Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1925-09-10
= II-1Fsa ~ y
THE SHENANDOAH
-aIlfRy sfIas Therla } :

as (By bffaS IH0f1a - 49, =
1t was on the morning of Sept. g.,
as~the gray dawn iwasg dissolving
into the. light Of day, that We were
on the alert knowing that the great
dirigible was due to be somewhere
between Cambridge and GAINESVILLE.
We thought that even if we couldn't
get Sight of this great monster we
might catch the sound ~G it's power-
full motors. A dark lowering cloud
apr cared In the northeast and a. lit-
tie later a STRONG breeze swept over
/ the adjacent hills, indicating the
presence of nearby storm. This
was to sbe the day, the big day of the
Caldwell fair, and also the Konk lave
+of the Kse,K. H. They were in close
proximity, and like some of the
armies of DID, were on !opposite
sides of valley with only stream
bof water. between them. q We We're at
this time wondering if the right
spirit the spirit of the Master, was
prevailing between 1.-The two forgani-
cations that We're apparently ar
rayed, one against thesx other each
for the crowd. - - 4
Was it accidental, or, purposely
planned, this confiction? To us it
seemed that such a condition ought
not to exist in = a. land. q OF. .boasted
Christianity, and, we We're wonder
ing IT, something proYidentiaf might
mot intervene like the 'oncoming
storm asothe clouds indicated. which
would dampen the ardor of all CON-
cernedss and .suoitsthes day fer both, ).
But not so, the sky began to clear
itself of the--angry looking clouds
and, - -tingle, tingle, tingle, went
the telephone, and, Oh! what news,
what terrible neWsawas flashing over
the wires. "The Shenandoah had
fallen near Ava and d several were
KILLED"
we couldn't believe it, but it was
convincing news. We lost sight Of
Ethe fair, and everything selse,. and
made haste TO visit the scene. You
know thel story, reven familiar with
the details That =. great sdirigible,
pride of the air, known two years
iago as ZR-1, and. later chrfstened
the Shenandoah, built at an i'm
mense cost. had lost its battle with
the elements, IA mass of wfeckage,
with its awful toll vof life. ~1n4a
Soon a crowd sof speople We're
gathering; pfllaging and plundering,
carrying away everything they could
get hands on, even to stripping of
the engines of valuable parts. Judge
G, o. Dye came and was endeavoring
to restrain the people from their
lawlessness, and there began to be
a.isembiance that order would soon
be restored, as they were roping off
the ground and volunteer guards
were taking charge Years ago,
Mark Twain, in one of his works,
said In a facetious way, that the
Americans were the worst vandals
in the9world, and and he may have been
right,rt ...,ea ,teca,aafe :, go
From this place we went to see
that portion Of the craft which, broke
away and drifted n like,l a. 4 balloon,
nine or ten miles away to the vicin-,
ity OF Sharon. Tt was late in the
afternoon when we arrived - and it,
was liker an immense beehive, with
people eiswarming othrough it, and as.
there was yeta no ord esta bHshed.
people were tearing up and hauling
away everything that they could getl
loos6ah 1thwas government property, +
and just why the county and state
officials did mot take Immediate
charge until relieved blythe Federal
government, was something we ioould.
not Understand. .
1 From here we next visited the
improvised nlofguei where the dead
were being cared afor at Belle Valley /
Several undertakes were at work, 1
and the Scene beggars description.
The fair and the k0nklanea mayil
have both been great success, we
know not but we. do knew, that
The tragedy of the iIl7fated Shenan-
dcah q selipssd them anl,n Az i,I III
.Stf fffffl &