Airship Disaster

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11913, 6 April 1933, Page 5

Airship Disaster

THE LOSS OF THE AKRON.

DIRIGIBLE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING? SEVENTY-THREE LIVES BELIEVED LOST. RESCUERS SEE ONLY FLOATING » WRECKAGE. (U.P.A. by Mice. Tel. tropy right.) NEW YORK, April 4. The worst disaster in the history of aviation occurred at an early hour this morning when the United States’ Navy Dirigible, the Akron, tho largest airship over constructed, was wrecked at sea, and, so far as is known, only four of the 77 persons aboard were rescued, blit one died later, Only the most meagre informer tion is available, but it appears that the Akron was struck by lightning and became a total wreck almost as soon as she struck the water, members of the crew having practically no chance to save themselves. Tho Akron, queen of the world’s airships, dropped into the sea off the Jersey Const shortly after 1.30 o’clock this morning as a violent thunderstorm churned "skywards. Aboard her as she faltered and plunged into .the storm-swept sea were 77v men, including Admiral William A. Moffett, chief of the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics. Every available agency is being pushed to aid the fallen air queen. Seaplanes, landplanes, and coastguard' boats sped to the scene of the crash, about 20 miles off Barnegat Light, and approximately 45 miles from New York harbor.

OFFICER’S REALISTIC STORY IN CENTRE OF STORM SHIP ENTIRELY SURROUNDED by Lightning DESCENT STERN DOWNWARDS DEMOLISHED ON IMPACT WITH WATER, .'U.P.A. I)v Fie** Tel. ficipyr-icjlit, 1 NEW YORK, April 5. The most that is known is contained in a brief, but graphic message signed by Licut.-Commander Wiley, and) given, out by n coastguard. The message, in. part was as follow?: ‘“We were surrounded by lightning at light- (presumably Barnegat Light). The night atmosphere was not very turbulent. We ran an easii, course until about II p.m- He crossed to the west at mid-night ; iwe sighted a light on the ground, and changed our course to 130 degrees. A\ o began to descend rapidly from a. flying altitude. We dropped ballast. We became entirely surrounded by lightning. At about 12,30 the ship began to descend rapidly from a flying altitude of 1600 feet. AVe . dropped ballastforward and regained altitude. Three minutes later we seemed to •he in the centre of a storm, and the ship, began to shift about violently. 1 called oil hands. The .ship commenced to descend with her stern inclined downward. AVe dropped ballast. Tho rudder control was .carried away. The descent continued to the water, the ship being demolished upon impact. In a lightning flash I saw many men swimming. The wreckage ' drifted rapidly away. The discipline in the control car was perfect.” THREE SURVIVORS The four men picked up by the Pboe b/Us were Lieut.-Commander 11. V. Willey, second in command of the Akron, and three enlisted men, Aloody Erwin, a, metalsmith, Richard Deal, boatswain’s mate, and Robert Copeland, the chief wireless operator of the Akron. Copeland died shortly afterwards. The body ,of Licut-C'ommamler Harold Maclellan was picked up by a coastguard. ONLY ONE S.O-S. The tanker Phoebus, flying the flag of: Danzig Free State, bound from New. York for Tampico .was within a few miles of the Akron, when the wireless spluttered S.O.'Sl through the static-ichoked skies at 1.30 a.m. There was no further word from the aircraft, which apparently, descended either falling hr crippled to the point of the forced descent- _ Captain Dalldorf of the Phoebus, flashed word to the shore as he turned the slow-moving tankship from its course. FRAGAIENTS OF WRECKAGE A message that was intercepted .said the Phoebus and the coastguard cutters Alojave and AlcDougal were standing by searching the floating wreckage for possible survivors, but none except the four originally ed up’ had been found. The messago indicated that tho relscue ships did not find the dirigible when they arrived at the scene as -there were only small pieces . of wreckage floating about. Earlier, reports from the . Phoebus said a, 45 mile an hour wind was driving the hulk of the dirigible offshore at an'estimated rate- of 12 miles an'hour, making rescue doubly.; difficult. - It is. believed that the. Akron has -gone to the bottom. . Tho Akron left Lnke.hurst at, 7.30 p.m. yesterday-, commanded by F. C. McCord.

The cutter McDougal reported at 10.49 a.m. that she had picked up fragments of wreckage consisting of Tight tubular | pipes covered with kapok-

NO HOPE OF FURTHER SURVIVORS..

The Navy Department reported to Mr Roosevelt that the Akron was caught in a storm and probably was hit by lightning, caught fire, and crashed.

The Secretary of the Navy, Mr Swanson, • said there was nothing to indicate that the missing members of the personnel and the passengers would be found.

