The US Navy arranged to buy British Zeppelin R-38 while it was under construction. The US renamed it ZR-2. While undergoing a test on 24-August-1921, the Zeppelin broke in two, and the forward portion burned and exploded. The whole wreck crashed into the Humber River. 44 members of the 49-man crew died. 17 American sailors were aboard and all but one died. After accepting the ship, the Americans were going to fly ZR-2 across the Atlantic. Lieutenant-Commander Richard Byrd, who was not aboard, later became a famous polar explorer.
SEVENTEEN OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE UNITED
STATES NAVY MEET DEATH IN COLLAPSE OF
GIANT DIRIGIBLE WHILE MAKING TRIAL TRIP
BRITISH NAVAL LOSS WILL REACH
TWENTY-SEVEN OFFICERS AND MEN
Only Five Men of the Forty-Nine Who Were Making
the Trial Trip of the ZR-2 Known
to Have Been Saved.
EVERY ONE OF THE AMERICANS ON
BOARD OF ILL-FATED CRAFT LOST
Vessel Flying About 1,000 Feet Over Hull Was
Seen to Buckle Amidships and Plunge
Downward Over the City.
(By The Associated Press) HULL, England, Aug. 24. -- Seventeen officers and men of the United States navy and twenty-seven officers and men of the British navy met death today in the collapse of the great dirigible ZR-2 over the city of Hull.
Every one of the Americans on board the ill-fated craft perished as far as could be ascertained at midnight tonight.
Only five men of the forty-nine who were making the trip in the dirigible prior to me vessel being turned over to the United States are known to have been saved.
The American officers who started the trip included:
Commander Louis II. Maxfield,
Lieutenant-Commander Emory W.
Coil,
Lieutenant Henry W. Hoyt.
Lieutenant Marcus H. Esterly,
Lieutenant
Commander Valentine N. Baig,
and
Lieutenant Charles G. Little.
The American enlisted men who
went up with the craft from Howden
were:
C. I. Aller,
Robert Coons,
L. E.
Crowel,
J. T. Hancock,
William Julius,
M. Lay,
A. L. Loftin,
A. I. Pettit,
W.
J. Steele,
N. O. Walker
and George
Welsh.
The British losses include the famous air veteran, Brigadier-General E. M. Maitland, and all the other officers on board, except Lieutenant Wann, the commander of the ZR-2.
Starting from Howden Tuesday morning on a test flight to Pulham, the big aircraft had been afloat for 34 hours, at times in bad weather, and was returning to the Pulham airdrome at the time of the disaster, which constitutes the most terrible of its kind in peace times.
The ZR-2, which was a sister-ship of the famous R-34, the first dirigible to cross the Atlantic, was on her final test trip prior to being accepted by the United States navy and taken across the Atlantic by an American crew especially trained for that purpose. She was 690 feet long and was built to carry a crew of thirty. Her speed was estimated at 70 miles an hour.
The American navy was to pay $2,000,000 for the craft.
While flying at about 1,000 feet over Hull spectators saw the ZR-2 seemingly buckle amidships and plunge downward over the city and into the Humber river. One theory of the cause of the disaster is that while the ship's rudders were being tested the giant craft took a sharp turn, which caused her framework to buckle and that the explosion of a gasoline tank completed the tragedy of the air.
The actual cause, however, never
may be known. A rumor had been
afloat for some days that the ZR-2
was structurally weak, but this was
stoutly denied by all in authority.
Tens of thousands of spectators saw
several men climb outside the balloon
and drop from the falling mass, which
was enveloped in smoke, and others
jump into the Humber as the crippled
craft came over the water. As the
dirigible struck, the wreckage above
water was burning and there was
slight hope for any of the men caught
inside to escape.
Tugs immediately put out into the
stream and brought ashore the
survivors who were taken in ambulances
to hospitals. Among these was the
American quartermaster, N O. Walker,
who died soon after reaching the
hospital from burns he had received.
Lieutenant Little was also rescued
from the debris alive, but succumbed
to his injuries on reaching the
infirmary.
A rescue tug pulled another
American out of the water. He was dead.
Inside his coat was the name
"Commander Maxfield." Early reports were
to the effect that Lieutenant Easterly
had been saved. Unhappily this report
proved to be without foundation.
