New-York tribune., 1922-02-22
ZR-2 Disaster
Claimed Toll
OF A Lives
Texan Was Only One of l8
Americans Aboard Giant
BRITISH h Dirigiblc Who
Survived Blast on Craft
Defects i'm Hull Blamed
Destruction of Vessel Oc-
Cured on Eve of Turning
1t Over to L. s. Navy

The most serious disaster in air navi-
CATION, preceding destruction Of the
Roma, was that which caused the loss
of forty-four American and British
lives when the British built dirig bic
ZR2 was destroyed the evening Of Au-
gust 81, 1921, exploding over the City
II Hull and collapsing a few minutes
sster in the River Humber Chief Petty
lficer Norman O. Wolker, of Com
merce. Tex. was the only American on
poard who survived
The ZR-2 was on the last lap Of a
~hirty-hour test fight, following which
she was to have been turned over to
the American Navy, the United States
government having purchased the
craft. Only six members OF the crew
of fifty British and Americans were
saved. Al! but one OF the rescued were
British. Seventeen American officers
and men lost their lives and twenty
seven British died.
TIE ZR-2 was to have been turned over
after this final test TO Commander
Louis H. Maxfeld, who was to have
pIoted her with an American crew to
its S1,000,000 hangar at Lakehurst, n.
j., which had been completed hurriedly
IN anticipation of the airship's early
arrival.
Due to Structural Defects
The explosion took place while the
ZR-2 was making her first full speed
test. 1t was decided later, after an
Official inquiry, to have been due 10 Sc
rious structural defects which caused
the hull to buckle under strain of high
speed.
Prior to her final Eight. the ZR2
had made several short journeys On
eacn Of these defects were discovered
when the engines we're advanced to full
speed. On her first trip the ship was
forced to descend before scheduled
time because control wires became
loosened as result Of vibration On
the second trip it was found that the
newly y-lnstallcd balanced rudders had
been made too large. The third fight
disclosed for the first time that the
ships hull was structurally defective.
On this trip the airship had attained
speed of fifty miles an hour, or ten
miles less than the contract specified.
Only five engines were running at the
time that this weakness developed.
The ZR-2 was then returned to her
hangar in Howden and extensive
changes were made in the huh with
view to Strengthening it longitudinally
Impatience at delays in the sailing Of
the ship. both in England and the
United States. were met by General f.
N. Maitland. of the British Air Minis
try, who crossed the Atlantic twice as
official observer on the British dirigi-
Bile R34, with declaration that he
would not be influenced by public
clanor in the United States or in Eng
land in fixing date for the ships de
parture, until he was convinced Of her
stability and fitness.
Weakness Found in Hull
1t was demonstrated on subsequent
inquiry into causes of the disaster
that the dualumln hull of the ZR-2
was not sufficiently strong for the size
of the ship.
Five of the six men who escaped
from the ZR2 wreckage were Flight
Lieutenant A. w. Wann, commander;
+. W. Davies, British seaman; w. B.
Potter, British seaman: II. Bateman, of
the National Physics Laboratory, Lon
don, and Norman Walker, the American
petty officer.
The airship, it was subsequently an
nounced, had never been officially des.
ignated ZR2, but was in fact still reg
istered as the r 3S when destroyed.