Evening star., 1933-04-07
WILEY GIVES STORY
OF AKRON CRASH.
official Version Prepared
in Report by Surviving
! Officer.

.CldChIue up OCioAC Az ota uSh tiiC "oeC
soff Barnegat Light early Tuesday, wa.
submitted to Secretary Swanson yester
sday by Lieut.. Comdr. Herbert v. Wiley
executive officer of the airship and on,
of its three survivors.
THE Navy made public his report
which embraced statements by the two
enlisted men survivors.
!. Meanwhile, Wiley in late afternoon
appeared before the House Naval Com
mittee, which is to investigate the dis
Aster. 57~
In secret session, the committee
headed by Representative Delaney. Dem
ocrat, of New York-heard both Wiley
and Cosndr. Garland Fulton of the Navy
Procedure Outlined.
The purpose was said to be simply tc
outline procedure In the study that Is
to begin early next week.
In his statement to Secretary Swan
son, Wiley told of a sharp and severe
gust of wind which struck the ship, one
more severe than he had ever expert
ericed.
immediately afterward he noted the
lower rudder control rope had carried
away and the ship was falling.
r. E. Deal, in collaborating report,
said as he lay in his bunk. he had seen
two port side girders above corridor
through the ship, bend and buckle.
Control lines as he ran forward ap-
peared slack. but not broken.
just Before the ship began It's last
fight with the severe storm, 1t had
$500 pounds of added weight, Wiley
said, saying the amount was not at all
Unusual and was caused largely by rain
water accumulated on the ship.
ut is difficult to SynchroniZe accu-
rHtely these. observations in the keel by
Deal Wiley said, with my own OBJ
servationS in the control car, but appar-
emily the damage to the girders oc-
CURED after the very severe gust struck
the ship and after the ship had begun
its last descent. practically out of con-
troll and which terminated by the ship
striking, the water, with consequent ma
5nry structural damage
., The full text of Wiley's report fol-
lows. All time is given in Navy figures,
. duauie zete indicating midnight:
81 The j. s. S. Ak1'cn was destroyed
when she crashed on the sea about 20
miles southeast of. Barnegat Inie. Light
at about eo30, 4 April, 1888. So far as
known the only survivors are Lieut..
Deal, boatswain's mate, second class,
u. S. N, and NJ Erwin. metalsmith,
second class, U. S. N. Except for slight
bruises, the above named are ready for
duty
Describes Flight.
''2 The U. S. s. Akron departed
fpm Iakehurst at about 1880 April,
1893, on a1regtlayly a scheduled flight,
one Of the missions Of which was to cal
ibrate radio direction finding stations
in the 1st NAVAL District. At the time
6f departure the ship was in good con-
edition, properly loaded and had on
board about $4,000 pounds OF fuel and
10000 pounds of ballast. The ship was
commanded by, Comdr. F. c. McCord,
~. S. NJ andI was the executive officer.
"All officers attached to the ship were
ION poard except the pilots OF the air
plane. squadron. At the time of de-
sdng about 500 fset fapd the wind about
81 miles per hour from the northeast.
After unmooring, the ship rose through
the fogs the Ttpp, of which was about
1900 feet, and after circiing the Naval
Air Station, which could be identified
by the glow Of lights through the fog,
took departure on course west for Phil
adelphia, the captain coming.
"Since the fog extended over the sea,
1t was decided to cruise inland, where
the ground could be seen, until such
time as departure could be taken to ar
rive at Newport, r. l., the next morning
about 9700, About 20 miles to the
westward of Lakehurst the ground be-
came visible and visibility was fairly
good in the vicinity of Philadelphia at
about 20l0. The captain directed the
officer OF the deck TO follow the Della,
after passing Philadelphia ! left the
control car. and went to the gun room,
in the after part Of the car, which Is
the officers smoking room.
All Engines Running.
at the time I left the control car
SIX of the eight engines were in use. I
had been in the smoking room about
Is or 20 minutes when / felt that the
engines had been speeded up and re-
turned to the control car and found
that all engines were running standard
speed and that the course had been
changed to east. Lightning was visible
to the south and the navigator told me
that the course would bring us to the
coast line. at Atlantic City. The cap
tain and, I watched the lightning and
the captain changed course once or
twice to northeast and back to east.
THE altitude, which had been 1000
feet. above sea level, was changed to
1900 feet. The ground soon became
ohseured by fog, but we thought we
knew qdite accurately our track over
the ground and occasionally lights, in
dicating town. were seen through the
fog, enabling us to check our position.
The ship was in good flying condition
at 1this time, having slight negative
buoyancy, which was very satisfactory.
The lightning to the south became
quite extensive and finally was visible
also to the westward. About 1900, in
the vicinity Of the coast somewhere near
Asbury Park, N. j., the fog had risen
to our flying altitude and We flew along
the top Of 1t, occasionally being sub
merged in it and at other times being
100 feet above it.
THE lightning had become quite gen.
eral and a few minutes after we left
the coast line, flashes OF lightning were
{ all around us and over us. Thunder was
sheard quickly after a flash and we knew
sEe were entirely surrounded by thunder
I storms. The radio antenna had been
hauled in, and no more weather in
5 formation could be obtained. nor could
sifaessages be sent on, account Of the
static. So far as I know the ship was
snot struck by lightning The east
scourse from the shore line continued
Tor about one hour and the captain
Sfhen reversed the course. / know that
lEsthe navigator had been assuming a
*southeast wind to keep his reckoning.
but we returned to the coast line, which
Swas seen through the fog, much sooner
sthan he expected and he told me he
-wonld assume a northeast wind there
.gRfJer.
Captain Changed Course.
when the coast line was sighted the
S,captain changed the course to l20 de-
gree true. This was at midnight. Fol
the next few minutes the ship wa!
- L. y - IL