Weekly journal-miner., 1921-08-31
TUCSON MAN ONE OF
 I. 5. OFFICERS DEAD
Associated Press Night Wire,

Associated Press Night Wire)
 HULL, England, Aug. 24.-Seven teen officers and men of the United States navy and P officers and mer of the British navy met death, today in the collapse of the great dirigiblt ZR-2 over the city of Hull Every one of the Americans on board tho ill-fated craft perished as far a: could be ascertained at midnight to. night
 Only five of the men who were making the trial trip in the dirigible prior to the vessel being turned oyer to the United States navy are known to have been saved.
 THE AMERICAN DEAD
 The American officers who
 started the trip included Com
 mander Louis H. Maxfield, Lieu
 tenant Commander Emory Coil,
 Lieut.. Henry w. Hoyt, Lieut..
 Marcus H. Esterly, Lieut. Com
 mander Valentine M. 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, J. T. Han
 cock, William Julius, M. Lay, A.
 l.. Loftin, A. I. Petit, w. I.
 Steele, N. O. Walker, and George
 Welsh.
 The British losses include the fa- nous air veteran, Brigadier General E. M. 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 flight to Putnam, the big aircraft had been afloat for 34 hours at times in bad weather and was returning to the Pullman air drome at the time of the disaster which constitutes the most terrible of its kind in peace times.
 BREAKS UP AT 1000 FEET
 While flying at about 1000 feet over Hull, spectators saw the ZR-2 seemingly buckle amidships and plunge downwards over the city and into the Humber river. One theory of the cause of the disaster is that while the ships rudders were being tested the giant craft took a sharp turn which caused her framework to buckle and that the explosion of gasoline tank completed the tragedy of the air. The actual cause, how ever, may never be known. A rumor had been afloat for some days that the ZR-2 was strhcturally weak but this was stoutly denied by all in au- -hority.
 MEN CLIMB OUT AND JUMP
 Tens of thousands of spectators saw several men climb outside the balloon and drop from the falling mass which wass enveloped in smoke, md others jump into the Humber as he crippled craft came over the water. As the dirigible struck, the above water was burning md there was slight chance for any of the men caught inside to escape.
 NO AMERICANS SURVIVE
 Tugs immediately put out into the stream and brought ashore survivors who were taken in ambulances to hospitals. Among these was the American quartermaster, N. O. Walk T, who died soon after reaching the hospital from burns. Lieutenant Little also was rescued from the de iris alive but died on reaching the nfirmary. A rescue tug pulled an- 'ther American out of the water. He vas dead Inside of his coat was he name Commander Maxfield | Carly and incorrect reports were to he effect that Lieutenant Ester1y ad been saved.
 SISTER OF R-34
 The ZR-2, sister ship of the famous ,-34, the first dirigible to cross the was on her final test trip rior to being accepted by the United tates navy and taken across the At lntic by an American crew, es- ecially trained for that purpose he was 695 feet long and was built ) carry a crew of 30. Her speed j. as estimated at 70 miles an hour. The dirigible had been blown from s course by the heavy storm, which lged over the east coast of Eng md early this morning, and was ex- ected to land at Pullman this after Oon or tonight. The perfection of devices for com I weather conditions be- veen ground stations and the dirig-