Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-25
2 Women Widowed
BY Loss of DirigibLe
.sl
International
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W AVCC w DtS tSeVeC
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against hope might come. Instead
came tho official list of those VIII" had
been aboard the airship. ner husband y
rame among them.
1t was not until this morning. how
ever, that Mrs. Biegs fortitudc and
hope began to yield to the certainty that
her husband was dead. when she re-
c"lved the following telegram from the
Intelligence Department, United States
Navy:
The department regrets to inform
you that Lieutenant Commander Bicg
is missing as n result Of the accident
to the ZR-2."
Came Here to Meet Him
Mrs. Bieg has been back in this coun E
try only short time. She was with
her husband In England when the dir
igible was building. and returned to be-
able to greet him when the XR-2 should
have made her anchorage at Lakehurst,
y. j.. nfter the trans Atlantic fight.
She had gone abroad with him in April,
1920, shortly after the birth of their
child.
ls'NleHuHl IDleR WIS DORM
in Virginia October "a. 1880, the son
of the late Captain Valentine n. Bieg.
United States Navy. of Washington
The young officer was graduated from
Annapolis in 1910. and did submarine
patrol work during the war. He had
been studying lighter than air craft
since going to England, and was to have
been second in command Of the dirigible.
Mrs. Little has been under O physi-
clans care in Wildwood since the news
came of the disaster. She too had been
abroad with her husband, and, Ike Mrs
Bieg. had watched the construction of
the giant craft. She. too. had left
England about two months ago so as
to be here when her husband arrived to
welcome him.
Mrs. Little was married only last Oc-
tober. She met her husband at Cape
May. when she was stationed there as
u yoewOman. She was married in Eng
land. She is the daughter of senator
and rNs. W. II. Wright. and was Wis
iting them at their home in Wildwood
when news came of the accident yes
terday.
Mrs. Little Frustrated
Miss Eloise Bright. a sister of the
young widow, said today that Mrs. Lit
tie had recovered sOemwhat from the
physical shock Of the news that her
husband was lost. She is still under a
physicians care. however.
Mrs. Little was prostrated when news
first came. \ doctor was sent for and
the Rev. James II. Clark. rector of st.
Simeons Episcopal Church, of Wild
wood, was called in to comfort her.
The young wife il convinced that her
ht,uhup1 iS tIngn u,hn nariSbnl
because she has received no word from
him. The official news of his death
has not been received. however.
Joy came to Mrs. Null in a yellow
envelope brought by small messenger
boy who rang her fathers doorbcll,
on Mansion avenue, IIaddonfeld, early
this morning.
Lieutenant NulI was a watch officer
on the ZR-2 Yesterday Mrs. Null
learned the news along with the dozens
Of other women through the land whose
hearts were wrung when word came that
tho great dirigible had fallen.
Mrs. Null also is bride of only
short while. She is the daughter of
II. \. Magoun, vice president of the
New York Shipbuilding Company. As
Miss Ruth MaGoun she journeyed galy
10 England last September to become the
held there By duty while the big "ship"
was building for its voyage above the
Atlantic hack to America. Through the
winter and early spring Mrs. Null lived
with her young husband in England.
close 20 tho great aircraft factory where
he worked every day familarizing him
self with the details Of the dirigible as
ii grew under the hands of the British
experts.
Left England in April
April 6 she badc him good-b by and
returned to the United States to await
the day when her husband and his com
panions would be the heroes of tho sec
ond trans Atlantic voyage by dirigible.
Then the cables flashed the news yes
terday that the ZR-2 had been wrecked
and her crew killed almost to a man
in an instant'S dreadful explosion. The
young wife waited with what patience
and bravery she could summon for the
final word which would bring joy or
sorrow. As the hours passed It seemed
that the news must be that he was
dead.
Ihe little messenger boy, ploddlng up
the path to the broad piazza this morn =
Ing carried fate in the little yellow
envelope he held Mrs. Null tore 1t
open with trembling fingers, and gave
n cry of gladness at the message.
"iIowden, England it paid. WAS
not on board ship Am safe. Tulford." "
The brief message had ended the long
hours of suspense. but did not explain
the manner Of her husbands escape,
1t is believed that. as he was a watch
officer, he was not assigned to duty ON
the trial trip. His work would be to
keep lookout during the actual yoy-
age across the Atlantic, The ZR-2
trip. Tf{l ~ ta.5 III