Lieutenant Wilfred Bushncll, one of the officers of the Akron, is the co-hokler of the world’s balloon record for distance, made with Lieut. T. G. W. Settle, in 1929. NO MORE BIG ATRSUTPS FOR U.S.A. BUILT THREE AND LOST TWO. (U p.A. by Elec. Tel CoD.vrigntl WASHINGTON, April . The chairman of the House Naval Affairs Committee, M. Vinson, said: “There won’t bo any more big airships built. Wo have built three and lost two.” NAVAL SEARCHING ’PLANE . MISSING. *» LATER REPORTED SAFE

(U.P.A. by Elec. Tel- Copyright) BEACHHAVEN (N.J.), April 4. A message from Floyd Bennett Field says that airport officials notified this afternoon that a naval ’plane, searching for the Akron wreckage was missing off the New Jersey const. A later message states that the plane was reported safe. BRITAIN SHOCKED. UTMOST SYMPATHY FOR AMERICA. (Hritisli Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 4. The Akron had a gas capacity of 5,500,000 cubic, feet compared with the 5,000,000 capacity of the British RIOO and the 2,500,000 of the American Los Angeles. Admiral Afoffet was the American delegate to the London Naval Conference. British people are deeply shocked by the event, and the utmost sympathy is felt for America in the national disaster. Many messages have been sent. DR. ECKNER UNSHAKEN. STILL COMPLETE FATTTT IN AIRSHIPS. rt) P A. bv F.lec. Tel. Copyright) BERLIN, April 4. Though shocked By the Akron disaster. Dr. E'ekner, commander of the Graf Zeppelin, declares that whatever happened could not shake his complete faith in airships. Until the causes of the Akron crash were established ,lio could not s ay whether it would necessitate a change of bis plana. QUEEN OF THE AIR. LARGEST AIRSHIP IN THE WORLD. The Akron, which was christened b v Airs. Herbert Hoover in right of 100,000 people, on August 8, 1931, was built by the Goodyoar-Zeppelin Company. Tho frame was a latticed web ol c.« rain min, the principal ingredient- of which is aluminium, which gives lightness, alloyed with copper, which gives strength. There were 10,000,000 individual numbered parts, 54,000 flat braces, and 6,500,000 rivets. Her dead weight empty was about 221,000 lbs.

The 6,500,000 cubic feet of helium cost the United States Government nearly £15,000 to produce and refine at its Amarillo, Texas, plant. The eight engines, four on each side, totalling 4180 horse-power were carried within the frame, the propellers only protruding. Well forward on tho nuclei- side was a control carriage. Five fast little single seat biplanes, with wing spans of 25ft 6m, could, be carried in a sort of nmrsupia l pouch. , .... The Akron was the largest airship in the world, being 9ft. longer than the Graf Zeppelin and with almost twice t-lie gas volume. Comparisons of the Akron and tho Graf Zeppelin are as follows, the former being mentioned first in each instance: Length over all; 785 ft., 77611. Alaximnm diameter ; 132.9 ft., 100 ft.

Height over all*. 146.5 ft., 132 ft. Gas volume: 6,500.000 ■ cubic ieot-, 3,700,000 cubic feet. Gross lift: 403,0001b5., 258,0001b5. Number of engines: 8, 5. Total horse-power: 4480, 2750. Maximum speed: 84 miles per hour, 80 miles per hour. Cruising range: 10,580 land miles, 6125 land miles. A sister ship to the Akron, the Macon, is now under construction i°i the- United States Navy. She is similar in every respect to the ill-fated dirigible. MOST COSTLY DISASTER . IN AVIATION HISTORY HUNDREDS OF VESSELS AWAIT DAWN TO SEARCH (U.TVA. by Elec. Teh. Copyright) (Received April 5, .8.50 p.m,) NEW YORK, April 4. The crash of the Akron early on Tuesday off the Jersey coast, _ was reckoned to bo the most costly disas-

tor in the history of aviation, with only three out .of a crew of seventysix saved.

Hundreds of vessels, naval and civilian, concentrated off Barnegat Light this morning, determined to renew with the dawn the pursuit of the faint chance that others might be saved. It is' believed in authoritative circles that the missing men were trapped in the debris mhic i sank.

BLIMP SEARCHER FALLS INTO SURE. FIVE OUT OF SEVEN OF CREW RESCUED. 07 PA. by Elec. Tot- Copyright) BEAcifHAVEN (N.J:), April 4. Tho navy blimp J 3, returning from a search for the Akron survivors, dropped into the surf off hejo to day. Five of the crew were rescued.