The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-08-26

was reported early in the night thai
he had died, but inquiry has estab,
Ilished the fact that he is still alive
His home is IN Commerce, Texas.
| Hull, England, Aug. 24.-Sixteer
i officers and men of the United States
navy and twenty-seven officers .and
men of the British navy met death
today in the collapse of the great dir
igible ZR-2 over the city of Hull.
Only one of the Americans on
board the ill-fated craft escaped, as
far as could be ascertained at mid
night tonight.
Only five men of the 49 who were
making the trip in the dirigible prior
to the vessel being turned over to
the United States navy are known to
have been saved.
The American officers who started
the trip included:
Comndr. Louis H. Maxfeld, Lieut..
Comndr. Emery Colt, Lieut.. Henry
w. Hoy, Lieut. Marcus H. Esterly,
Lieut.. Comndr. Valentine N. 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. Hancock, William
Julius, M. Lay, A. l.. Loftin, A. L.
Petit, w. J. Steele, N. 0. Walker and
George Welsh.
The British losses include the ia
nous air veteran, Brig. Gen. f. NJ.
Maitland, and all the other officers
on board, except Lieutenant Wann,
the commander of the ZR-2.
On Test Flight
Starting from Howden Tuesday
morning on a test fight to Pulham,
the big aircraft had been afoat for
"a hours, at times in bad weather,
and was returning to the Pulham air
dome which constitutes the most ter
rible of it's kind in peace times.
The ZR-2, which was sister ship
of the famous R-34, the first dirigble
to cross the Atlantic, was on her final
test prior to being accepted by the
United States navy and taken across
the Atlantic by an American crew
especially trained for that purpose.
She was 695 feet long and was built
to carry a crew of 80. Her speed was
estimated at 70 miles an hour. The
American navy was to pay S2,000,-
600 for the craft.
While flying at about 1000 feet
over Hull, spectators saw the ZR-2
seemingly buckle amidships and
plunge downward 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 sharp
turn, which caused her framework
to buckle and that the explosion of
a gasoline tank completed the ira
gedy of the air. The actual cause
however, may never be known. A
! ruraor had been ahoat for some days
| that the ZR-2 was structurally weak
but this was stoutly denied by all in
authority.
Tens of thousands of spectators
saw several men climb outside the
balloon and drop from the failing
mass, which was enveloped in smoke,
and others jump into the Humber as
the crippled craft came over the wa
Ter. AS the dirigible struck, the
wreckage above the water was burn
ing, and there was slight chance for
any of the men caught inside to es-
cape.
Tugs Immediately put out into the
stream and brought ashore survivors
who were taken in ambulances tC
| hospitals. Among these was the Am
erican quartermaster, n. 0. Walker
suffering from severe burns. Lieu
! tenant Little also was rescued from
the debris alive, but succumbed to his
injuries on reaching the intirmary.
A rescue tug pulled another Ameri'
can out of the water. He was dead
Inside of his coat was the name,
Commander Maxfeld.' Early re-
! ports were to the effec that Lieuten-
ant Easterly had been saved. I'm
: fortunately this report proved to be
without foundation.