Evening star., 1935-02-14
MACON'S MASTER
DESCRIBES CRASH
Commander Wiley Tells How
WheeIman Lost Control
as Gas Cells Went Out.
BY the Associated Press.

as Gas CellS went Uut.
BY the Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calf, February.
14.-Here is Lieut.. Comdr. H. ".
Wileys story of the dirigible Macon's
sinking:
About TIC am. Monday the
Macon left Sunnyvale for exercises in
conjunction with the fleet in ac-
cordance with approved schedule.
Scouting for the fleet was conducted
Monday and continued Tuesday.
"The exercises were completed IN
50 far as the Macon was concerned
at pm, Tuesday, and the Macon
proceeded toward its base (Sunny-
vale).
About 20 miles off Point Buchon,
the course was set to pass near Point
Pinos, near Monterey, as it was desired
to enter the Santa Clara Valley at
WatSonville If visibility permitted. In
order to arrive at base before visibility
became bad, all engines were run at
standard speed, So knots.
Dodge Below Storms.
Altitude was decreased from 2,700
feet to 1900 feet to pass under a rain
squall and decreased again to 1850
feet to pass under another. Visibility
was somewhat better near Point Sur.
and two divisions of heavy cruisers
were observed in that locality.
1.-TWO or three minutes after passing
Point Sur, about three miles distant,
q short jar was felt and upon inquiry
of the elevator man, was informed
that the wheel had slipped out of his
hands.
THE ship began to take bow-up
inclination and rose. Apparently the
elevator man did not have control.
Immediately I received a report by
telephone from aft that No. cell was
gone.
Ballast Dropped.
All ballast and emergency fuel dump
tanks in the after part of the ship
were dropped, and gas was Waived from
the forward gas cells in an effort to
regain the trim.
THE inclination of the ship reached
Is degrees and she assembled rapidly
The engines were slowed Immediately
the ship took the angle in order to
keep from ascending too high and to
relieve the strain on the structure:
caused by the operation of the rudder,
and elevators at the high air speeds:
II surmised that the structure was
lay,oonol No HpI INF
locality of the fins and endeavoree
to relieve the strain on that part o.
the ships structure.
Reports were soon received that
the ships outer covering was gone over
No. / and No. gas sells and although
occasionally the inclination was re-
duced considerably, it could not be
kept to a small angle.
Ship Begins to Drop.
Meanwhile the ship began to de-
scend from 4,600 feet and even down
to 5000 feet. I expected to get the
ship under control with the engines
and the one rudder that was reported
functioning.
From about 5000 feet down, the
ship descended at an average rate of
800 feet per minute and in spite of
dropping all ballast and endeavoring to
drop airplanes from the airplane
hangar, the descent continued.
THE angle of inclination, which had
gotten as low as 10 degrees again in
creased as the stern hung down toward
the water. At 1000 feet the order was
given to stand by to abandon ship,
although the emergency signal to the
crew had been given Immediately after
the casualty.
"At 1000 feet I gave the order to
stand by to abandon ship, and at 800
gave the signal to back the engines
so that the Macon would lose way and
not hit the water with a forward
speed"
Capt. Wiley added that there was
"very little forward speed" when the
Macon struck and that "she hit the
water easier than I had expected"
SOS Ordered.
About three minutes after the
casualty, had told the radio man to
send out an S o S.
THE stern hit the water with a jar
and told every one to get out of the
control car and jump before the con-
troll car submerged
Every one was out before I
climbed out a window and poised to
jump. AS soon as we were in the
water, the rubber life boats which
the crew had prepared were floating
around and we swan to them.
After getting into a boat and as
sembling five boats, We picked up a
number of men out of the water and
endeavored to stay close to the air.
ship as several men were observed still
on board on top and in the nose.
THE ship sank slowly stern first,
crumbling from the action of the
swell. We had number of flares
and number had been dropped over
board from the control car.
Rockets Attract Vessels.
"Ihe people in the bow fired several
signal rockets which attracted the
cruisers which were in the vicinity.
We were picked up with dispatch
and great credit is due to the COM
mand Of the cruisers and their per-
sonnel for their expeditions and eff
1icient work"
Comdr. Wiley, looking trim and
fresh in borrowed blue trousers and tan
sweater, despite his gruelling expert
ence OF the night before, graphically
told amplified details of the last five
minutes Of the big airship in response
to questions yesterday.