The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1921-09-02
ENTIRE u. S. NAVY CREW p,-
ONE, LOST IN BRITISH GIANT
DIRIGIBLE DISASTER
GRAFT BLOWN APART IN CENTER
Hull, England, Crowds Stand Aoba..
as Wreckase smothers Trapped
Men in River-Exact Cause
May Never Be Known.

and men of the United States narn
and 27 officers and men of the British
navy met death August "a in tbo
collapse of the great dirigible ZR2
over the city of Hull.
All but one of the Americans q,
board the Inflated craft persisted
Only five men of the 40 who we,o
making the trial trip in the dirigible
prior to the vessel being turned owe,
to the United States navy are known
to have been saved
The American officers who startod
the trip included Commander Louis
Maxfield, Washington, ID. c.: Lien.
tenant Commander Emory Coil, Mar.
ietta, Ohio; Lieutenant Henry W
Hoyt, Clearwater, Fla; Lieutenant
Marcus H. Esterly, Washington, D. G..
Lieutenant Commander Valentine N
Bieg, Bryn Mawr, Pa. and Lieuten.
ant Charles G. Little, Newburyport
Mass.
The American enlisted men who
went up with the craft from HowdeD
were c. |. Aller Denver, Col; Robert
Coons, Greensboro, Ky; L. E. Crowel
South Carolina; j. T. Hancock, Lon
don, England; William Julius, St.
Louis; Maurice Lay, Greensboro. N
c.; A. l.. Loftin, ST. Louis; A. j.
Petit, New York. w. J. Steele, Balm
bridge, Ind; George WEIGH, Elgin, Ill.
The British losses include the ia,
nous air veteran, Brigadier General
E. M. Maitland, and all the other
officers on board except Lieutenant
Wann. the commander of the ZR2
Ship AIoft "a Hours.
Starting from Howden on a test
light to Pullman, the big aircraft had
been afloat for 81 hours, at times in
lad weather, and was returning to the
oulham airdrome at the time of the
disaster, which constitutes the most
errible of its kind in peace times.
The ZR-2, sister ship of the ia
nous R-34, the first dirigible to cross
he Atlantic, was on her final test
rip prior to being accepted by the
United States navy and taken across
he Atlantic by an American crew
specially trained for that purpose
'he was 695 feet long and was built
o carry a crew of 80 Her speed
Tas estimated at 70 miles an hour
he American navy was to pay sz'
10000 for the craft
Buckles Amdships.
While flying at about 1000 feet
yer Hull, spectators saw the zRS
eemingly buckle amidships ana
lunge downward over the city and
ito the Humber river.
One theory of the cause of the dis
ster is that while the ships ruddeN
ere being tested the giant craA
,ok a sharp turn, which caused ha
'amework to buckle and that the es
osion of a gasoline tank completeu
lie aragedy of the air The actua
luse, however may never be known
Tens of thousands sof spectaloi
w several men climb outside lne
llloon and drop from the falling
ass, which was enveloped in smok0
Id others jump into the Humber az
e crippled craft came over the wa
r. AS the dirigible struck, ln'
reckage above water was burning
I'd there was slight chance for an'
the men caught inside to ESCAPE
Tugs Immediately put out into Wv
ream and brought ashore the SUI
vors, who were taken in ambulano''
hospitals.
One American Escapes.
Norman o. Walker, rigger "a
e only American to escape wn''
g ZR-2 was destroyed.
Cost u. S. Million.
The United States government w.
Sc $1,000.OO0 through the des'lu
N of the dirigible ZR-2 under Term
an agreement entered into WV
2 British government. IN
The agreement provided 'tna' o;r
, event of the total loss OF TINS 90. o.
ip (ZR-2) while under construcuo
during trials the two government
uld jointly bear he loss on an eq''
Sis" an
rhe United States has paid sl,ae
to the British government Oh n
ntract cost of $2,O00,00O for -
q, the statement added Acc~ sIl
lily the British government ,,a
n back 100000 to the on'
ltes.