Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-10-17
FIRE DESTROYSC1
AFTER EXPLOSION;
) HURT; Is ESCAPE
Big Army Dirigibie Blows Up
While Leaving Hangar at
San Antonio.
SWUNG AGAINST DOOR,
FRICTION IGNlTES GAS
Huge Bag Splits as Flames Sweep
ItPassengers Jump
to Ground.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
SAN ANTONIO. october 1.-THE
Army dirigible CO. carrying score
of persons. exploded and was de-
stroyed by fire today at Brooks
Field, near here. All on board and
nearby escaped without fatality.
The c.. preparing to resume the
return journey of a transcontinentai
flight. was being towed out OF
hangar when the wind caught her
and threw her against a big door.
which ripped the gas bag. An in
slant later she was In flames.
the C-2 was unleashed and raised
slightly above the floor of the hangar;
Crowds stood around the door ana
outside and at the first sign OF
danger they scattered in all direc-
tions.
Injured Reporter Phones story.
Ben Baines. a reporter for the San
Antonio Light. who was a passeng-
er, though badly injured. telephoned
the first account of the accident to
reach this city. and was Immediately
taken to a hospital.
I'VE were being towed out" he said.
'.and as the nose of the ship came
outside of the hangar / noticed ~
sway a little with the wind, and as IT
proceeded 1t careened to one side.
When the ship was little more tnan
half way out the wind caught 1t with
full force and carried t.ov II over &c 70 the the
hangar. The wind let the big bag 60
and it dropped. the bottom of the car:
scraping the floor. Another puff of
wind caught us. and l decided 70
jump. 1 saw the big ship rent. and
have been another rent In the bag.
for the force of the escaping gas
threw me violently to the moor. Then
came the explosion 1 was knocked
bag was mass of flames. All Of the
others must have got away before the
explosion came.
Bag Split. Gas Isaites.
The dirigible caught fire on the
framework of the hangar as It was
being taken out. The bag split and
the gas ignited.
In the car Of the dirigible a. the
time were members of the crew ana
several passengers. They Escaped
death, but first reports said several
were burned seriously and one had an
arm broken.
The bag burned and the car dropped
to the ground. throwing the passen-
gers to the concrete floor. Police
ambulances and emergency cars
rushed to the scene a few moments
left the city Immediately for the
scene of the accident.
List Of Injured.
Those injured when the c. fell
here today and burned are:
Mai John MacD. Thompson. head
Quarters, Fort Sam Houston. wrist
broken.
sergt. Joseph L. Albrecht. leg
broken.
Sergt. Harry Biles. leg broken:
Zen Baines, newspaperman OF san
Antonio. arm broken and possible In
ternal injuries.
Mai. H. H. Strauss. commander OF
the craft. was slightly hurt. one OF
his legs being wrenched. He 10 aoIe
to be up and prepare a detaheo re-
port to commanding officers mere. d.
Wind Caught Nose.
Lying on a cot at the Jackson
Memorial Hospital. swathed in BAN
daKes with a broken arm and pos
abilities of internal injuries. Ben
Baines told of the accident to the
c..
True to his newspaper instincts.
Baines had telephoned his once
from Brooks Field Immediately art
er the accident, though he had been
thrown to the concrete floor and In
addition to broken bones. had been
shocked and stunned After notify
ing his paper he was taken to the
hospital by a woman who had driven
to the field to see the ascent.
hangar for the flight" he said. Maj.
H. A. Strauss. commander. was
standing in front and the rest Of US
were seated in the car.
People Beneath Running.
"As the nose Of the ship came out
side Of the hangar I noticed it sway
little with the wind. AS the ship was
brought farther out. 1t careened to
one side. Some Of US rose in our seats.
However, as the ship was q little
more than half way out. the wind
caught it with full force and car
ried it over to the west side OF the
ed back. People under US were rum
ming to get clear Of the ship.
"As the wind let the big bag go
II dropped to the bottom of the car.
scrapinR the Moor. Ihen q pun OF
wind caught US, and. seeing the car
swinRinR menacingly toward the
west door, decided to jump don't
know II any of the others jumped or
not. but I think they did.
Heard HissinE Of Gas.
II alighted on my feet. but the force
of the fall was too great and fell to
the floor. turned and saw the big
ship rent and heard the Kissing OF
gas. Others were jumping. and those
on the floor made q wild scramble for
safety.
I'm the midst Of this excitement
there must have been another rent
in the bag, for the force Of the es-
Gaping gas threw me violently to the
floor. I rose to run. but had taken no
more than three steps when was
again hurled to the floor. Then came
the explosion. I was knocked down
by some one running from the scene.
The big bag was q mass OF names.
we ran out in front of the hangar.
All Of the others must have got away
from the bag before the explosion
came, although many were hurt In
Jumping or being hurled to the moor.
"Pandemonium reigned among the
hundreds of spectators who were II
the field, but Army ofltcers and en-
listed men quickly rushed the more
seriously injured to the emergency
drosatnR station 5at~tho 4eld. II