Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-24
BY DON GLAssMAN.


BY DON GLASSMAN.
- OvERNMENT aircraft used oil
available space at the proving
Y grounds near Akron, Ohio.
~ Hence a well known rubber
company was forced to seek
another port to assemble blimp, the
Wingfoot Express, for q good will mis-
sion over the Middle West. The blimp
was 1853 feet long and had two S0-horse-
power engines.
They found the nearest lighter-than-
air port in Chicago at the White City
Amusement Park. Riggers followed the
parts to Chicago and by July, 1918. they
had completed inspections and an
nounced everything shipshape.
About noon on July II the crew
primed the engines and adjusted the
controls. Pilot John A. Boettner took
l1is seat In the prov Of the 10-passenger
rondola. followed by 2 inechAfliciaris,
Carl Buck" weaver and Henry WAcker.
Two trims of an hour each were made
over the city Then at $3.50 o special
set of passengers came forward--Eari
Davenport, publicity man for the White
City Amusement Park, and Milton g.
Norton, photographer for the Chicago
Herald and Examiner.
"What Are These For?"
Boettner pointed to the parachutes
and demonstrated how rope tied to
a ''D" buckle at the belt would bring
forth the sail when the wearer stretched
the cable.
"All You have to DO 10 70 Jump" he
explained. 1.-THE parachute takes care
Of ITSELF"
Passengers and crew found the heavy
A.. a. hut q A.
thing to Jest about.
HAS any one heard Of An airship
falling7"
what are these contraptions for2"
"Oh, nothing Just ornaments We
carry ON blimps."
So with 3 sense Of mirthfuI futility
they buckied on the canvas belts and
laughed at the silliness Of being tied
down by rope.
Directly behind Boettner sat Daven-
port and Norton. The neclafiicians.
Wacker and weaver, sat abaft near the
engines.
Over the Loop.
"Nose right" commanded the helms
man. The Wingfoot Express swung
stArboard.
sIet your tail swinsl"
srhs stern dfifted free.
"All hands OH weigh It,"
Boettner waited on weaver, VINO
manned the engines. Weaver eignaled.
The helfmsf1An sounded Blast from his
siren and the volunteer crew loosed
ropes and sondola. The twin engines
The wingfoot Express rose suddenly,
The pr0pellers gnaWed at THE air and
threw back 4 still air wash.
The passengers sank into TIE leather
f.fsvATsA xSieIkST rHotTa tsstF,rAfkAa fhA
skillfu1 takeoff, and the control one man
exercised over 10000 cubic feet Of hy-
drOgen. The least movement of her
r,idder would shift her nose to startoard
or port. The blifnp was docile, even
Having gained altitude, Boettnef
headed north, parallel TO Michigan
Boulevard. To the left, they faced that
massive rampant Of buildings fronting
Loop.
1.-THE Only Chance You Have!"
About this time, thousands of work.
ers issued into the streets, homebound.
And almost all paused to see what made
the dfone overhead. The Wingfoot Ex-
press was silhouetted against q milky
sky, and the eondola, shaped like skiff,
seemed 70 have no suspension. Many
people watched her performance from
windows.
Norton was anxious TO pf,otoerapf
aerial views for the Herald and ExAnli-
fler, and Boettfier obliged him by err
cling the Loop. They crossed Madison
street, State street, and Van Buren
street.
Forty-five minutes after the takeoff
they new over the intersection Of Jack
son Boulevard and La sale street. The
blimp was 500 feet high. Then. as the
city's eyes were focused on the gaseous
sausage, its rubber body cracked amid
ships az sheet Of fame sLrRed over the
stern. No word came from the Ave
men. As If blown by d bellows. the
blaze roaTed, huggine the bag. The mo-
tors bayed 2 steady rhythm; the bag
ceased to advance.
still gripping the wheel. Boettner was
the first to realize their straits. With
the ship buckiing and flames leaping,
the chance OF turning back and landing
was NIL.
The pilots voice doomed above the
motors. He waved frantically.
Jump That's the only chance you
Momentarily, the blimp poised itself.
while sheets of fame smothered the
motors and rushed forward to the g0n-
dola. Then the rubber envelope kindled
and q wave Of TERRIFYING heat singed the
airlnen.
Aft, wacker was bawline to Daven-
port and Norton who fumbled with their
parachute harness. Obvious TO danger,
Norton resurrected his plate holder and
camera.
Paraehutes on Fire.
Wacker jumped first, scrambling over
the port side. Boettner leaped from the
Pilots seat. Weaver and Norton left
from the beam.
Flames swept the bag.
Only Davenport remained with the
wreck, imprisoned In the gondoia by en-
tanglements in his harness.
The Wingfoot Express was a flaming
furnace as her doubled envelope began
a plummet dive. Four jumpers fioated
below her, dropping directly in line with
the ship. Davenport sank with the gon-
dola, as he was unable to release his
belt cable.
They swiveled like eddies in a whiri-
pool, careening, spinning and tackling
with the wind and descending faster
below. as people saw specks leave the
gondoia, dragging ribbons after their
bodies.
A torrent OF wind famed the biimp
and sucked IRE high above her body
Gaining momentum, she swept past the
parachutists whose parasois had just
sprouted.
Az If TO tfwart efforts to escape, fame
tongues danced from the bag and fred
the parachutes. The airsl1ip overlook
Viewers umbrella. A pun Of smoke
spurted from his white hemisphere, and
in q trice 1t was ravished by flames.
Gravity tore at the Keeling, sofnersaiilt-
ing body. IL plunged with startling
speed, the burnt stubs Of shroud lines