic-stricken
populaCe rushed to and fro to escape
the debris, the 7O0-foot bag, laden
with heavy engines, great gasoline
tanks and cabin equipment, plunged,
burning, into the river
AS 1t touched the water, another
explosion occurred. Many of the vic
tins were burned to death after the
balloon fell. Eyewitnesses saw at
least four men leap In parachutes.
Eyewitness Account.
A description of the ZR-2 disaster
was given by James PhipsOn of Birm-
ingham, an eyewitness.
Il was just opposite Victoria pier
when 1t happened" said Phipson. 81
saw the beautiful silver ship sweep
majestically toward the city of Hull.
1t was about 1000 feet high and was
sailing along on an even keel.
81 could see the prOpellers turning
slowly as the ship disappeared into
u cloud bank. After two or three mo-
ments she emerged again and l was
almost struck dumb to see the shin
ing coat glistening in the sun sudden
ly break in two pieces. A second or
two later when the sound of the ter
rife explosion was heard, the flames
were shooting upward and the black
smoke was already settling below the
ship.
PIunees Into River.
"The airship seemed to stand still
for second or two as the two pieces
gradually broke apart, descending
slowly. the nose portion at first seem
ingly under control.
"Then / saw portions of the gon-
dolas falling away. The nose portion
fell on a mud bank in the Humber,
which was at low tide. After bury
ing its nose in the sand, that portion
Of the ship continued to burn fiercely.
There was no sign of anyone on
that part of the ship.
"The tail end fell in the middle Of
the river half mile away and was
also blazing.
Three Drop in Parachute.
"When the nose landed there were
two further explosions. The gasoline
tanks burst with the impact.
II saw three parachutes leave the
front part Of the ship as it broke. 1t
looked TO me as If three men were
hanging to one of the parachutes,
but l could not see where they landed.
"As far as know only two men sur
yived. They were Mechanic Bateman
and Lieut.. A. ii. Wann, who COM
manded the ship. j saw Lieutenant
Esterly's body taken away. 1t was
all burned and charred. Wann was
terribly injured, but Bateman was able
TO walk. Both Wann and Bateman
were rescued from the wreckage In
the Humber"
Was Ready for U. s. Trip.
The ZR-2 was 10 have left Pulham
for the United States within ten or
twelve days.
The dirigible cost $2,OOO,0OO. In adj
iitIon the United States government
expended S4O00,OOO in the construc-
ton of a huge hangar near Lakehurst,
N. j., and in sending crew TO Eng
land to bring the dirigible home.
More than month ago a girder of
the ZR-2 buckled on n trial trip. and
the ship was laid mp for repairs.
Frequent delays since then have In.
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