Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1925-09-10
SOME NOTES ON THE WRECK
OF THE GIANT DIRiGIBLE

was ludJ OIL ltSL InuISd lhOi AiHS
the tragedy of the giant Shenandoah
This piece of news broke In south
eastern Ohio-just few miles from
this place, and this paper was per-
haps the first to give the news to
the public. Since the tragedy the
city papers have been filed with de-
tails of the wreck, and for weeks to
come papers and magazines will give
it much prominence. Since it has
been so widely published, we will
not attempt to go into detail regard
ing the great dirigible. To do so
would many times more than fill
this paper.
The writer along with hundreds
of others from the county visited
the scenes of the wreck, saw the
giant air craft in pieces, heard the
stories of eye witnesses, and it all
seems almost too much to be COM
pretended
Going to the place Thursday near
Sharon where perhaps a third of the
airship fell, when within several
miles of the spot, we beheld off on a
hill what at the distance resembled
a huge silvery fish glistening in the
bright sunlight Then it was that
we first began to have some concep-
tion of the magnitude of the Shen-
andoah-an Indian name meaning
Daughter of the Stars" Going up
to it we saw part of the once pride
of the air." lying on the hillside with
its broken framework. In and about
it were hundreds of souvenir hunt
ers, swarming like bees. Three days
later we revisited the spot-the
beautiful silvery covering was we'll
nigh stripped, and the framework
remaining reminded US of the bones
of some monster that had been
crushed to earth, and from which
vultures of the air had devoured
the flesh leaving nothing but the
bones.
Leaving the place we pressed on
to Ava. From the little town to the
right leads a narrow dirt one way
road up a valley and around hill.
This road, was perhaps about three
miles to the place where the main
section of the dirigible lay. The road
was a solid stream of automobiles,
which could move but few feet at
a time The dust was so thick, and
the weather so hot, that it was al
most unbearable. To the right some
cars had gotten from the road and
had rolled over the bank. After
going for about mile, we con-
cluded the quickest and best way
would be to park our machine in a
field as thousands were doing, and
walk up the valley, which we did.
following along a small stream of
water. On and on we went along
the bank, up the bed of the stream,
through the edge of ccTnfields, over
fences, up to the foot of long
steep hill that had been covered
with heavy sod, but which by the
constant tread of thousands of feet
had worn down into the dust. From
the top of the high hill could be seen
the roads leading in many direc-
tions. There were hundreds of NOV
ing cars in every direction. and
thousands of people. 1t is estimated
that there were 1900 automobiles
there Sunday. We saw them from
many states in the union.
From the top of the hill, moving
on and starting down over the slope
on other side, we heheld the main
section of the giant air craft, silent
ly lying there in the valley. About a
year before we had seen it in one of
its flights in all it's powerful glory,
as it swept through the air, above
the biggest city in the world, but
now it was reposing helpless on the
bosom of Mother Earth, like con-
quered hero who had fought and
lost, never to rise again.
A more appropriate or picturesque
which to die. On either side the
ground rose up to high hills; down
in the valley was the bed of a
stream. The upper part of the va
ley in the direction OF the head o.
the craft was practically closed with
hills covered with trees; in the 9TH
er direction, the valley stretched out
wide and open, leading down to a
road. Between the longitudinal
Wales, and up from the stream was a
gently sloping open field, and here
reposed the main section of the
giant Shenandoah, still clothed with
its beautiful silver covering, like o
shroud for the dead. Within a few
feet lay partly buried in the ground
an engine, and cab with dts pro-
peller.
From this valley beyond was an
ether hill perhaps half mile away.
1t too was worn bare by thousands
Of tramping feet. Following the
way we passed a wooded thicket,
with some larger trees. Through
The woods was a path which the
giant in its flight had made-tops of
he larger trees were broken out,
md the path of the dirigible as it
sank to it's resting place in the val
ey, could be plainly followed. On
1p the hill we wended our way, and
/ little way out the ridge we ap-
preached the spot on high part
lust such a vantage place as COM
nander woulo want to be. Here lay
I shapeless mass of junk which COW
.red the once powerful Packard en-
zines of the giant aircraft. Here
90 was the place where the captain
Ind some other officers of the
Daughter of the Stars" had fallen,