One member of the rescuing party
said that when they got alongside the
burning airship the pilot of the tug
asked for volunteers to board one part
that still was almost intact. Jumping
upon the wreckage, the rescuers
ripped open part of the fabric while
parts of the debris were pulled away
by means of ropes. The task was a
hazardous one, because of the
baloonettes was still filled with gas and
another explosion was feared.
Among the wreckage an American
naval man was to be seen hanging by
his coat to a girder in the frame of the
airship. It was believed he was dead,
owing to the peculiar position of the
body which was not recovered. Another
rescuer said one was hanging
onto the tall of the ship apparently
uninjured, while another was found
floating in the water. Both of them
were saved.
While the rescuers were at work
the balloon began to turn over and the
rescue party had to return to the tug.
When first seen from Hull the ZR-2
was approaching the city, coming
from a southeasterly direction over
the Humber toward Hull. When sailing
on an even keel above the city,
according to some eye witnesses, a
huge cloud of dense smoke burst from
the tail of the aircraft. It was thought
the ZR-2 was sending out a smoke
screen as an exhibition, but to the
horror of thousands of spectators, it
was seen she had broken in two and
was taking a tremendous nose dive,
which apparently would bring her
down in the thronged streets.
Then there came a loud explosion
and a great crash, followed by another
explosion, which was accompanied by
the breaking of glass in the windows
on land, the whole being reminiscent
of war times, when German airships bombed Hull and explosions shook
the whole town. Today's concussion
was so great that it wrecked windows
over an area of about a mile square.
Some spectators assert that the
airship began to buckle before any flame
or explosion was seen or heard. The
broken halves of the ZR-2 reached the
water nearly a mile apart. The
general opinion of the public of Hull is
that the commander of the airship
accomplished a remarkable feat of
bravery in diverting the descent so
that it would fall into the water
instead of in the crowded streets.
It was a moment of terror for the
populace when the disaster occurred.
People in the streets rushed madly to
cover, fearing that the massive wreck
would fall upon and crush them. The
terror gave way, however to horror
as the wreck plunged into the middle
of the river near the corporation pier.
During the fall of the airship three
members of the crew were observed
making a thrilling parachute descent.
They came down into the river where
they were rescued by small boats. All
who jumped from the falling craft
lost their lives. They had no chance
for escape, for the water was covered
with burning gasoline and the heat
from the burning wreckage was so
intense that even the rescuers
experienced the greatest difficulty in
approaching for some time. Barges,
trawlers and small boats thronged
around the debris willing to render
any possible assistance.
Immediately after the disaster
telephone messages came from distances
up to fifty miles reporting that the people
had felt an earthquake shock.
Among those on board the airship
were the designer of the ZR-2,
Superintendent Warren, of the works where
she was built, and Flight Officers
Wicks and Matheson.
ZR-2 closely resembled her sister
ship, the R-34 which sailed across the
Atlantic in July, 1919, although she
was 41 feet longer and 7 feet greater
in diameter than the R-34. Her gasoline
capacity also was greater than
that of her sister ship and she had
a cruising radius of 6,000 miles in
contrast with 4,900 miles credited to the
R-34.
It had been estimated that the ZR-3
would be able to cross the 3,200 miles
to the American continent in from 3
to 4 days whereas the R-34 had
occupied nearly five days in her voyage.
Brigadier-General Maitland, who
met death in the disaster today was
one of the officers who made the
trans-Atlantic voyage in the R-34. He
has been in charge of the trials of
the ZR-2. It was recalled today how
the American members of the crew
of the ZR-2 recently had chafed over
the decision of General Maitland not
to permit the giant craft to leave
Howden until sailing conditions were
perfect. Maitland was criticized
more or less for what was considered
over-cautiousness.
Like the ZR-2 the R-34 ended her
career in disaster. She was cut in
two by a violent wind and left a
wreck outside her airdrome near
Edinburgh in January, 1921.
This vessel had a thrilling
experience on her trans-Atlantic flight,
and the collapse of the ZR-2 would
seem to have afforded General Maitland
some justification for his hesitancy
in sending the Americans across
seas with the ZR-2 in the face of
meteorological odds.
