The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-08-25

The American officers who started the trip included Commander Louis Fl. MaNficId. Lieut.. Commandcr Elm ory Coil. Lieut.. Henry W. Hoyt. Lieut.. Marcus ". EstcrIy, Lieut.. Commander Valentine \. BicG and Lieut.. Charies 1 The American enlisted men who 1 went up with Inc craft from Howden were; C. I. AiIcr, Robert Coons, L.. E. Crowei. J. Y. Hancock. William Julius, M. Lay. A. l.. Loftir, A. [. Petit. W. !. Steele, N. 0. Walker and George Welsh.
 The British losses include the famous air veteran Brig. Gen. E. N. Maitland and all the other officers on board. except Lieutenant Wann. the commander of the ZH-2.
 Starting from Howdcn Tuesday morning on n test flight to PuIhnns the big aircraft had been afIoat for 39 hours, at times In bad wca thcr and was returning to the Putnam airdouas mt the time of the disaster, which constitutes the most terrible of it. kind in peace times
 G. Little.
 The zR-a. which was n sister ship or the famous R-35. the first diriEf- ble to cross the Atlantic. was on her final test trip prior to bcipg accepted by the United States navy and taken across the Atlantic by m American 1 crew especially trained for that pur- ! pose. She was 695 feet long and was built to carry n crew of go. Her 1 speed was estimated at 70 miles an hour. The American navy was to pay ! $2,O0O.O0O for the craft.
 While flying about 1000 feet oyc~ Hull, spectators saw the ZR-2 seem. insiy buckle amidships and plunge aownwnrd over the city and into the number river. One theory of the cause of the diAaster fs thnt while the ships rudders were being tested. the slant craft took n sbarp turn I whfeh caused her framework to buckle and that the explosion of a gasoline tank completed the trarcd, of the air. The actnni cause, how ever.y never may be known. \ rumor hnd been aflOat for some days that ,ne z"-2 wns structurslly weak hut thority. N&
 Tens of thousands of spectators saw men climb outside the balloon and drop from the falling mass. which was enveloped in smoke, and others Jump into the Humber as the crippled craft came over the water As the dirigible struck the wreckage above water was burning and there was slight chance for any of the men lSauBhl IHSiue, to escape.
 l Tugs immediately put out into \ stream and brought ashore the survivors who were taken in ambu- lances to hospitals. Among these was the American quartermaster, N. 0. Walker, who died soon after reaching tho hospital from burns he had re- ceived. Lieutenant Little also was res cued from the derbis alive, but suc- cumbed to his injuries on reaching the infirmary. A rescue tug pulled another American out of the water. He was dead Inside of his coat was the name Commander Maxfield.' Early reports were to the effect that Lieytenant Esterlx had been saved. Unhappily this report proved to be without foundation
 l Ask Volunteers
 one members of the rescufng party said that when they got alongside the burning airship. the pilot of the tug asked for volunteers to board one part that still was almost intact. Jumping upon the wreckagc. the res cuers ripped open part of the fabric, while parts of the debris were pulled away by means of ropes. The task was hazardous one. because one of the balloonettes was still filled with gas and another explosion was feared
 Tn the, wreckage an American naval man was to be seen banging by his coat to girder in the frame of the airship. IL was believed he was dead, owing to the peculiar position lof the body, which was not removed, Another rescuer said one was hang ing on to the tail of the ship ap- parently uninjured, while another was found floating in the water. Both of them were saved. While the rescuers were at work. the balloon began to | turn over and the rescue party had to return to the tug.
 if Bursts Into Flames
 When first seen from Hull, the zR-2 was approaching the city. com ing from a southeasterly direction over the Humber toward Hull. When sailing on an even keel above the city, according to some witnesses a huge cloud of dense smoke burst from the tail of the aircraft. It was thought the ZR-2 was sending out smoke screen as an exhibition, but to the horror of thousands of specta- tors, it was seen that she had broken in two and was taking a tremendous nose dive, which apparently would bring her down into the thronEed streets.
 I Then there came loud explosion I and a great crash. followed by an- other explosion, which was accom- pained by the breaking of glass in
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