AIRSHIP DISASTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17294, 18 October 1919, Page 2 (Supplement)

AIRSHIP DISASTER.

SURNING WRECKAGE FALLS. TEKBXBLE SCENE IN BANKTEN KILLED, MANY INJURED. Ten persons havo been killed and 100 injured through a large dirigible, on a test flight, catching fix© and falling 500 ft, and crashing through the glass roof of the Illinois Trust Savings Band buildings, vrrit*3 a correspondent from Chicago. The majority of the dead were employees A the bank, who were burned to death through the explosion of the tanks as they hit the floor of the rotunda, where nearly 200 book-keepers and clerks, all girls, were working. Panic prevailed as the fuselage of the balloon, with tw<» heavy rotary engines j and several petrol tanks, crashed to the floor of the bank, scattering a wave of flaming petrol over the workers for a radius of 50ft. Men and girls, with their clothing in flames, fought their way through the only two exits of which the wire cages were king. The rotunda, instantly became a mass of (laming wreckage, and the intense heat m.,de rescue work extremely difficult. it was 30 minutes before the bodies beneath the airship could be removed, and they were burned beyond recognition. Ambulances from all the hospitals in the rity rushed to the scene and helped the injured, while the police threw a cordon round the bank, which is situated in the centre of the city. Beside the dead many people were injured and cut by flying glass as a, result of the explosion, and others were badly burned. The central portion of ths bank was wrecked as a result of the explosion and ftps. It was after banking hours when the accident occurred, and therefore none of lie public was insida thei building. The airship had bean flying over the city \vs several hours advertising a pleasure resort. Suddenly it burst into flames, buckled up, and plunged downward. The members of the crew and several j assengers, all of whom were strapped in parachutes, jumped.. Several landed (iafely, but the silk parchutes of others were burned and the wviarers were dashed to pieces.

THEATRE BOX DRAMA. -.I o» IiIRL DEAD, LOVER UNCONSCIOUS. Tragedy of such a nature as 0110 might expect to read about ■ in the pages of a sensational novel was discovered in a real life in Scotland. Its setting was a private box in King's "Theatre, Greenock, where a revue, entitled "Moonstruck, 1 by Fines Carno, was Being performed. Cleaners working in the theatre in the morning found 91 the J*ox the dead body of Jenny Creighton, an orchestra stall attendant. Near her was David Gilchrist, a demobilised soldier, unconscious, with a bullet wound in his head. He is now in the infirmary in ,i serious condition. Beside the couple, who were both covered by a large whit© sheet, used in the boxes when the theatre closes, were an empty bottle which had contained laudanum, a cup, and a small nickel* plated revolver, containing an empty cartridge- Ther» was also a "farewell" message written on the back of a card stating that the couple were troubled, and that they were "going to a better land." The pair, it is raid, had been "keeping company,** and were greatly attached to one another. Gilchrist was in the habit Of waiting until the close of the performance to see his sweetheart home. He had served abroad in the Army, and wore three wound stripes. The dead cirl was fully dressed even to her gloves, and apparently the couple had been in the theatre all night.