The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1921-09-01
Graphic Stor1Dls
aste' Big Gas Bag
American Tells of
Escape from Wreck
of Airship Z-R 2
Norman o. Walker, Only American
Survivor, Gives Graphic Description
Jumped Into Humber River AS
Ship Struck.

HnWden, Aug. 26.-Norman Walk
er, sole American survivor of the
wrecked airship ZR-2, today gave the
Associated Press the first circumstan-
tial account of the disaster which late
! yesterday destroyed the great super
dl1glble and every member of the
crew on, Jard except himself.
Wa was seen at the Howden
airdro e. near Hull, where he has
just teen rrOugnt after the terrible
leXrellenco. He comes from Com
:1erce, T,Xas and was rigger or
the ill-fated airship. He is OF boyish
appearance, 20 years old, and of a
wiry build.
"We were all in the highest spirits
when we left Howden on the trial
fight" he said. Eve sailed over the
North sea first and then started down
the mort ohcast of Pulham. A thick
fog developed, so it was found impos-
sible to land at Pulham. In fact, the
fog was so dense we were more OF
less lost, although we knew the gen
era1 locality.
eve were flying at a height of
about $500 feet, with the wireless
keeping in touch with both oHwden
and Pulham. The ship was behaving
finely and there was not a sign of
weakness anywhere.
Encountered Fog
eve drove out over the sea again,
and as the 70 gcontinued bad we flew
along the coast until Wednesday aft
Hull. We then flew across to How
den where it was decided to land at
$3.50 %. M, so we sailed over Hull
again. We -encircled Hull twice and
the speed trial was completed with
out hitch.
GA test of the ships control then
began. I was at the lower rudder,
proceeding back to the tail, and had
Just reached the cockpit when there
was a tremendous crash. The girders
amidships broke and the ship split in
halves. ---...s=. & r. .
"Both the tail and the nose imme-
diately pointed downward and the
halves started to descend toward the
Humber.
'I certainly cannot describe my
sensation, but I thought my time had
come.
Tells of Escape
81 made a rush for the tail to get
parachute, but | found two OF my
comrades there, Harry Bateman and
Walter Potter [ knew there was
only one chute there for three of US.
Bateman had the chute and jumped,
but it fouled and he hung to the tail
of the dirigible.
''Both Potter and I started to run
forward for other partchutes. bat just
as I got in the keel there came an
explosion Of either petrol tank or
hydrogen and flames began to sweep
the forward part of our half of the
ship.
"What was happening to our com
rades in other parts Of the dirigible
don't know. Most of the officers and
crew were amidships, either seated OF
lying tn their bunks when the glrders
broke. At least one man dropped
through the gap made by the break.
Possibly others did, but probably most
of them rolled forward when the air
ships nose went down.
Story of Descent
'T ran back to the tail to get ava,
from the fe in the bag. Bateman,
Potter and I got into the cockpit. By
this time the gas was becoming de,
pleted and the ship was shooting doWI1
rapidly. The forward half had al
ready beaten US toward the water We
couldn't use a parachute then as We
were too low-only few hundred
feet up.
sT saw we we're gong to land in thc
water, so I climbed on the fabric for
ward of the tail cup. l couldn't tel
how fast we we're falling, but when !
thought we were gong to strike
jumped.
II was surprised to find my feet
striking the bottom. I had landed -
four feet of water near shore. BotA
nv comrades stuck to the ship and
continued to cling to her as she
struck. I managed to scrambled aboard
the wreckage and the three of US wera
picked up by tug"