Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-10-18
C-2 IS DESTROYED
BY FIRE; I HURT;
ALL WILL RECOVER
Giant Dirigible Caught by
Gust Of Wind Lcav-
ing Hangar.
BAG TORN ON DOORS;
EXPLOSION FOLLOWS
Accident Occurs at San An.
tonic on Return Trans
continental Flight.
AvIATORs LEAP To SAFETY
sh' In Perfect Condition-,iI.hnp
Duo to Pulling Ont of
Fabric.
BAG TORN ON DOORS:
EXPLOSION FOLLOWS
shS In Perfect Condition-,fI.hnp d
Duo to Pulling Ont of
Fabric.
tRy A.sociated prcss-l

ON ~ IpHlp. i MAS. OCT. IL
The giant dirigible C.2. tho United
states Army's biggest and bes,
"bl!mp.' was destroyed by IRE as IL
VAS being takcn from the hangar Il,
Broohs Field here TINS morning. in
js'inz seven OF tho cigh, men
The CO was partly clear Of the
dragged the huge bag aions the
ground. followed hy two other gusts
OF wind. causing three handling guys
/" pul! loose. permitting TN. bag to
swing tree aud against the doors
OF the hangar. I'll. bag was torn
and I'll. thrush @: air isn.,.a TN.
dlFieiol" An explosion .ollpa. and
almost immediately ~. 60 was
consumed and the alrcra., Was lct.
Il mass Of smoking. tangled wreck
age.
List OF Injured.
tn" injurcd are. Major + A
strauss. commander. Sergeant 4 y.
Ahrech' engineer. MAJOR John
Nh'I' Thompson. Ei%h,h rorps Are,
n''dGHhrt"rs. Captain Nelson walk
- aid TO jor-G"ncral John I.
Hines. Bon Ha!n"S. ucivsrancr re
Lieutenant -. \. Anderson, p!!o, o,
tic !I-'aicd cra:,, escaped unin.
jured.
The c. VAS on return trans.
continental hsEht from ROSS Field.
California. - Langley Field. Vir-
Finla Thnt n cross-wind WAS not
responsible for The destruction nv
Ore Of the dirls!bI" C-2. hut INA, the
''eid"nt was due primarily To the
pu!lirr out OF the fabric OF the en-
vriop" was the statcmcn; made by
Major strauss. commander o. the
shtp, this afternoon.
Tn" statement, made soon after
tn" appointment q! board ot in
Gu,rs hy Major Royce. commander
az brooks Field. to investigate the
''"iieut. vas regarded by air servic.
"''ofrs as SiGn!Hc.u, in that il IN.
- the construction Of tho fabric
,hiN vas not M 70 IN" stan
Tho ship. which Major strauss
v"s valued q, possibly so. oOn
ally cost tn" government S27O,-
ship Is swung Around
Tn" seven men who we're injured
In the accident ;orich, we're rc.
ported "a no no, s.riously iniur.d
Four of them suffered broken bones
in jumping from The carriage of The
balloon after IL had struck the end
Of IN" giant concrete hangar a,
I-"oks Field which VAS bun; or,pi.
nhiiy 10 house the Roma. which fell
ant burned at Hampton Roads Feb
rnary 2l, 1922.
The &C was preparing 10 make a
eight over the city OF San Antonio
primarily fo- the hcusf, Of four
new Spapcr reporters and eiEh, arm;
ofhcers OF headquarters Eighth Corps
irca. az Fort Sam Houston. II had
jus. been pulled out Of the hangar
about halfway when strong gust
~ wind. estimated by Major strauss
At not moro than fifteen miles vcloc.
ity. swung the ship around
"a strong puff came. dragging tho
has along the ground" said Major
strauss written statement REGARDING
the accident Il ordered the shin
back into the hangar. Just as we
started another gust came. and the
fabric, 20 which the windward han.
ding guy was attached. pulled loose.
Another handling guy broke under
tho sudden pressure, and the third
handling guy failed. releasing the
bag and permitting II to swing to lee
ward into the concrete structure at
the ,ase OF the hangar door. The
bag was torn"
As the bag became loose tho car
broke In two places Thirty seconds
after tho car broke the hydrogen in
tho envelope caught fire. due to the
hole and rapid influx Of air When
this occurred all personnel on board
was clear Of the ship. and injuries
suffered were caused BY dropping or
falling from the car
The explosion Of the diriEihle tore
q gaping hole In one of the doors OF
the hangar. and the marks of tho
flames far down tho mammoth han
gar attest to the force of tho cx-
plosion. That none OF the injured
was burned was due to the fact that
the flames. for the most part. shot
outward and upward, Major Strauss
said in discussing the accident.
Lieutenant Anderson said the C-2
was not in flight And the accident
was not II dying accident, but mere
Iy ground accident which was due
10 the sudden gusts of wind. han
gar frame which nccessitated ma
neuvcrinE the dirigihic to bring it
out and the parting of the fabric.
r'..cIy mechanical features which
4 no hearing on the worthincss Of
great craft I'm the air.
ship In Perfect Condition.
THE accident to the c. was in
n0wise comparable TO the accident To
the Roma" Lieutenant Anderson de-
.iared.
w. were being towed out OF tn.
hangar for the flight" Ben Baincs.
newspaper reporter said in dcscrib-
ing the accident. LAS the nose OF the
ship came outside Of the hangar
noticed Il swa? little with tho
wind. and as tho ship was brought
farther out IL carecnci t. one a!Ho.
Whom IL was u little moro than half.
way out thc wind caught IL with
full force and carried IL over to the
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