The Washington herald., 1921-08-25
Terrific Explosion Rends
Dirigible, Near Hull,
England.
ONE AMERICAN
AMONG RESCUED
Gen. Maitland and Com
mander Maxfeld
Are Killed.
Especial cabis 10 Ths wsshtnrtsl Kszk
and United EsvL)

gigantic airship conFtructed for the
United States Navy. lies IN the
Humber River. nea- Hull. . colossal
and appalling wreck OF what v.s
the creates; dirieiLle the world has
ever seen.
or the forty-nine offIcers and men
on board, only five-four British and
one American-survive 20 tell the
story OF the mid-air tragedy which
came at the close OF the final test
flight before she was TO sail for
America Seventeen Americans, ae-
cording TO IN ofiiciAI statement by
the British air ministry were aboard
the Era and Of these all but Nor
man Walker. a rigger. perished.
Twelve Bodies Recovered
Brig. Gen. s. NJ Maitland. the
British ali marshal, and Comdr.
Louis II. MaXfield. the American Of
ficer who was to have commanded
the ZR-2 in American service. were
among those killed
Twelve bodies have been recovered
from the shattered framework OF
twisted and welded steel In the
river. Those OF the sixteen Ameri-
can victims will be embaimed and
sent TO the United States
TIE cause of the accident may
never be known. although u Is
claimed a steel girder buckling un-
der the tremendous strain imposed
upon IL, caused the collapse Of the
giant frame and brought about an
explosion which tore the huge aerial
structure to pieces.
Statement by Ministry.
An oficial communication issued by
the air ministry late today says:
The air ministry regrets 20 an
nounce that an accident occurred
while the zR-2 was flying over
Hull at about s:55 clock this aft
ernoon which led to the ships
crashing into the river.
The cause of the accident 10 not
know, and owing TO the fact that
none OF the royal air force per
sonnel was stationed in the vicinity
Of the disaster. great difficulty
IL experienced in obtaining informa-
tion. Representatives OF the air
ministry have been instructed 20
proceed Immediately 10 Hull"
In Air Thirty Hours.
For thirty hours the ZR-a had
sailed the air lanes above England
and the North Sea. Wireless re-
ports from her officers told Of her
splendid work" in the air. The
trip was coming 70 an end and the
ZR-2 had reached a point directly
over the city Of Hull. eagerly fol-
lowed by the eyes OF thousands who
gathered on Victoria Pier TO see her
maneuvers when there was q tire
gh H..
tire town, sweeping pedestrians
from their feet, crashing the plate
glass from shop windows and send
ing the shock Of its defamation fuIly
fifty miles.
The Supplied spectators saw tho
great bag. which had just emerged
from the clouds, burst asunder ana
sink into the river. Two lItti"
white clouds separated themselves
from the falling ship. These were
the parachutes which were to bring
the survivors safely to the earth.
The other men dropped with the
seething wreckage into the river
Boats Attempt Rescue.
As the tangled steel frame struck
the water scores of motor craft
and row boats put out from shore
in a mad attempt 10 effect a rescue
of the imprisoned men. But the
dirigible at this time was sending
/ hundreds of feet into tho air q
dense volume OF blue smoke and
flame from the surface OF thc
water-a furnace in which many OF
those who have survived the explo-
sion were dying.
List OF Omcers on BOARD.
The following officers were
aboard: American - Comdr. l. II.
Maxfield. Lieut.. Comdr Bieg. EnEi-
neer Lieut.. Comdr. Coil. first on o
| Ger: Lieut. Esterly. wireless officer.
and Lieut. Hoyt and Lieut.. Little.
British-Flight Lieut. A. II. wann,
who commanded tho ship and was
| responsible for il. despite the pres
| ence OF his superior air commodore
Brig. Gen. L. NJ Maitland: Flight
Lieuts. l. c. Little. r. S. Montague.
Jem Pritchard and @. N. Thomas,
who was captain of the R-5S. Alto
| gether there were forty nine per
sons aboard.
The ship. which was being oper-
ated by the British, was not yet
American property. According 10
the contract il was not TO be Ameri-
can property until IL wa. safely in
the United States after its sea trip.
Main GIrder Gave Way.
H. Bateman. of Halifax. a survi-
vor says he was at the tail end OF
! the ship taking photographs OF
rudder experiments when the shin
took a sharp turn TO the right from
| the center of Hull toward the
Humber River. and one OF the main
girders of the ship failed TO take
the strain.
The first sign OF the mishap to
the thousands OF watchers below
was a huge black cloud OF smoke
followed by a terrific explosion. To
those below IL seemed as IL the
back OF the ship was broken.
Bateman hung on to the tail OF
the ship until IL alighted on the
water when he was rescued by the
crew OF a tug. -
Five men, SO far are known 90
have been saved. At $50 .. m,
twelve bodies had been brought 70
land.
Lieut.. EasterIys Body Pound.
Among the dead who have been
Identified are Lieut.. ". II. EastcJ Is.
OF the United States Navy. and
lIieut. Montague. a BritiAh oi3cFr.
The other bodies have not been
Identified.
Can't wann was mai, ~" ruaSer
test. when rrr d'~asrvr hHPpeued