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4 DISASTER PERILS NAVY AIR POLICY Lakehurst Station May Be Closed —PB-1 Flight Probably Canceled. By the Associated Press. The disastrous loss of the dirigible Shenandoah apparently has thrown the Navy’s whole future policy with respect to lighter-than-air craft de velopment into a state of uncertainty. Out of this may come a decision to Close down the Navy's air station at Lakehurst. N. .T. Secretary Wilbur is now considering the best course to pursue and has a definite plan in mind, but will discuss the matter widely with naval experts before an nouncing any decision. The collapse of the Shenandoah, oc curring in the shadow of the failure to find trace so far of the missing PN 9 No. 1 plane in the attempted non-stop flight to Hawaii, has not broken the Navy’s determination to carry forward aircraft development to the utmost, but Secretary Wilbur haa decreed that the rewards must be equal to the risk. He thus has ordered the plane PB-1, which was planning to hop off from San Francisco for Hawaii today in the wake of the missing plane, to abandon the effort. Unless very posi tive reasons'develop to warrant It, he said, the flight will not be made. Enough Trouble for Awhile. "We have had enough trouble for a while.” the Secretary said, "and we don’t want to hazard the lives of oth er men until we have some definite reason for doing so.” As its ti 1 reverse in recent weeks, the Navy u.so Is contemplating now the failure of its planes to achieve their -major mission with the Mac- Millan. expedition in the Arctic. From all ,of these, however, Secretary Wil bur draws the reassuring conviction that in,the expanse of the Atlantic and 'Pacific Oceans the United States has a bulwark of defense of which there need be little fear of penetration hy present-day enemy aircraft operat ing from an overseas base. The Navy Department already had under consideration a future program with ÜBspeot to dirigibles, and the Los Angeles and Shenandoah in particu lar, before the disaster to the latter ship yesterday. How far this will af fect the program, not only in its bear ing on the problems of engineering science involved, but the attitude of Congress as well, remains to be de veloped. Mr. Wilbur said, however, that he plans to confer widely on the matter and might have an early an nouncement to make as to a decision. No Denial Made. The Secretary declined to say whether or not the Lakehurst station would be closed, hut-no other official denied that this step was in prospect. As to the Los Angeles, now left as the Navy’s only dirigible, Mr. Wilbur said the plan in mind for her would not be affected by the loss of the Shenandoah. Since the proposal to lease her for commercial operation no definite offer has been received, even if one would be considered now after . loss of the Shenandoah, which leaves the possibility that she may be fur ther employed by the Navy, although not a military craft, in such ways as are permissible in further determin ing the Navy’s future program as to dirigibles. ■Whatever decision is reached as to the Lakehurst station and the Los Angeles, there will be a period of en forced inactivity for both of several months at least. The loss of helium in the wreck of the Shenandoah leaves on hand only about half of the vol ume of gas necessary to inflate the Los Angeles. Had Successful Career. The Shenandoah had one of the most successful careers of any lighter - than-air craft in any country. In its life of one day short of two years from its trial flight on September 4, 1923, it covered nearly 30,000 miles, a distance unequaled by any other dirigible, officials said, although they did not have available comparative statistics on the subject. Expected to be serviceable for at least five years, it did not complete half that span, yet it made a number v of flights into the interior and one across the continent and along the west coast. Unlike the Los Angeles, it had never made a voyage for any considerable distance over the ocean. Regarded as an excellent ship, it was in some respects an old model, for it was designed from the basic plan of the German dirigible L-49, which fell in France later in the war after it had been built in 1916. The Shenandoah, however, was made much stronger than the L-49. The Los Angeles is a much later type and is regarded as the better craft. For one thing, it is said by C. P. Burgess, a civilian aeronautical engineer who assisted in designing it, the