The New York herald., 1921-08-28
WRECK CAN'T Show
CAUSE OF ZR-2CRASH
Salvagers Find Nothing in
Mutilated Airplane to
Help in Inquiry.
FORWARD WORK BEGUN
Experts Delye Into Part
of Dirigible Where Most
of Survivors Were.
PLANS FOR A MEMORIAL
Commander Wann Loses Mem
cry From Shock. Post
poning Inquiry.
FORWARD WORK BEGUN
PLANS FOR A MEMORIAL

speclaI Gable 10 THE New YoRK HERALD.
Copyright, 1921, bp THE NEw York HERALD
HULL, Aug. 27.--When darkness fell
tonight the wreckage or the ZR-2 had
scattered over an area or nearly
square mile. and hopes Of recovering
anything of value in determining the
cause OF the disaster were diminishing
The work will be continued. neverthe-
less for many days. An expert sal
wager has been summoned and the
recovery work will be devoted to points
further inshore than to where the rear
portion of the wreck Is gradually disap-
pearing in the quicSsands.
Experts believe that nothing further IS
recoverable there and are seeking the
scattered fragments of the forward part
in deeper water, where nothing Is vis-
ible, as 1t Is now known that all but
three of the men who were saved were
forward of the tenth frame when the
accident happened.
THE NEW YORK HERALD correspondent
went aboard a dredger to-day and saw
the great cranes graphing hooks ltft
a tangled mass of frame work. wires
and a fuel tank. The condition of this
showed that when the tank exploded 1t
was blown out at the top.
The wreckage, which Is twisted, bent
and tangled 10 an astonishing degree.
contained, curiously enough, a circular
wooden blotter, probably from the con-
troll car All the wreekage lifted was
dumped on the deck OF the dredger and
carefully examined by Admiralty Off
cials and Lieutenant Commander Rich
ard L. Byrd, who is now in command
OF the Americans here.
Earlier in the day a piece of the con-
troll car was brought up, but this meant
nothing except to mark the spot where
the car probably lies. and every effort
is being made to recover 1t there. Ex-
perts believe that the recovery OF the
control car will reveal the bodies of
Commander Maxfield. Col. Campbell and
Air Commodore Maitland. Three times
the crane lifted the engine carrier. but
1t slipped into the river again.
Air Marshal Vivian said that he
doubts IL any more bodies viii be found
by dredging. but hopes that the sea itself
will give up the dead soon! Marshal
Vivian went to Howden this morning
and opened the official inquiry. but he
announced later that he had merely
started the proliminaries and had called
few craftsman and designers SO as
TO start the Investigation at the very
beginning of the airship's construction.
The fsE7Ifry., will be postponed some
time to permit Commander A. II. Wann
20 recover sufficiently TO testify. While
he Is not seriously injured. he is suf-
fering so badly from shock that he told
a brother officer to-day that he has been
trying TO remember what happened. but
could not.
Plans have been completed for me-
mortal services here next Thursday over
the spot where the airship fell. Sep
arate American services will be held on
Wednesday. Steel cotfins for the bodies
OF the Americans have arrived here, but
the plans for their burial still await
decision of the relatives, although II
has been decided that the bodies win be
returned to the United States with full
naval honors.
A barge passing in the Humber River
yesterday picked up two suits of cloth
Ing. one containing a diamond ring and
letter from r. NJ. Coons OF Owens
boro, Ky, American member Of the
crew, to London girl to whom he was
engaged to be married.
Lieut. Commander Byrd and two as
sistants have been left in charge here
for the Americans. the other Americans
having gone to Howden TO clear up af-
fairs at their camp here.