The Washington herald., 1921-08-26

raise the ZR-2 from the bed OF the
Humber River. where she lies q
shapeiess mass Of chaTred wood and
fused metal. have been unsuccessful.
The search for bodies Of the hap
less victims has been almost as fn-
tile. One body, burned almost be-
yond recognition, but believed TO be
that of Louis II. Maxfield, American
commander, was taken from the
water in addition TO the twelve pre-
viously recovered.
Little progress vas made. be-
ca, Sc Of the swift currents At low
tide, in tracing out the actual con-
dition of the wrecked structure and
its gondolas, and the salvagers were
forced TO end their work tempor-
arily when darkness came torjght.
To Use Big Crane.
One party Of workers succeeded
in cutting open a part Of the en-
velope OF the big dirig!ble and
found a petrol tank still unex-
pioded. They ascertained as we'll
that the keel had been broken In
two and made one or two other dis
coveries of minor Importance.
Harry Bateman's camera was
found intact. but the ships log han
not yet been recovered. The find
ing of two logarithm books early
In the afternoon led to the report
that the log had been brought T.
the surface.
A 100-ton crane will be brought
into play tomorrow In an attempt
to raise the ship from the river mud.
into which II Is fast sinking. At
low tide the wreckage is but three
feet out of the wzter.
tragedy win convene at Howden on
Saturday. Sir John Salmon. air vice
marshal. presiding. The American
naval attache has accepted an invI-
tation to appoint an American rep
rt sentative To the court In add
ton = Salmon, the msnabers' OF the
court will include Commodore Scar
lett Capts Longmore and Burdett,
Wing Comdr Cave Brown-Cave, and
Squadron Leaders Harries and Col
more, all of the Royal Air Forces.
,. wives 1t Seene.
Pathetic scenes were witnessed
during the dredging operations at
which two Of the wives Of victims
wero present-one bearing a three
weeks old baby in her arms Hys-
terically she asked to be taken out
in n boat In order to watch the
salvagin work more closely.
The foreshore Of the Humber
River is strewn with wreckage. in
cluding scorched portions OF the
airship's envelope and some OF the
clothing of the crew. The ship
mascot, a doll. was washed ashore
In a message of sympathy from
Queen Mother Alexandra to the sec
retary of air. Her Majesty said:
'.I am shocked beyond measure al
the terrible disaster. Words cannot
express my grief that so many gai
amt officers ard men of the British
and American air services perisheo
in the performance OF their duty
II is a day of mourning for us all
at home and across the Atlantic.
trust you will coIvey to the reia-
tiyes of those who lost their lives
my very true sympathy At theii
bereavement"
Flag. at Half STAFF.
Flags in London and at Hull-iu
fact, in all the cities Of England
were at half stan throughout the
day.
Multiplying evidence from the sur
vivors Of the greatest disaster in the
history of air navigation and from
expert observers who watched the
explosion and descent in fragments
of the ZR-2, tends to confirm the be.
lief that the metal construction oil
the big ship gave way because Of the
tremendous strain to which II was
subjected during the airship's speed
tests, and that this was the direc'
cause Of the tragedy.
Flight Lieut.. A H. wann. who
commanded the ZR-2. has, declared
from his bed in the hospital at Hull
that the fatal explosion was pre-
ceded by the buckliug of aluminium
alloy eirders at the center Of tbs
ship. HIS testimony 10 borne out
by many observers on ,land. who de.
clare that the great ship seemed to
break at the center like a jack
knife, just before the tremendous
detonation that completed the dis
aster.
Going at Top Speed.
The ZR-2 had been sailing at tor
speed-sixty kno,s-which was the
highest speed attained since heI
construction and which. subtectef
the entire frame to the greatest
strain of the ships short career.
A public funeral, with all the
honor a country can pay to heroes
will be given the victims Of the
catastrophe. The bodies. Of tho
American officers and men will be
taken to America, probably BY tbs
battleship Utah. which has been re-
quested to 60 to Hull to take the. :
on board. Many Of the budies, how.
ever. may never be recovered. fol
at least one of the gondolas was
so compltely demolished by the
force Of the explosion that abso,
lutely no trace Of It or It's occupants
has been found. '-
Many Messages Received.
1t is believed thai many of the
rev were asleep when: the accident
occurred. since the ship had been ID
the air thirty, hours. s.SA e
Messages of coincidence to the ali
services of both Britain and Amer.
lea poured in from AL sides today
King George, in his message of sym.
pathy. addressed ; to MAI Gen
Trenchard. air marshal ,deplored tns
accident and tendered his condolencs
TO the relatives OF the victims. Ths
American Navy Departments mes,
50 ges to England was sanswered By
the British Air Ministry. which
spoke ,fselirsly Of theS loss OF %
many, American lives
u . a & f. H4 =