Los An geles is “shorter and fatter," and the tendency now is to build dirigibles “short and fat.” A greater volume and strength is held to result from this design. Not Surprised at Result. Mr. Burgess said there was neces sarily a point of maximum strain in any craft and it was not surprising, therefore, that the Shenandoah, when she did buckle, broke up. Its point of greatest strain, he said, was about two-thirds back from the bow. ’With the possible exception of the Los Angeles, Mr. Burgess regarded the Shenandoah as the strongest rigid, airship ever built. She had gpne through more severe weather than any other dirigible, he pointed out, but yesterday encountered the storm too severe to -withstand. Mr. Burgess was aboard the Shen andoah when she tore loose from the mooring' mast at Lakehurst in Janu ary, 1924, and again he was aboard her in the flight to Albany- and Ni agara Falls last year, when she en countered thunderstorms for the first time. His instruments at that time, he said, revealed no strain in the craft. The chief designer of the Shenan doah was Commander J. C. Hunsa ker, now naval attache at London. The plan was approved by a com mittee appointed by the national ad visory committee on aeronautics be fore the craft was constructed at a cost of $2,000,000 at Philadelphia and Lakehurst. * TWO SHIPS LOST. HOBART, Tasmania, September 4 OP). —A wireless message from the British steamer Kanna reports that the HsCram, of the Union Steamship Co. of New ZealandcJAd., has foun dered. Fifteen of the crew were saved and 11 are missing, the message adds. GRAVESEND, England. September 4 OP). — The British steamer Pennant, operated by Baron Penrhyn, waa sunk after being in collision with the tanker ( A casta. The captain of the Pennant and his wife were drowned. The crew was saved. 1 Prudential Company Official Diet. EAST ORANGE, N. J., September 4 OW. — Wilbur S. Johnson, vice presi dent of the Prudential Insurance Co. of America, died at his home here last, night, H* ynm 69 yeareoL-agfe WORLD’S SYMPATHY AT AIR DISASTER Germany, France and Eng land Join in Mourning Loss of Ship and Lives. By the Associated Prc»» BERLIN. September 4.—The de i struction of the American naval diri i gible Shenandoah brought expressions of ext rente regret among the Germans. The German public knows what a dlri i gible accident means, since this coun try. the home of Zeppelin construc i “The accident.” he Raid, “removes a i tion. has lost several in storms. News of the catastrophe was posted on the bulletin boards in front of the newspaper offices and the successive dispatches giving the details and show ing the full extent of the loss were i eagerly scanned by crowds. The morning papers agree in stat ing that the German people will sym pathize with America probably more than any other nation because of their interest In this form of aviation. Regrets Ix»ss of Flyers. Hugo Kckener, director of the Zep pelin works and builder of the Los An geles. the Shenadoah’s sister ship, es pecially regretted the loss to the United State of such a number of experienced flyers. number of exceedingly valuable tech nicians of American aerial science, among them several able teachers and promising students.” Lieut. Comdr. Lansdowne, captain of the Shenadoah, who was killed in the fall of the control cabin, was formerly a popular member of the American colony in Berlin, where he was as sistant naval attache from March, 1922-. to October. 1923. He had a wide circle of friends here, both American and German, who are deeply stirred by the news of his death. Sympathy Cabled. LEIPZIG, Germany, September 4 (A*).— The managment of the Leipzig fair * today wired Ambassador von Maltzan asking that he express their sympathy to the families of those lost in the Shenandoah disaster. British Condolence. LONDON, September 4 (d s ).—The British air minister. Sir Samuel Hoare, today forwarded to the United States Navy Department a message of condolence over the loss of the naval dirigible Shenandoah. The air chief marshal. Sir Hugh Trenchard, dispatched a similar mes sage to Rear Admiral Moffett. Chief of the Bureau of Nava’ Aeronautics, de ploring “the misfortune which has deprived aviation of Comdr. Lans downe and his comrades.” France Sympathizes. PARIS. September 4 (d s ).—The French ministry bf foreign affairs today; cabled condolences on the loss of the : Shenandoah to the American State Department ~in the name of the ; French government and people. A message of sympathy also was transmitted from the ministry of ma rine, expressing the French navy’s sorrow for the families of the victims. Loss to Whole World. COLOGNE. Germany. September 4 C4 s ).