The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1921-08-25
ZR-2 DISASTER
RESULTEDFR0M
BROKEN ORDERS
Airship Cut in Half BY Breaking
of Alloyed Girders Be-
fore Explosion
43 TOTAL CASUALTIES
Investigation of Crash Will Be-
In the Hands of British
Air Commission
43 TOTAL CASUALTIES
GIRDERS BROKE

(By the Associated Press) ).-Ihe
cause of the disaster to the ZR.2,
according to the best information
here, was the collapse of l0ngitud-
inal girders amidship, made of an
aluminium alloy, cutting the air.
ship in half. An explosion Of
either hydrogen or gasoline oc-
Cured Immediately after the grid
er gave away but the explosion, it
+ is declared, was not the cause of
the breaking up of the airship.
London, Aug. 25.-(By the Asso
ciated Press) The American ant
British victims Of the disaster to the
ZR-2 at Hull last evening, will'be &C
corded great public funeral, prob
ably in London, it is considered GER
tain.
Forty-three persons, 16 CT them
Americans, perished.
Meanwhile all England profoundly
stirred by the destruction of the giant
dirigible-the greatest of all air dis
asters-is giving expression to its
feeling of mourning and sympathy for
the bereaved. In London the atmos-
phere today is akin to that which fol-
lowed the receipt Of news of serious
disaster during war days.
English Brides Weep.
1t was at Howden, Hull, Leeds and
neighboring towns, however, where
lived the wives and relatives of many
of the men whose lives were snapped
out, that the loss was most keenly felt.
In these places, too, were the English
brides of nine of the American men
who came here for the trans-ocean
flight. .s
The American dead included two
members of the American Legion.
As the dirigible was still under Brit
ish authority, not yet being turned
over to the American authorities, all
investigation of the calamity will be
in the hands of the British Royal Air
Commission.
Foremost among the expressions of
coincidence was one from King George.
HAPPENED IN FIVE SECONDS
Hull, England, Aug. 25.-(By the
Associated Press)-Most of the Amer
ican members of the crew of the ZR-2
were killed by the explosion which
followed the buckling and swapping of
girders amidship, said Flight Lieuten-
ant S. A. Wann in command of the
draft as navigating officer at the time
OF the disaster, in a statement to the
Associated Press today.
iQnf Wann cold <ho eL;x l.l $4,000
beautifully at go knots an hour and
that he had slowed to so knots when
there came violent cracking. He
thought several of the girders broke.
The whole thing happened in five Sec
onds.
Before the moment of the acct
dent" said Lieut. Wann, "the craft
had been sailing perfectly. She had
been passing through vario0s difficult
tests and the speed had been reduced
when suddenly while crossing the
broad estuary of the Humber l heard
the rumbling and cracking Of girders
and the airship pitched forward,
"As soon as humanity possible I
emptied water ballasts to enable the
craft to resume it's normal position
but at this time a tremendous explo-
sion occurred. The great ship SEEM
ed to halt a moment and then pitch
forward
1.-THE concussion threw me down in
the navigator's car, where I was pin.
ned by the wreck. The section Of the
craft in which l was riding remained
above water and / was rescued after
being imprisoned for Is minutes.
That's all can say about it,