The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-08-27

DIRI(1IbLE
VICTIMS
Details of the Destruc-
ton Of Great Dirig,i-
bic ZR-2 Add to
the Horror of
Great Tragg-
edy Of the
Air

Hull, England, Aug. "a CEY AS
sociated Press) = Sixteen officers
and men Of the United States navy
and twenty-seven officers and men
Of the British navy met death to-
day in the collapse OF the great
dirigible ZR-2 over the city Of Hull
Only one of the Americans on
board the Inflated craft escaped,
as far as could be ascertained at
midnight tonight.
Only five men Of the g who were
making the 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 start
ed the trip included:
Comndr. Louis H. MaxGeld, Lieut..
Comndr. Emery Colt, Lieut.. Henry
w. Hoy, Lieut. Marcus II. Esterly,
Lieut.. Comndr. Valentine n. Eieg
and Lieut.. Charles G.. Little.
The American enlisted men who
went up with the craft from How
den were: c. I. Aller, Robert
Coons, L. E. Crowel, j. T. Han
cock, William Julius. NJ. Lay, a.
L. Loftin, A. 1. Petit. w. j.
Steele, n. O. Walker and George
Welsh.
The British losses include the
famous air veteran, Brig. Gen. f.
NJ. Maitland, and all the other Of
ficers on board, except Lieutenant
Wann, the commander Of the ZR-
2.
Starting from Howden Tuesday
morning on a test fight to Pulham,
the big aircraft mad been afloat for
34 hours, at tines in bad weather
and was returning to the Fulham
aicdonle at the time of the disaster
which constitutes the most terrible
of it's kind in peace times.
The ZR-2, which was a sister
ship of the famous R-34, the first
dirigible to cross the Atlantic, was
on. her final test trip prior to be-
ing accepted by the United States
navy and taken across the Atlantic
by an American crew especially
trained for that purpose. She was
COS feet long and was built to car
ry a crew of so. n r speed was
estimated at 70 miles an hour. The
American navy was to pay $1,000
600 for the craft:
While flying at about 1000 feet
over Hull spectators sa" the ZR-2
seemingly buc. amidshins ano
plunge downward over the city and
into the Humber river. One theory
of the cause OF the disaster is thai
while the ships rIdders We're being
tested the giant craft took a SHARP
turn. which caused her framework
to buckle and that the explosion OF
gasoline tank completed the trag-
edy of the air. The actual cause
however, never may be known. A
rumor had been aflcat for some
davs that the ZR2 was structur-
ally weak but this was stoutly de-
MED ty all in authority.
Ten of thousand Of spectators
saw several men climb outside the
balloon and drop from the falling
mass. which was enve!oped IN
smoke, and others jump into the
Humber as the crippled craft came
over the water AS the diriglble
struck, the wreckage above the wa
ter was burning, and there was
slight chance for any Of the me1
caught inside to escape.
Tugs Immediately put out into
the stream and brought ashore sur
yivors. who We're taken in am
balances to hospitals. Among these
was the American quartern:aster
n. O. Walker. suffering from Sc
we're burns. Lieutenant Little a!st
was rescued from the debris alive
! but succunlbed to bis injuries OF
reaching the infirmary.
A rescue tug pulled another
American out of the water. Ht
was dead. Inside of his coat wa:
the name Commander MaXfield.
Early reports were to the efec
that Lieutenant Esterly had beer
saved. Unfortunately this repor
| proved to be without foundation.
One member of the rescuins
party said that when they go
alongside the burning airship th'
pilot of the tug asked for volun
teers to board one part that Stll
was almost intact. Jumping upor
the wreckage. the rescuers rlppet
open part of the fabric, while part:
of the debris We're pulled away b,
means of ropes The task was {
hazardous one, becau"e one OF th'
! balloonettes was still filled Will
gas and another explosion was fear
| ed
Among the wreciaGe an Amer
lean naval man was to be seel
hanging by his coat TO Gireer IL
the frame Of the airship. Ii wa
believed he was dead, owing to thu
{ peculiar position Of the body
: which was not TecoNtItu. -Aliotitt-
rescuer said one was hanging on t'
the tail Of the ship. apparently un
!, Injured. while another was founI
| floating in the water. Both o
| them were saved. While the res
cuers were at work the balloon be
gan to turn over and the reScu,
party had to return to the tug.
When first seen from HUH tn
ZR-2 was approaching the city
coming from a southeasterly Girec
ton over the Humber toward Hull