The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1950-09-14


killed and it was all 25 years ago,
but while this generation lasts
the name Shenandoah will start
tongues wagging all over Ohio.
1t had glamor. And awe. And
wonder-the touch of something
out of this world that comes,
sometimes, once in a lifetime.
The ship was so big and beauti-
full, the navy's and our own
proud, majestic challenge to the
| heavens
And everyone could get into
the act, and half of Ohio did. Day
after day, old and young, babies
and grandmothers, everyone who
could fly, ride or ho b b e
swarmed the brown hills east of
Ava.
81 was there! | saw it" And
no one will ever forget.
The Shenandoah, G 4 e m n 6
Daughter of the Stars" was
awesome and beautiful even in
death. Shattered and helpless,
yet bigger than all outdoors, its
great block-long bulk filled the
quiet valley and lowered above
| the trees.
Farmers roped off fields and
charged a dime. Pop-sellers and
looters had field day. Half the
homes in southeastern Ohio still
treasure a bit of the metal frame
or square of the cleaning enve-
lope.
That morning while dew was
still on the meadow, L talked
with hundreds of eager "eye-wit-
nesses," neighboring farmers who
. claimed to have seen the ship
break up. AS hours went on, the
accounts became more vivid and
detailed. Today there are doubt
less thousands who have con-
vinced themselves that they actu-
ally saw the wreck.
/ doubt if anyone really did.
There was only one survivor, Col
IC. G. Hall, who had complete
first-hand knowledge of what ac-
tually happened, and his breath
taking story never went into the
record.
Three f a tors combined tc
bring about the disaster:
/ /: A minor structural defect ir
the ships, which had been known
almost from the beginning anc
which was to be corrected in fu
ture models.
2: A line-squall, vicious hori
Zontal cyclone, powerful enough
: to wreck any man-made struc
) ture, but which could have beel
: avoided easily if there had beel
adequate weather warnings.
) 3: A possible, and certainl!
, forgivable, error in navigation.
These were minor hazards, al
bad, but even in combination no
| necessarily fatal. There was no
one survivor but would haV
. started for the Pole the next da.
! with an exact duplicate of tn
! ship, weather and pers on
t These men still had infinite faitl
in dirigibles.
Dawn of Thursday, Sept.
l925-just 25 years ago-wia
calm, warm and very quiet On
the gentlest breeze stirred tn
leaves on Noble county hills an
the light, lazy mists on the mea
dows awaited the sun.
But a half-mile above, Cmdl
Zachary L Lansd owne was i
trouble, and he just had to max
as impressive a showing at tn
Ohio state fair as the Shenar
doah had done the year befor'
Other midwest fairs were to fol
low; the navy was proud and ha
something to show
But for AS minutes he'd bee
playing blindman's buff with
m can, shadow line-squall. H
knew we'll enough what it wa
but not where it was. He kne'
it as a swiftly hirling mass {
air, shaped not unlike Ion
French roll, travelling slowly an
spinning SO high above the cart
it might make no stir on the SUI
face.
He realized its power and dar
ger, but was not frightened. H
ship could OUTRAGE it easily, {
side-step tiff he knew whic
way to step. But in the darkne.
he could only feel his way.
'. There were no precise WeathC