Imperial Valley press., 1932-05-11
T WO Die
IN AKRON
TRAGEDY
Sailors Dashed To Death
As Wind Whips Dirig-
ible Aloft At Kearney.
CREW SAVES THIRD
Attempts To Moor Airship
To Mast Result Fatally
For Enlisted Men.

SAN DIEGO, May IL. W.P)-Two
sailors were dashed to their deaths
and a third was carried aloft on
the end of a dangling cable here
today as efforts we're made to land
the giant navy dirigible Akron at
Camp Kearney, ID miles north of
here.
The dead youths were Milton
Henton of Fresno Calf, and BODY
Edsel South Bend, Ind.
A third sailor, Charles Bud
CoWart. Sand Springs, Okla, was
rescued two hours after the tragic
deaths of his comrades when he was
hauled aboard the Akron through
a hatchway.
Comart was hauled through a
hatch at the nose of the Akron.
Navy men on the ground said
that the Akron had no apparatus
! for pulling in her landing gables
and it was assumed that Lieut..
Comdr. c. E. Rosendahl ordered all
hands to pull in the rope hand
over hand
J Shortly after Comart was hauled
through the hatchway radiogram
was received at Naval headquarters
, from Lieut.. Comdr c. E. Rosen-
dahl. 1t testified to the great cour-
age of the rescued sailor.
/ His condition is excellent" the
commander said. "He does not
even show signs of shock.
Comart's life undoubtedly was
| hi
ence of mind in danger.
The Navy Immediately ordered
cessation of all landing efforts and
concentrated on saving Comart.
1t was estimated that approx
mately 10 900 persons were gathered
around Camp Kearney when the
Akron first appeared After the
landing trouble and the final dra-
matte break from the moorings, the
crowd swelled to about 10000
United States marines were assigned
to police duty
Edsel and Henton were hanging
to the mooring rope and were
plunged to their deaths when the
| strand broke at about 200 feet alti-
tude. Had it not been for this
witnesses said, the two sailors might
| have been able to secure themselves
as did Cowart.
SAN DIEGO, May IL. tU.PN =
While thousands of spectators
| looked on in terror, helpless to aid,
two sailors were dashed to their
deaths and a third was carried
aloft as the giant navy dirigible
Akron broke from its moorings
during landing operations at Camp
Kearney, IA miles north of here.
The sailor victims, Bob Edsel
and Michael Henton, seamen,
dropped from the cable Of the
Akron from an altitude of 200
| feet and were instantly killed.
The third sailor, Charles Cowart,
was jerked aloft by the huge ship
and soon was hanging from the
cable at an altitude Of 1000 feet.
He saved himself from similar
| death by looping "bosun's chair
in the dangling cable, and was
seated in it while efforts were
again made to bring the huge
dirigible to its stub mooring mast.
Three times previously sailors
from the local naval district had
seized the landing cables and at
! tempted to walk the ship to the
mast, and three times ground winds
forced them to relinquish their
holds.
On the fourth attempt, the
dirigible was suddenly swept up
ward, and as the hundreds Of sail
ors dropped the ropes. the watch
ing thousands were Mortified to see
three sailors were still tightly
grasping the ropes as it swept
aloft.
The heavy cables snapped like
whip and Edsel and Hinton were
flung to the ground. Cowart had
managed to wind his legs around
the cable and he swung in the air
ike a fly on the end of a kite
! tail.
The navy headquarters imme-
diately ordered all landing efforts
suspended and concentrated on
an effort to save Cowart's life.
The San Diego fire department
was summoned and came TO Camp
! Kearney with landing nets and
prepared to catch Cowart should
ne leap or fall from the cable.
The Navy announced that the
heat of the sun apparently was re-
sponsible for the difficulty in land
/ ing the Akron and for the deaths
! of the two sailors.
1t was explained that the heat
caused the helium gas 10 expand
repidly.
Orders we're issued TO cease land
/ ing operations until after sundown.
Naval headquarters here said
Hintons full name was Michael
Henton, and that he was registered
from Fresno Calf.
1t was reported that officers OF
the Akron were considering flight
to sea TO save Cowart.
ThN plan II carried through
called for the Akron 10 fly low
over the Pacific cowart would
then drop into the water where
boats would be stationed 10 pick