In the construction of the ZR-2 it
was thought that many of the serious
defects of the smaller ship had been
remedied. The vessel underwent daily
polishing or cleansing and engineers
tested and repaired the six engines,
the riggers inspected the controls, gas
bags, valves, the outer cover and thin
surface. Constant hull inspection on
all dirigibles is necessary because of
the breakage of small braces and wires.
The outer cover fabric sometimes gets
torn or blown loose at the joints and
repairs were made immediately to
prevent the holes from becoming larger.
Gas bags were unspected by going
over them with a leak finder, which
registered any trace of escaping
hydrogen. The fabric in the ZR-2's bags
was very thin and light and when it
chafed through it resulted In a loss
of gas, lowered purity and life reduction.
In flight the ZR-2 was operated as
far as possible along the lines of a
sea-going veasesl. The ship altitude
comparatively was 2,000 feet. The crew
of the ZR-2 selected to bring her
across the Atlantic to the United States,
included 14 officers, 10 riggers, 16
mechanics and two radio men. Only a few
of these were aboard, however, when
the giant air craft plunged Into the
waters of the Humber today.
NAVAL RECORDS OF THE
VICTIMS OF DISASTER
MAXFIELD, Louis Henry, Commander,
U. S. N., Navy Cross, born in St. Paul.
Minn.. Nov. 19, 1883.
Commander Maxfield, who was to have
commanded the ZR-2 on its trip across
the Atlantic, is a native of Saint Paul,
Minn. Appointed to the Naval academy
from Minnesota in 1903, he graduated with
the class of 1907. He was one of the
pioneers in U. S. naval aviation, having
received his designation as air pilot,
heavier-than-air branch, after training at
Pensacola during the pre-war period. In
1917 Commander Maxfield went to Akron,
Ohio, where he was stationed in lighter-than-air
and qualified as a pilot. For
several months during the spring and
summer, of 1917, he was in command of
the U. S. naval air station at Palmboeuf.
His next assignment was in the department,
Washington, where he was lighter-than-air
aid in the office of operations.
He was subsequently sent to England,
where he has been commanding officer
of the airship detachment at Howden.
COIL, Emory Wilbur, Lieutenant-Commander,
U. S. N., born at Westboro,
Mass., Sept. 28, 1888.
Lieutenant-Commander Coil was
appointed from that state to the Naval
academy and graduated with the class
of 1911. He entered the aviation service
in December, 1910, and trained at
Pensacola in heavier-than-air, transferring
to the lighter-than-air section in March,
1917. He was a student at Akron in 1917,
and there qualified as a lighter-than-air
pilot. His next assignment was the
command of the Rockaway naval air station.
When Commander Maxfield went to
Europe in 1917, Lieutenant-Commander
Coil took his place as aid for lighter-than-air
in operations, navy department. He
was subsequently sent to England to serve
as a member of the allied aeronautical
commission of control. During the past
year he has acted as executive officer of
the airship detachment at Howden.
HOYT, Henry Willets, Lieutenant,
U. S. N., Navy Cross, born at Clearwater,
Fla., May 26. 1890.
Lieutenant Hoyt was appointed to the
Naval academy, from Florida and
graduated from the academy with the class
of 1914. During the pre-war period,
Lieutenant Hoyt specialized in kite
balloon duty at sea. He also was a student
at Akron in 1917, and after qualifying as
a lighter-than-air pilot at that place,
served for a short time at the Hampton
Roads naval air station, and then returned
to Akron to assume command of the
station there for a short time. He was
subsequently in charge of the lighter-than-air
with the Pacific air force, until he
was sent to Howden as a member of the
airship detachment at that place.
ESTERLY, Marcus Herbert, Lieutenant,
U. S. N. R. F., born June 30, 1891, in
Columbiana, Ohio.
Lieutenant Esterly enrolled in the Naval
reserve force October 11, 1917, was
promoted to ensign January 24, 1918, to
lieutenant (j.g.) March 13, 1919, and
lieutenant January 20, 1920. He was ordered
to active duty as an officer February 1,
1918, and has been on active duty
continuously since that date.
