The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-08-25
GIRDERS FAILED
TO STAND STRAIN
OF SHARP TURN
The Great Airship Was TO
Have Been Turned Over
to the United States Gov
ernment and to Start on
! Transatlantic Voyage
In Few Days

nun, EngldHus aug %Ok ny eic -An
sociated Press DIVERS began at dawn
this morning to explore the fire twisted
wreck of the dirigible ZR-2, which last
evening exploded above this city and
fell into the Humber, carrying with her
more than forty of her crew. Only
one American, Norman o. Walker, a
rigger, and four British Flight Lieu
tenant A. H. Wann and Ernest Davies,
airman, III. Bateman, scientific assist
7ant, and Walter Potter, mechanic, sur
vived the disaster that in a twinkling
changed the trial cruise of the air
ship into a CHASTITY tragedy.
During the hours of darkness that
followed the collapse and destruction
of the ZR2 tugs stood by the wreck
age and keen eyes scanned the water
for any bodies that might have been
dislodged by the tide that flowed over
ell that remained of what was yester
day Great Britain's mightiest dirigible,
which officials expected to turn over to
the United States navy to-day. Ii
was believed that the ruins of tie
aerial dreadnought held the bodies of
the Is American and 26 British officers
and enlisted men who were engaged in
the final test of the machine.
Experts here were at a loss to ac
count for this greatest of peace-time
air disasters.
Residents of Hull who were watching
the ZR-2 when her cruise came 10 its
sudden and tragic end declared that
when the craft attempted to make a
sharp turn during a speed test some
of her girders buckled and broke, prob
ably because of a strain too heavy for
the structure to bear Some members of
the crew appear to have this same idea
of the cause of the accident.
Charles Harrison Brown of the Unit
ed States army flying force, was an
eyewitness of the disaster
Il noticed, he said to-day, that the
ZR-2 was moving in a 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 care
fully. In less than two minutes the
huge envelope broke in two and fell
in flames. ran to the river side,
where secured rug and went to
the place where the wreck had fallen. |
! put out a small boat and went into |
the gun cocketpit in the aft section !
of the airship. and then swan along
the keel. ! secured. the bodys of one
man and turned it over to the boat
man. but could find nothing else"
The body Of Lieutenant Charles G.. |
Little. one Of the American officers, |
was to-day at the Hull infrmary. |
where he died after being removed |
from the wreekage. The body of Lieu
tenant Marcus II. Esterly, another
American victim, was at a mortuary,
and both were being held pending an
inquest, which probably will not be
held until attempts to take other bod
les from the ruins have been made.
Lieutenant Little was identified by a
fellow officer. who arrived from How
den, while identification Of Lieuten-
ant Esterly's body was effected through
wallet found in the clothing.
Men engaged in the work of sal
wage reported at the American consul
late this morning that they had found
body believed to be that of Com
mander Louis II. Maxfield. in charge
Of the American contingent aboard the
ZR-2, several miles below this city.
Immediately after the disaster, John
II. Grput. the American consul, Lieu.
tenant Pennoyer. who becomes senior
officer Of the American detachment,
and Naval Physician Taylor assumed
control of the situation for the Amer
ican government. They are cooper
ating in the work Of recovering and
identifying the bodies and are prepar-
ing an Official list of the missing.