Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1921-09-03

include Lieut.. Marcus Esterly, u. S. i.
and Capt. Montague Of the Royal Fly
| ing Corps. =.
Several people who witnessed the
disaster say that four pnrachutes
, were used but IL this is correct the
men who descended in this manner
| were not saved. A Mr.. Ellis OF the
Minerva Hotel was on a tug Off tho
pie when the explosion occurred. HE
says that the shock was severely fot
on the river.
Two water men who have been
searching tho wreckage have just
come ashore. They say there cannot
have been moro than five survivors.
Only one body was Visible when they
left and it was ineXtricablc. The ii 10
, rose rapidly and at $3.50 o'clock every
| vcstige of the airship had been oblit.
Grated.
Crowds fingered along the water
front until dark although all that
could be seen was a buoy light mark
ing the wreck. An engineer who watch
cd the progress of the craft from It's
appearance over Hull until it's end
said shat it's behavior convinced him
the fire broke out at the stern ant.
that the subsequent nose dive was q
manoeuvre to keep it from spreading.
a few seconds later the ship broke in
two.
A large number of American and
British airmen with naval ratings hur
ried here from Howdcn by motor TO
learn the fate Of their friends anu to
study the wreck for the cause OF the
disaster.
EYEH, MSS TELL STORY OF
TRAGEDY
The whole terrible incircnt was wit
messed from start to finish by David
Ernest Phipson Of Birmingham, who
told the story to the correspondent
of The New York Herald in the fol.
lowing words:
II was just in front of the Great
Central Railway offices perhaps 800
yards from the pier. About half past
s O'Clock the noise Of engines caused
me to look upward and there coming
through the clouds was the huge ali
ship. She fell into clear view perhaps
1000 feet up and seemed to be run
ming perfectly.
What a beautiful object, was my
remark TO a bystander. Then almost
immeriately-twom minutes after had
first seen her-the airship made a
sudden dip, and thought Just for a
moment that she wsS going to fly low
er so the inhabitants of the town
might see her more distincly. Almost
at tho same instant I saw her back
crinkle in the middle like a piece Of
paper.
Good God! It's gone!' sprang from
my lips, and in what seemed no more
uhan q couple OF seconds the airshlp
broke In two and the engines seemed
to drop into the river just underneath
one after another.
While the two parts were suspended
In the air just l:ko that at least one
parachute detached itself from the air
ship. There may have been more but
l saw one open and begin gradual
descent. Fifteen or twenty seconds
elapsed after the breaking Of the ship
when the front part exploded with
frightMS. force and a terrific flash OF
flame. Very soon afterward the back
half OF the airship burst with equal
violence.
"All that was left Of the vessel fell
flaming straight down from the sky on
to the River Humber where it sat like
a mass of block smoke and fire.
saw one parachute rock under tho
force Of the explosion and what looked
like another fen on the hncolnShtre
side of the river. The catastrophe was
appalling in its sudden violence and OK
tent The town was shanen by terrific
explosions, and window glass seemed
broken everywhere. A piece flying fr
behind narrowly missed me. For II mo.
q moment 1t looked as IL the burning
airship would fall on the pier. had
n camera in my hand, but the shock,
and suddenness Of the Wide affair pre-
vented me from using it until the air
ship had descended. Then took three
snapshots of the big airship resting
in the water.