The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-26
NAVAL COURT
TO INQUIRE INTO
HULL TRAGEDY
Try to LiftoWrecked
Air Ship; Hunt for
Bodies.

Hull, England, Aug. 26.-- eBy the
Associated Press. Two bodies
were recovered this afternoon from
the wreck of the ZR-2. One was
identified as that of Albert L. Lof-
tin, an American mechanic on the
airship, and the other that of Flight
Lieutenant Rye, Of the British crew.
Hull, Eng, Aug. 26.-(By the As
soc1ated Press. .)-Workmen engag-
ed in salvaging the wreckage of
the ZR-2 from the turbid waters of
the Humber, where it fell with its
human freight ON Wednesday eve
ming, employed powerful cranes to-
day to lift the skeleton of the air
ship 1t was believed that as soon
as the twisted and tangled frame
work of the dirigible was raised, it
would be possible to recover the
bodies of many of the men who
died when the dreadnaught of the
air collapsed and caught fire.
The work of lifting the wreck
age was herculean task, for in
addition to the great weight of the
aluminium framework and the pen
dant gondolas carrying the driving
machinery, the swift current of the
river had already begun to cover
the immersed ruins with deposits
of sand Divers who went down
into the labyrinthine of ruins yes
terday, found the current SO strong
that their work was attended by
great danger, and they finally de-
clined to take further chances be-
meath the water.
River men believed that the
bodies of some of the victims of the
disaster had been borne away by
the tide or the rivers current, and
it was reported that fragments of
the dirigible's covering fabric had
been found 10 miles up the river
from the scene of the accident
Official inquiry into the cause of
the disaster will begin tomorrow
morning at Howden,S where the
ZR-2 was stationed before she
started on her last voyage. The
United States will be represented
by a naval attache, who will sit
with the court 1t seemed probable
today that the findings of the court
would be Influenced by the result
of an examination by experts of
the framework of the airship after
it had been lifted from the Hum
Der. There seemed to be a general
agreement that the accident was
caused by the collapse of a longi-
tudinal girder in the middle of the
dirigible, but it was expected that
~ Il A4 III - IL
termine with some degree of accur-
acy the reason for the tragedy
when they had before them the
metal parts of the huge airship.
1t was expected that the coron-
er's inquest, to be held today, would
be adjourned after formal identifi-
cation of the three bodies which !
were recovered and the issuance of
permits for their removal. The |
it was reported, |
would be for several weeks at
least, probably to Oct 1, when it
would reconvene for a full examin- |
alton of witnesses with view to
the causes Of the dis
aster, whether it was unavoidable,
or was due to weather conditions,
or the carelessness or negligence
of those in control of the ZR-2.
Search for Bodies.
The English law does not per-
NIT embalming until after the COR
oner's inquest, but. in Difference to
the wishes of the American author
tiles here, the bodies of Lieuten-
ants Little and Esterly were en-
balmed a few hours after they were
recovered.
The coroner stated this morning
he did not believe many more
bodies would be found until the
wreck of the airship was raised
and searched.
Every effort is being made to re-
cover bodies of the victims and /
searching parties are maintaining /
4 constant lookout on both sides
Of the Humber for miles above and
below Hull.
John H. Grouth. American con-
sui here, planned to accompany
of the American
embassy in London to the coron-
er's inquest Members OF the
American naval detachment as
signed to the ZR-2 were to be
called on to identify the bodies OF
heir comrades /