Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-27
COMMANDER OF DLRIGLBLE
TELLS OF BIG DISASTER


exploded, burst in two, and fell fam
ing into the river Humber, carrying
16 Americans and 81 British to their
deaths, were told today by Flight
Lieutenant A. Fl. Wann, commander
of the airship, and Norman o. Walk
er, the only American saved.
"The whole thing happened in five
seconds" Flight Lieutenant Wann,
lying in a Hull hospital, said.
MY ship was running beautifully
at sixty knots as we swung over the
city of Hull. Our tests were nearly
finished. We hoped to be down soon.
"I had just signalled that the speed
be reduced to fifty knots when sud-
denly 1 heard a terrific crack. 1 be-
lieve that several girders must have
broke"
All hope that there might be other
survivors of the disaster was given
up during the night. The wreckage
fell only 200 feet from shore, and
the six carriages in which most of
the airship personnel was riding.
sank Immediately to the bottom of
the Humber. The men in the gon-
dolas, it was believed, would have
little chance to escape after the di-
rigible struck the water, as the
weight of engines and machinery
quickly carried the ruined struc-
ture beneath the water. Experts
here were at loss to account for
this greatest of peace-time air dis
| asters.
Broke on Turn
Residents of Hull who we're watch
ing the ZR-2 when it's cruise came
to a sudden and tragic end declared
that it seemed when the craft at
tempted to make a sharp turn DUR
ing a speed test, some of her glrders
buckled and broke, probably because
of a strain too heavy for the struc-
ture to bear. Some members OF the
crew appear to have this same idea
of the cause of the incident.
Charles Harrison Brown, of the
limited States army flying force, was
an eyewitness of the disaster.
81 noticed" he said today, that
the ZR-2 was moving in peculiar
manner. the nose Of the dirlglble
showing an unusual tendency to drop
down. 1 knew at once that some
thing was wrong, and watched the
machine carefully. In less than Two
minutes the huge envelope proke
in two and fell in flames. ran to
1 the Riverside, where 1 secured tug
and went to the place Whele Iii
wreck had fallen. I put out a smail
boat and went into. the gun cockpl5
in the aft section ai0Gg OF tb 5ee k alesn se
4 cured the body of one man ana euIn
4 ed it over to the boatmen, out coulu
! find nothing else" -
The body of Lieutenant Charles &.
little. one of the American officers,
was today at the Hull infirmary:.
where he died after being removed
from the wreckage Of the ZR-2: Inc
bodv of Lieutenant Marcus H. Ester
". another American victim: was at
the ,mortuary. and both belng n eiu
will not be held until attempts TO
take other bodies from the ruins nave
heen made. Lieutenant Little was
identified by fellow ottlcer VINO d
rived from Howden. while ldentlflca-
tion of Lieutenant Esterly's body was
effected through a wallet found IN
Harbor Officials today expressed
doubt that many bodies would pc re-
covered unless they were neI9 sa na
IN ne ne eondoIas. They said they
feared the tide and the swift current
of the Humber would carry theiii
away. x,xe,a,a
Man engaged in the work of sal
gage renorted at the American con-
sulate today that they had tound
bodv believed to be that of Com
mander Louis H. Maxfield IN charsSs
Of the American contingent apoaLo
If the American contingent aboard;;
The cause of the explosion WI
probably never be known. the COM
nander ssaid. I'd o
rben the disaster occurred" Lieuten-
ant Wann continued. Il felt the
Forward car, from which I was com
mandiAg the ship, falling swiftly
through the air, Immediately after
khe loud crack amidships.
'"Then it rose sharply at a high
angle. Il. ,ouos+ Pow
the purpose of levelling the keel.
story OF Texan
"Suddenly there was terrific ex-
- blosion. which I felt and heard in the
Forward car. I think man. men were
KILLED outright by the blast, for they
4Iwould have been inside the envelope
#hmidships.
{ "some Of the crew and officers
"I remained on board until we
we're close to the water Then I
Jumped, but was caught in the wreck
ge and pinned down for fifteen min
1tes. The flaming pieces of the ZR-2
fell all about me, and [ was burned
bout the head and face. 1 lost con-
ciousness, and when 1 woke up I was
n the hospital.
81 feel better this morning"
Norman O. Walker, Of Commerce,
Texas, the only American saved. said
oday:
mo one will ever have a cletr idea
# just what happened. I was with
wo Rritishers at the extreme tail Of
he ZR-2. When the explosion shook
he ship. and she broke in two, our
kalf fell tail downward.
The three of uS hung on, and we
loated down towards midriver, al
most like big bird settling on to
he water 1t was almost like hav-
ing a parachute.
II looked down and saw the water
ushing up at us and when. we were
bout thirty feet from the surface, |
ct go and dropped. I thought /
you'd never come up, but when
Id, there We're tugs and boats already
peed1ng to rescue me. The airship
fould scarcely have been in the
Fater thirty seconds before they were
the job.
II feel fine, personally. 1 smoked
cigarette Immediately after they
pulled me out"
Thousands were gathered on the
liver front at dawn today, watch
ng the search for bodies Of the vic
inns.
The zR-2 was then invisible, both
halves being completely covered by
he tide. Preliminary work of sal
rage was under way
All night long search parties work