The Washington times., 1922-10-17
5 INJURED
AS bL|MP.
C:2 BURNS
Big Army DirigibIs Completely
Wrecked by Fire While Pre-
pairing for Flight.
By international New. Service.

By international News Service.
SAN ANTONIO, Tex. Oct. II.
One man was seriously injured
and four others suffered minor
injuries this morning when fire
of unknown origin completely
destroyed the giant army dirigible
C-2 q few minutes before a
scheduled exhibition flight over
San Antonio. .....
Sergt. s. A. Albright, member
Of the. crew of the CT was
seriously injured when he jumped
from the rigging Of .thc ship to
avoid the flames which enveloped
it.
Those who sustained minor in
juries chiefly. from burns were:
Capt. N. M. Walker, aide to Gen.
Hines, commander Of the Eighth
Corps area; s. Dean Wasson,
newspaper man; Major Strauss,
Commander of the C-2, and Manuel
Cardonas, newspaper man.
Plane Crashes Nearby.
Fifteen minutes after the report
that the CO had been completely
destroyed, an Ambulance was called
TO another part OF San Antonio,
when an airplane fell several hun.
dred feet and crashed in q field.
The plane Is believed to be from
Kelly field. also near here. Mean.
-.
vicinity had been rushed 10 Brooks
field. E,
The dirgible from California to It's
home hangar at Langley Field. Va.
was surrounded by army officers and
newspaper men preparatory to a.
exhibition flight over San Antonio
when the blaze flashed over il. and
completely enveloped the huge ship.
Narrow escapes from death were
numerous a. crowd OF more than
900 persons were near the bag when
the flames enveloped il. As the
tongues Of flames licked around the
huge bag. near panic almost re-.
suited among those crowdinR the
field from which the airship was
preparing to rise The excitement.
however. was soon quieted when il
was found that no one had been kill. !
cd.
Now . Mass OF Wreckage.
Maj. II. A. Strauss. commander OF |
the dirgible, and Lieut.. o, A. Ander.
son, OF the crew, were the only ones
except newspaper men actually in
the car Of the ship when the fire
started. All the others were on the
ground near IT,
The big machine quickly burned.
and Is mass OF wreckage.
An investigation to determine the
case Of the fire will be started inn.
nlediately. 1t was announced imme.
diately after the fire
Five newspaper men, whose lives
were endangered when the shin
caught fire. were in the car under. !
neath the big bag containing 10000
cubic feet OF hydrogen. I
Army to Make Probe.
nv International News s.r,,c.
News OF the destruction Of tho
army dirigible CO at San Antonio
was received with great disa ppoint. !
ment today in army air circles. |
where there has been iubilation for
the last fortnight over the big sbin's
successful negotiation Of a trans.
continental flight.
An investigation of the fire which
destroyed the ship will be ordered
either by the department com.
mander at San Antonio or by the
chief Of air service.
The CO was one OF the newest
Of the army dirigibles. She was
laid down by the Goodyear Com.
pany about two years ago at a
cost OF some $4,000. She was 1872
feet long, 64 feet wide. and had s
height OF 81 feet. Her gas ca.
pacity was 10000 cubic feet,
The CO carried a crew OF six
men and was equipped with two
160.horsepower Wright engines. She
began her trans-continentaI flight
from Langley Field. Va. on Sep.
temoer ~ completed II on Septem.
ber % at Arcadia, Cal, and besIn
her return journey on October 10.