BIEG, Valentine Nicholas, Lieutenant Commander,
U. S. N., born at Alexandria, Va., Oct. 24, 1889.
Lieutenant-Commander Beig was
appointed to the Naval academy from
Virginia, and graduated from the academy
with the class of 1910. During the war
Lieutenant-Commander Beig served
onboard the U. S. S. Trippe (March 26-May
10, 1917; at Philadelphia in connection
with the fitting out of the U. S. S. Dent,
and on board this destroyer as
executive officer, when she was put into commission.
LITTLE, Charles Gray, Lieutenant,
U. S. N. R. F., born July 9, 1895, in Newburyport, Mass.
Lieutenant Little enrolled in the naval
reserve force May 9, 1917, was promoted
to ensign November 6, 1917, to lieutenant
(j.g.) June 28, 1918, and lieutenant,
January 6, 1917, and served on active duty
until the expiration of his enrollment and
re-enrolled May 9, 1921.
AMERICAN OFFICERS
AND ENLISTED MEN
REPORTED AS DEAD
OFFICERS.
COMMANDER LOUIS H. MAXFIELD,
U. S. N., St. Paul, Minn.
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER
EMORY W. COIL, U. S. N., Westboro,
Mass.
LIEUTENANT HENRY W. HOYT,
U. S. N Clearwater, Fla.
LIEUTENANT MARCUS H. ESTERLY,
U. S. N. R. E., Columbiana, O.
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER
VALENTINE N. BIEG, U. S. N.,
Alexandria, Va.
LIEUTENANT CHARLES G. LITTLE,
U. S. N. R. F., Newburyport,
Mass.
ENLISTED MEN.
Riggers
CHARLES I. ALLER, C. B. M.
Denver, Colo.
AD PETTITT, C. B. M, New York
City.
NORMAN O. WALKER, M. 2C,
Commerce, Texas.
Mechanics
ROBERT M., COONS, C. M. M.
LLOYD E. CROWELL, C. M. M.,
South Carolina.
JOHN T. HANCOCK, C. M. M.,
London, England.
WILLIAM JULIUS, C. M. M.
ALBERT L. LOFTIN, C. M. M.
WILLIAM J. STEELE, C. M.,
Bainbridge, Ind.
GEORGE WELCH, C. M. M. Elgin,
Ill.
NAVAL AVIATION OFFICIALS STILL
HAVE FAITH IN RIGID AIRSHIPS
DESPITE THE APPALLING DISASTER
Prepared to Seek Authority for
Construction of New Ship
of the ZR-2 Type.
(By The Associated Press.)
WASHINGTON, Aug. 24. -- Expressions
of deep regret were voiced by
government officials without exception
today over the total destruction of the
giant airship ZR-2 with a heavy loss
of American and British lives. Pride
in the acquisition of the new Queen
of the Air and hopes of tremendous
development in military and commercial
aeronautics had lent interest to
the proposed trans-Atlantic flight of
the British-built air cruiser even
beyond that which It normally would
have aroused.
Latest advices to the navy department
indicated that of the seventeen
members of the hand-picked American
crew on board during the test,
only one, Quartermaster Norman O.
Walker of Commerce, Texas., had survived.
London dispatches however, put the
American loss at 17, declaring "every
American aboard" was lost.
"It is a terrible thing," was the sad
comment of Secretary Denby, as he
received cabled dispatches giving the
details of the catastrophe.
Mr. Denby immediately forwarded
to the British air ministry a message
expressing the sympathy of the navy
department.
"The navy department of the United
States extends to the air ministry and
the British navy deepest sympathy in
the appalling disaster to the ZR-2,"
the message said. "We hope our early
reports will prove exaggerated as to
loss of life."
Far from being discouraged by the
disaster, naval aviation officials
immediately prepared to seek authority
for construction of a new ship of the
ZR-2 type in the United States.
"We will carry on; build and
operate as many ZR-2's as may be
authorized by congress," Admiral
William A. Moffett, chief of the naval
bureau of aeronautics said tonight, "so
that these brave, men may not have
lost their lives in vain."
Other aviation officers while greatly
distressed, declared they had lost
faith in rigid airships. They pointed
out that Germany had built and
successfully operated 140 ships of
similar design, many of only slightly less
carrying capacity, while English
constructors had turned out 16.
The only serious accidents recorded
against these, so far as naval files
indicate was the wreck of an early
German Zeppelin over Lake Constance
before the war and the smashing of the
British R-34 when she ran afoul of
her hangar.
