The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-08-26
easily AIR TRAGEDY
Wreckage of Giant DirigI-
BILE Is Explored Today
STORY OF EYE WITNESS
Commander Maxfield Believed
To Be Among The Num-
Der Killed

Hull. England. Aust 25.-Norman
O. Walker, riggeT was tne on!
American to escape when the giant
dirigible ZR-2 was destroyed.
MYERS began at dawn today 10 eH.
,,ara the ire twisted wreck OF the
ttir;o;hle ZR2 which last evening eA.
uin6ed above this city and Tell iito
The Humber, carrying WIN ulote 80 eo
fortv of her crew. Only one ans I'D
can Norman o. Walker, rlssel, "II
four British-fight LleutenahI Dot"
Wannsier Davis; Altman A. r. Uai
n,en. Scientific Assistant; and wal
10 potter. mechanic, survived tns
Sisaster that in a twinkllng cnanseo
tho trial cruise of the alrsnlp lh'o /"
CHASTITY tragedy. 80 DARKNESS
which followed the collapse ana oe, ,
struction of the ZR-2 tugs stoou "
the wreckage and keen eyes scann lrHt
the water for any bodies that m.Sn ~
have been dislodged by the uue th"
flowed over all that remalneu. W a; y
wos Yesterday Britains mlgnuesI u
,;aihla which officials expected 10
t,1rn over to the United States touay'
~ NOS believed that the ruins OF the
ao-;aI dreadnought held the bodleS ot
Sfteen American and tWeu1y 9i -
british officers and enlisted men WV .i,o
we're engaged in the final test OIL 'ie
machine. po+.or,
All haoe that there might pc S Etni
survivors of the disaster was rn"I
1ated Gu,ins the. night. the WFscA.
PC fell o-,IY 200 yards from the snore
geeSS the Fix -ondolas in which most OF
az AZ sir-iii,'s personnel was riding:
.sant Immediately to the bottom Oh
the Humber, The men in the gonuo-
ne n Was believed, would have niue
cbance to escape after the dirigiple
struciS the water, as the weight OF
the engines and machinery quichtiy
carried the ruined structure penea'n
'hT Exnerts herewere at loss to &C
count for those greatest OIL pe"'o
time air disasters.
Residents of Hull who were watch.
ing the ZR-2 when her cruise came
IN its sudden and tragic emo deciate
tbst # seemed when the craft at
temnted to make a sharp turn during
speed test some OF her glrders
buckIed and broke. probably pecause
of a strain too heavy for tne ssft ~,
ture to bear. Some members SL 'nt
crew appear to have this same lue@ VI
the cause of the accident.
Eve Witness Describes Tragedy
Charles Harrison Brown or tne
United State army flying force, was
An eve witness of the disastAr.
noticed" he said today, that tne
ZR-2 was moving in peculiar man
ner. the nose of the dirigible showing
an unusual tendency to drop down.
knew at once that something was
wrong and watched the machine
carefully. In less than two minutes
the huge envelope broke in two anc
fell in flames. / ran to the riverside
where | secured tug and went u
the place where the wreck had failer
mt out a small boat and went 1ntt
the gun cockpit in the aft section o.
the airship, and then swan along the
keel l secured the body or ont
man and turned it over to the boa
men. but could find nothing else"
The body of Lieutenant Charles 6
Little, one of the American officers
was today. at the Hull infirmary
where he died after being removed
from the wreckage. The body o
Lieutenant Marcus H. Esterly an
other American victim, was at NOR
tuary, and both were being hell
pending an inquest, which probaoi!
will not be held until attempts II
take other bodies from the ruins
have been made.
Fear Bodies Carried BY Tide
Harbor officials today expressed
doubt that many bodies would be re
covered unless they held fast to thu
wreckage or wer~ imprisoned in the
gondolas. They said they feared the