Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-08-26

During the late day admiralty Off
GERS went out in a tug to inspect the
wreck, while small salvage craft of
the air department were cleaning what
they could from the parts of the
q. Re- projecting from the water.
The American air officers. anxious to
recover the bodies of their comrades,
also inspected what was left of the
dirigible that was to have taken them
to the United States.
The 4. R.-2 lies on a sand or mud
bar, about half way in the mouth of
the river threefourths of a mile from
shore. The water at low tide here is
about four feet deep. So bent and
twisted is the skeleton frame which
projects from the surface, that, DESPITE
the shallowness of the water at low
tide. it will be extremely difficult to
move the wreck because of it's great
weight, with clinging mud and the
river running swiftly on either side.
Thursday afternoon one salvage boat
was working assiduouslv at the wreck
but the more elaborate apparatus
which was expected had not vet ar
rived Old river men shook their
heads skeptically and declared it would
be no short job to move the great bulk
of metal.
Traffic Warned.
Meanwhile, lightship has been sta
toned alongside the wreck to warn
traffic of its danger. River men are
inclined to the opinion that not many
bodies will be found in the debris,
but will more likely be found up river,
as the tide. which was beginning to
flow when the disaster occurred. runs
strongly for several miles upstream.
1t is understood the bodies of the
two Americans already found will be
embalmed and sent home. Friday the
coroner's inquest on the bodies recov-
cred will be held, but it is not expected
the inquiry will develop into anything
sensational in the way of a verdict
pending official inquiry into the cause
or the disaster. 1t is generally known
that the calamity was precipitated By
the collapse of girder amidships, but
NOBODY IN authority has yet ventured
an opinion as to what caused the girder
to collapse.
Each hour of delay in searching for
the bodies will make more remote the
possibility of their recovery. according
to Charles II. Broom, a non commits
stoned officer of the naval air de-
tachment, who chanced to be in Hull
on leave Wednesday and was the first
american to visit the scene of the
disaster.
Broom, whose home is in Atlantic
City. n. j.. told The Associated Press
that he arrived at the
wreck 10 minutes after the airship hit
the water. The after bag. he said
was still inflated. standing 80 to 40
feet above the surface.
Broom a Hero.
Stripping off his coat. Broom cut
the opening in the outer covering of
the bag, dived in and swan through
one of the after gondolas. He re-
covered the body of Lieutenant Fl. s.
Montague. and Harry Bateman's log
book. Broom was acclaimed a hero
by the rescue boats which watched his
work.
Thursday morning at low tide. Broom
again visited the wreckage. The
sWirlng currents. together with the
abb and flow of the tide was piling up
the sand about the gondolas to such
In extent that they would be buried
lnless rapid measures were taken to
remove them. Broom declared.
Broom shares with Flight Lieutenant
Nann the opinion that most of the
rev were killed by the explosion.
Salvage operations were unfruitful
Thursday and Thursday night, no
bodies being recovered. Portions of
vreckage from the big balloon were
,ound in the water 10 miles distant
rom the point where she took her fatal
,lunge.
1t was determined to try Friday.
With powerful cranes and gear to lift
he broken portions of the hulk from
he muddy bottom of the river Divers
oday remained inside the debris only
short time. refusing TO risk working
n the racing tidal currents.