Official dispatches to the
department did not contain any information
upon which experts could base an
opinion as to the cause of the
disaster. The opinion was expressed,
however that the theory of an explosion
of hydrogen gas in one or more
of the fourteen compartments
might be dismissed at once.
Construction of these sections and other
precautionary measures taken in
designing the actual containers of the
gas, it was said, rendered this
possibility very remote.
The theory most generally expressed
was that a structural weakness
developed, similar to that reported
officially by American observers under
date of July 18, rupturing the envelope
so as to bring the hot gasses of
the engine exhaust into contact with
the hydrogen, or that a buckling of
structural braces might have punctured
the fuel containers permitting
the escaping gasoline to come into
contact with the exhaust lines.
Another possible cause of the accident,
but considered remote, involved
a buckling of structural braces over
or near one of the six "power eggs"
which carried the 350 horse-power
engines.
The report of July 18 describing the
accident of the day before pointed out
that the ship was able to stay aloft
more than four hours while the crew
made an examination.
"From a cause as yet undetermined,"
the report said, "two intermediate
transverse frames at an intermediate
longitudinal frame buckled just aft of
frame seven."
Repairs were immediately made and
structural parts similar to those which
had failed were strengthened, a
subsequent report said, suggesting that
the damage had been caused by
overloading one section during the
progress of construction. It is presumed
here that a thorough survey of the
entire ship was made at the time of
those repairs to determine whether
other sections had been strained.
"Lacking an official report as to the
sailing list," recording those who were
on board today, the department was
unable to publish a casualty list.
Although the ZR-2 had not been
accepted formally, under contract with
the British air ministry, several
payments had been made by the United
States toward the cost of construction.
It was estimated at the navy
department that these payments total
$1,500,000, or three-fourths of the total cost.
"Under law and by naval custom no
material or vessel ever is considered
to be within the jurisdiction of the
department until it has finally passed
by inspectors or completed prescribed
tests and formally turned over.
Under this rule, title to the ZR-2 would
be considered to have been wholly with
the British owners today," naval
officers declared.
At the close of purchase contract
provided that in the event of loss of
the ship during her flight to the United
States, each party to the contract
would assume half of the cost of
construction.
Byrd Among Survivors.
LYNCHBURG, Va., Aug. 24 --
Lieutenant-Commander R. E. Byrd, Jr..
navigation expert of the dirigible ZR-2
is among the survivors, according to
a Washington dispatch to The News,
quoting a cablegram received at
Washington. Commander Byrd Is a
son of R. B. Byrd, former United
States attorney for the western
district of Virginia and a nephew of
Representative H. D. Flood, of Virginia.
Halliburton Safe.
MACON, Ga., Aug. 24 -- Shine S.
Halliburton, chief engineer, on the
ZR-2, is safe, according to a
cablegram received tonight by his brother,
T. H. Halliburton. The message was
dated Hull, England, and signed
"Shine."
Lay Native of Alabama.
GREENSBORO, N. C, Aug. 24 --
Chief Petty Officer Maurice Lay, who
lost his life in the destruction of the
ZR-2 today, was a native of Alabama,
but regarded Greensboro as his home.
He was married to Miss Mabel Ridge
in this city In 1918. His widow
survives.
LIEUTENANT PENNOYER
NOT ON BIG BALLOON
The telephones in The Journal office
were kept busy last night answering
inquiries from anxious friends of
officers and men who were thought to be
on the ill-fated dirigible ZR-2.
Lieutenant Ralph G. Pennoyer, who
was slated to be one of the officers to
make the trip across the Atlantic, was
not on the craft yesterday on the trial
trip.
Lieutenant Pennoyer was well known
in Pensacola, having married while
stationed here, Miss May Curtis, who
made this city her home for some time.
Mrs. Pennoyer was known as a
wonderful dancer, and taught dancing at
the San Carlos.
Other officers who were slated to
make the trip from England with the
ZR-2. but who were not with the craft
yesterday, many of whom are known
in Pensacola, having at some time or
other been stationed at the naval air
station, are:
Lieutenant-Commander Richard E.
Byrd. Jr., Lieutenant Joseph B.
