Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-25
ENGLAND IS STUNNED
OVER zR-2 DISASTER.
Great Public Funeral of Dirig-
ibIe's Victims Planned for
London.
BY Associated Press to Every Evening.


BY Associated Press to Every Evening.
London. August 2b. The stmefiean
and British yictirns OF the disaster TO
the zR-2 at Hull laat evening will be
accorded great public funeral. prob
ably In London. The Air Ministry to-
day had the project under adyinement
and mn announcement regarding IL
was expected at any time.
Meanwhile all England. profoundly
stirred by the destruction of the giant
lirixibIc--the greatest of all air dis
asterH In giving expression 60 its deep
feeling of mourning for the Victims
Ind sympathy for those bereayed.
Ii wns at Howden. Hull. Leeds and
neighborins towns. however. where
lived the wives and relatives of many
of the mon whose lives were snuffed
out by the disaster. that the loss was
most keenly felt. In these places. too.
were the English brides of nine Of the
American enlisted men who came to
England for the transocean flight
These young women had been eagerly
awaiting the time OF the ZIs's start for
America and had expected soon TO
follow on board a government trans
port To their new homes.
The American dead included two
members of the American Legion.
Lieutenant Little. and Lloyd n. Cro-
well, mechanic. Several of the Brit
ish victims were members of the Brit
ish Legion of Former Service men.
Both these organizations Will be rep
resented at the funeral services.
As the dirigibie was stiii British prop
erty not yet having been turned over
to the American authorities all in
vestiga tors of the calamity will Nbe
supervised by the British Air Ministry
Foremost among the expressions Of
coincidence was one from King George
Ills Majesty teiegfaphine from Bal
moral to Air Marshal Trenchard at the
Air Ministry said:
II am shocked and grieved ~ hear
OF the terrible disaster which has be-
fallen airahip R-3s tthe British num-
ber Of the big dirisiblel resulting In
the loss Of many valuable lives of
Americans and British, with the rela-
tives Of whom | sympathize. I shall
anxiousiy await further information.
" George. X. /.
"Chief of Royal Air Forces"
The impression made up the public
WIS fE1ftttfi III flFWHfdfffH kfftE ffbIf@
ing all Of them expressing profound
sympathy for the relatives of the men
who met death. regret over the loss
Of the majestic vessel and thankfulness
over the narrow escape OF the town
Of Hun from n terrific calamity.
Pending the inquiry Il is recalled
that during a nine hour tria1 trip on
July II some Of the girders in the mid
die of the zR-2 showed weakness which
necessitated reinforcement. This work
was done Immediately at Howden. and
experts believed the weakness in the
structure of the airship had been rerne-
died. IL Is now regarded significant
however. Tint observers below have
declared that there was bucklina
amidahips which seemed to precede
the explosions which gent the ZR-2
flaming TO the earth.
Lord Lee of Fareham, first lord OF
the Admiralty. this morning teiephoned
Commander Harry l.. Pence. naval
attache nj the American embassy. ex-
pressing his regret at the loss of Amer
lean lives In the airship disaster. lie
extended. on behalf of himself and the
Admiralty, coincidence to the bereaved
relatives.