The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-10-17
C.2 EXPL0DES7IN
HANGAR.BU[NON
FATALLY INJURED
Gas Bag Ripped Open 5Wheil
Being Towed 0utofHangar
to Resume Flight.
PASSENGERS ESCAPE
San Antonio Reporter Re.s
counts Story of Disaster
While Lying in Hospital.
PASSENGERS ESCAPE

SAN ANTONIO, Tex. oct.
(By the Associated Press ME
army dirlglble &C carrying i
score of passengers exploded and
was destroyed by fire today az
Brooks Field, near here. There
was no fatalities, but several Wefs
Injured.
The CO, preparing to resume.
the return journey OF q trans .con.
tinental flight, was being towel
out Of an hangar when the wind
caught her. and threw her agaihst
a big door, which ripped the gss
bag. An instant later she. was ii
flames,
With a score Of persons on
board, the CO was unleaslied and
raised slightly above the floor Of
the hangar. Crowds stood outside
and at the first sign Of danger
they scattered.
BY coincidence, the structure
from which the CO was being
Unanswered, was the thangar built
for the Roma, the former italian
dirtgible, which came to disaster
in the East. IN
.:AEterstha art n Ssiliitr aISou 1
Of the CO, Maj nj IN. Strauss
her commander. realized that she
could not be Strengthened out. He
had Just given the orde TO tilke
her back into the hangar when
she ripped and exploded
AT that time she was about half
clear Of the big doors. The wind
struck the bag a violent blast and
u small PARTON Of the fabric. 10
which was attached one OF the rope
guides, tore out. "a second rope
guido snapped under the added
strain and third rope guide pull
ed loose.
More than fifty men were hold
ing the dirigible car directing II
out OF the door. Some Of them
were lifted from their feet as the
gust Of wind swung the bag up
ward and to one side where it
struck on the concrete door
frames. ~ 4
Accident Unavoidable.
AT this iuncture, the gas ignit-
ed, an explosion followed and
within almost the twinkling OF an
eye, the ca was consumed by
flames.
Technical sergt. Harry Bills OF
Brooks Field was one ot the OUT
standing heroes Of the accident.
Ills leg was broken, but with DIS
regard for his own condition. he
sprang to the rescue OF the occn-
pants Of the car, clambering up
the concrete door frame In an ef-
fort to make certain that all the
crew had escaped. When the ex-
ploslon occurred he was knocked
down and fell into the wreckage
below. It is the consensus Of
opinion among the Officers con-
yersant with the details Of the
accident and also OF MAI Strauss
and his pilot, Lieutenant Aiider-
Son, that the ca was In no WAY
responsible as an aircraft Tor
what happened at the hangar
door. Apparently the accident.
they said, was one Of those un-
forseen and unavoidable hazards
Of the flying game, a sudden and
expected gust of wind which puts
more tension on the fabric than II
would be called upon normally to
endure under almost any kind OF
flying conditions.
The envelope was filled with
hydrogen gas. When the air
mingled with this gas, IL prob
ably ignited. However. there
were electric wires on the doors
which may have caused the spark,
Lieutenant Anderson said.
Passengers in the car and their
injuries:
Maj. H. A. Strauss, commander:
bruises, not serious.
Mai. John MacThompson, fhjur
les undetermined, but thought not
OF fatal character.
Capt. Jetfery Montague, practi-
cally unhurt.
Ben Bains, San Antonio flight
reporter, arm broken
Tenant "A. A. Anderson. body
bruises.
serg. 9. B. Albright broken leg
and bruises. b
s. Dean, WATSON. newspaper man.
arm fractured.
o. 3. Holden san Antonio, news
paperman, linin5ured.
z. D. Alexander, San Antonio.
newspapermaH, uninjlred.
Samuel Gardenas, san Antonio.
newspaperman dninjured.
Reporter Tells story.
SAN ANTONIO, Tex.. oot IL