Anderson, Lieutenant Clifford A. Tinker,
Lieutenant Telford B. Null, Lieutenant
John B. Lawrence, and Chief Machinist
Shine S. Halliburton.
MAY NEVER FATHOM
CAUSE OF DISASTER
Many Reasons Given as to What
Might Have Been Cause
of the Explosion.
(By The Associated Press.)
LONDON, Aug. 24 -- Newton White,
aviation attaché of the American
embassy and Lieutenant-Commander
Richard E. Byrd, of the American air
service, who was to assist in the
navigation of the ZR-2 to the United
States went to Hull tonight to take
charge of the bodies of the American
naval officers and men killed in the
disaster.
American naval officers here
expressed the opinion that the wreck of
the ZR-2 was due to hydrogen escaping
from one of the ship's gas bags
being ignited by the exhaust from one
of her six motors. What they say
they are unable to understand,
however, is how it was possible that a
gas leak sufficient to make an explosion
possible could have occurred
without it having been discovered
through the pressure gauge fitted to
each gas bag.
One of the points in the construction
of the airship which her builders
repeatedly pointed out to visitors at
Bedford where the ZR-2 was built
was the way in which her six motor
gondolas were slung several feet from
the outer shell of the craft. This, the
builders declared, would greatly
safeguard the ship from the danger of
leaking gas coming in contact with
the backfire flame from a motor.
One conjecture as to what may
have caused the disaster is based on
the assumption that the ZR-2 might
have sprung a girder while riding out
the severe storm over England early
Thursday night.
Largest Dirigible Ever Built
Had Estimated Speed of
70 Miles an Hour.
When the ZR-2 started on her trial
flight from Howden Tuesday she had on
board Commander Louis H. Maxfield, of
the United States navy, who had been
designated by the American navy department to bring the ZR-2 from England to
the United States; Brigadier General S. M.
Maitland, the British marshal; Colonel
Campbell, who supervised the work of
designing the dirigible, five other American
officers, seven engineers and three
riggers, in addition to the regular British
crew.
The ZR-2 was the largest dirigible ever
built, the dimensions being as follows:
Length 695 feet, diameter 85 feet,
capacity 2,700,000 cubic feet, total lifting
capacity 83 tons.
The aircraft was operated by six
engines. She was estimated to have a cruising
radius of 70 miles per hour, giving a
capacity to make an aggregate of 6,000
miles of uninterrupted flight. She had a
capacity for officers and crew of forty-two
men. The gasoline supply was 10,900
gallons. It was estimated that she
would cross the Atlantic in 72 hours.
The huge aircraft had four gondolas
suspended from the framework. These
provided sleeping quarters for the officers
and crew and an electrical apparatus for
cooking meals. Her wireless set was
expected to keep the monster craft in close
touch with both shores of the Atlantic
and to have a radius exceeding 2,500 miles.
Seen in flight the ZR-2 closely resembled
her sister ship the R-34 with a
bewildering confusion of aluminum girders,
rows of gasoline and water tanks, acres
of gas bags and a miscellany of guy wires,
pipes, swivels and hinges. A telephonic
system connected the entire airship so
that the pilot at the wheel was in direct
communication with every part of the
craft. Electric lights kept the craft
brilliantly Illuminated.
A London dispatch of Sunday last quoted
the Observer as asserting that during
the first trials of the ZR-2 a tendency of
the giant dirigible to "hump" developed
and that an inspection revealed the fact
that certain girders had bent and that
lattice work had buckled under the strain.
Remedial measures were taken, the
newspaper said, including considerable
reinforcement of the frame work along much
of the airplane's length. In addition to
the structural trouble the Observer
asserted the ZR-2 had been handicapped by
engine difficulty.
The purchase price of the ZR-2 was to
be $2,000,000. This, it is assumed, was to
become effective after the aircraft had
completed her trials and was delivered to
and accepted by the American authorities.
The British air service had been
careful however, to avoid a premature
delivery as they had wished to be assured
that everything connected with the
structural arrangement of the dirigible was in
satisfactory condition. It was for this
reason chiefly that the flight which
terminated so disastrously yesterday begun.
The monetary loss, under the
circumstances apparently falls on the contractors
and those instrumental in building
the ship.
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| Pensacola Journal, 29-August-1921 |
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| Pensacola Journal, 29-August-1921 |
