Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-25
IS
GREATEST IN
AIR HISTORY
Airship Passing Over City OF
Hull When 1t Breaks in
Two and Bursts Into
Flames.
II Americans Victims

by The Associated Press.
Hull, England, Aug. 24-Seventeen
officers and men of the United States
navy and II officers and men OF the
British navy met death Wednesday
in the collapse OF the great dirigible
ZR-2 over the city Of Hull.
Eveery one of the Americans on
board the Inflated craft perished, as
far as could be ascertained at mid
night.
Only five men of the 49 who were
making the trial trip in the dirigible
prior to the vessel being turned over
to the United States navy are known
to have been saved.
The American officers who started
the trip included Commander Louis
H. Maxheld, Lieutenant Commander
Emery Coil, Lieut.. Tenry w. Hoyt,
Lieut.. Marcus H. Esterly, Lieutenant
Commander Valentine N. Bieg and
Lieut.. Charles g. Little.
The American enlisted men who
went up with the craft from Howden
were c. I. Aller, Robert Coons, L. E.
Crowel, ]. T. Hancock, William
Julius, M. Lay, A. L. Loftin, A. I.
Petit, w. ]. Steele, N. o. Walker
end George Welsh.
Washington, Aug 24.-Seventeen
Americans were on board the
dirigible ZR-2 when it was wrecked
today during its final trial flight, a
report to the Navy department from
London said. The report filed at
7:30 o'clock, said at that time there
appeared to be only six survivors
from the entire complement of 49.
The report follows:
The ZR-2 was wrecked
with heavy loss this after
noon over the Yorkshire coast. Fol-
lowing two terrible explosions the
airship buckled and fell in flames
into the Humber river. There were
ri Americans on board.
On Final Trial.
The ZR-2 had begun its final trial
flight on Tuesday morning and was
believed prepared to land when dis
aster took place. The explosion
took place as the balloon was pass
ing over Hull and so terrible was
the conclusion that many pede-
strians i'll the streets were swept
from their feet. The shock from
the detonation was felt so miles dis
tant.
The airship was flying at
height when the disaster overt
1t was seen to emerge fr
clouds and as the explosion,
Cured, broke in two. One part ro
in the air and fell in the Humber.
The descent OF the falling half was
,unaccountably slow considering the
weight of the material.
Explodes Over River.
Hull, England, Aug. 24.-Disaster
overlook the giant dirigible ZR-2
late this afternoon. The monster
airship exploded over the river Hum
Der here, falling into the stream a
mass of flames, the explosion and fall
bringing death to many of the Of
fcers and men on board, among
whom were five American commits
stoned officers and nearly a dozen
other Americans of lesser ranking,
in addition to the regular British
crew. .....
The number of fatalities has not
yet been definitely ascertained. but
II bodies are said to have been re-
covered and it is believed that not
less than 10 on board were saved.
The disaster occurred while the
ZR-2 was on what was intended to
be its final trial trip before being
turned over by its British builders
to the United States navy for its
flight across the Atlantic.
The airship set out from Howden
early yesterday, was prevented by a
storm from landing last night, and
was cruising about today making
further tests before proceeding to.
Pulham in Norfolk. where it was
intended to moor it.
The dirigible was floating easily
over this city shortly after $50
O'Clock this afternoon, all being
seemingly we'll with her when, ac-
cording to survivors, a sharp turn
was given its rudder and it
swerved in toward the Humber.
Apparently the strain of the turn
was too much for it. Crowds
gathered in the streets of Hull in
tently watching the movements of
the air monster, saw a sudden flash
and heard the report of tremendous
explosion. violent enough to shake
the buildings beneath and break
windows in the city store fronts.
Windows in Town Broken
Then the airship appeared to break
in two and burst into flames, the
crowds beneath, meanwhile, running
panic stricken in all directions to es-
cape the wreck OF the falling, dirigible,
which, it seemed. would drop di-
rectly upon the city
The explosions in the big dirigiblo
we're of such force as to wreck
many OF the windows of store fronts
in the center OF Hull
When the ZR-2 started on her
trial flight from Howden, Tuesday.
she had on board Commander Louis
H. Maxfield, of the United States
navy. who has been designated by
the American Navy department to
bring the ZR-2 from England to
the United States; Brig. Gen. S. NJ.
Maitland tha Rr;t;sh .:- ,.-i,