Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-08-25
OF BIG
MACHINE SAVED AND
TELLS OF ACCIDENT
CONTINUED from Page Is

fre-tW1Sted wreck OF the d1rtg1ble
ZR-2, which last evening exploded
above this city and fell into the Hum
Der, carrying with her more than for
ty Of her crew. Only one American,
Norman O. Walker, a. rigger, and four
Brttish-Flight Lieut.. A. H. Wann,
Ernest Davies, Airman H. Bateman,
scientific assistant, and Walter Pot
ter, mechanic, survived the disaster
that in a .twinkling changedNt the trial
cruise OF the airship into a shastly
tragedy. .E "
During the hours Of darkness which
followed the collapse and destruction
Of the ZR-2, tugs stood by the wreck
age and keen eyes scanned The water
dislodged by the tide that flowed over
all hat remained of what was yester-
day a mighty dirigible, which British
officials expected to send to the Unit
ed States navy today. It was believed
that the ruins Of the aerial dread
naught held the bodies, Of fifteen
American and twenty-six British Off
GERS and enlisted men who were en-
gagged in the final test Of the machine.
~ Gondola Sank.
All hope that there might be other
survivors OF the disaster was dissi-
pated during the night. The wreckage
fell only 200 yards from the shore,
and the six gondolas In which most
Of the airship's personnel was riding
sank Immediately to the bottom Of
the Humber. The men in the gondol-
as, it was believed. would have little
chance to escape after the dirigibie
struck the water, as the weight of the
engines and machinery quickly car
ried the ruined structure beneath the
water.
Experts here were at a loss to ac-
count for this greatest Of peace-time
air disasters.
Residents Of Hull who were watch
Ing the zR-2 when her cruise came to
It's sudden and tragic end declared
that it seemed when the craft at
| tempted to make a sharp turn during
a speed test some of her Orders
| buckled and broke probably because
| Of q strain too heavy for he struc-
ture to bear. Some members of the
crew appear to have this same idea
of the cause Of the accident Charles
Harrison Brown of the United States
army flying force, was an eye witness
Of the disaster. 90
Tells Story.
1T noticed" he said today. THAT
the ZR-2 was moving in q peculiar
manner. the nose Of the 'dirlgtble
showing an unusual tendency to drop
down. I knew at once that something
was wrong, and watched the machine
! carefully. In less than W minutes
the huge envelope broke in " and
fell in flames. I ran to the river side,
where I secured a tug and went to
the place where the wreck had fallen
/ put out a small boat and went into
the gun cockpit in the aft section OF
the airship, and then swan along the
keel: I secured the body of one mar
and turned it over to the boatmen,
but could find nothing else"
The body of Lieutenant Charles G.
Little, one Of the American officers.
was today at the Hull inffrmary,
where he died after being removed
from the wreckage. The body of Lieu
American victim was at a mortuary
and both were being held pending an
inquest, which probably will not be
held until attempts to take other
bodies from the ruins have been
made.
Harbor officials today expressed
doubt that many bodies wouldsbe re-
covered unless they held fast to the
&wreckage or were imprisoned in the
;gondolas. They, said they feared the
tide and the swift current Of the
Humber would carry. hen away. {.
Men. engaged in the work OF sal
~vagesreported at the consulate today
that they had found a body believed
to be that Of Commander Louis II.
Max6eld. in charge Of the American
contingent aboard the ZR-2, several
miles below this city.
Immediately after the disaster,
John g.. Grout, the American consul;
Lieut.. Pennoyer, who becomes senior
officer Of the American detachment.
and Naval Physician Taylor assumed
control Of the situation for the Amer
lean government. They + co-operat-
ing in the work of, recovering and
Identifying the bodies and are pre-
pairing an official list OF the missing.
Lieut.. Penncyer today wired Lon-
don that the next OF kin ofEthe Vic
tins Of the accident had been advis-
ed.
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