—The Cologne Gazette, comment ing on the loss of the dirigible Shenan doah, today -says: “A heavy blow has struck the American people. The de struction of the Shenandoah is a loss to the whole civilized world. The German people regret the loss and understand the grief of the American people.” - FEAR OF STORMS HAD HALTED TRIP Navy Refused to Send Ship Into Midwest Earlier in Summer. It was the fear of just such a storm as overcame the Shenandoah which led the Navy Department to refuse to send the dirigible into mid-conti nent during July or August. For that reason the trip was deferred until this month, when it was thought danger of heavy wind and electrical storms had measurably passed. Along With the Shenandoah the Navy apparently has lost precious supply of helium. The Los Angeles has been tied up while the Shenandoah has been en gaged in maneuvers with units of the fleet off the Atlantic coast and the western flight because insufficient helium is available to Inflate both ships simultaneously. The loss of helium in today’s disaster is expected to mean that the Los Angeles will con tinue idle for pome time. Recently proposals have been put forward tentatively looking to the leasing of the Los Angeles by private business concerns in this country for commercial operation, and President Cooildge has indicated sympathy with that idea. Whether the wreck of the Shenandoah will have any effect on the Los Angeles remains to be deter mined. “PET” SNAKE KILLS BOY. Stroked - Into Docility, Rattler Later Springs Into Lad’s Face. TULSA, Okla.. September 4 OP).—Ef forts of F. L. Tuttle, 19, to make a pet of a rattlesnake, cost him his life. He caught the snake In a cotton field and stroked it gently. The reptile became docile. Several hours ‘ later the boy screamed as he threw the snake from him. The rattler landed in a coil and sprang instantly, sinking its fang in the boy’s face. He died five hours later. . « Striking Miners Don Gingham Aprons; Help in Housework to Pass Idle Hours By the Associated Pres*. HAZELTON, Pa., September 4. ! The reign of the alarm clock in north ' eastern Pennsylvania is ended—for a 1 time. For the first time in two years hard 1 coal miners may sleep their fill, due to the suspension in their industry. Normally they are among the earliest risers in the world, crawling from be ' neath the covers at 4 and 5 a.m. to ; prepare for their day's underground ' toil. But now the swarms of men no longer saunter to the mines through the half light of the dawn, lunch pails In hand, at 5 apd 6 o'clock. Even the early morning trolley cars, ’ which four days ago bore the workers ‘ to the mines and collieries, have been - discontinued. The anthracite field is . indulging in an orgy of sleep. l The younger men don’t mind it, but l—l Alter.ao THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, P. VT FRfPXF, SEPTEMBER 4, 1925. CROSS-SECTION AND END-ON DIAGRAMS OF THE NAVY’S DIRIGIBLE SHENANDOAH Wetior HulL I i r.Utu* • . ' HcctamLrm,.. -M# /. /V‘ • >*“," ' W • • throughout •’ k «• ' Mitik!ir :t Gxvftsf-indwK IDerail AnvuLfrupr et me Keel Cerndcr... wl.-w. >Uvlis r.pin.m «!parsite* . }3*p»city of of foe 1.- LmA , C-.wKi.-’ 'ftidlankt ’"■ifiail Ugy-y Looker jompariwcKtz,with wrpt* 14*9 Fuel Tanks, ii. 3 (jate. ; “" v ' - ■ -* r - ••- Alll -■>}. , -L, r.;■' The silvery appearance of the ship's hull, especially noticeable when she flew over Washington, was due to the aluminum powder paint applied to the cotton cover fabric to reflect the sun’s rays. The paint was to avoid overheating the gas bags. Goldbeaters’ skin, the tissue from the intestines of oxen, was used for lining the huge gas bags. Stockyards saved this membrane from some 2,000,000 cattle for the Shenandoah. Reproduced from National Geographic Magazine by special permission. Copyright by National Geographic Society. MISSTEP ON THE SHENANDOAH MEANT DEATH, PASSENGER SAYS Life aboard the lost Shenandoah was one of ever-present danger, an existence separated from eternity by a thin layer of cotton gauze, with death waiting to claim the forfeit for a careless step, and yet it was an ex istence of fascinating romance that the agile- vikings of the clouds soon learned to love. This, at least, was the way Junius B. Wood saw it when he was a pas senger aboard the big Bhip, once queen of the skies, on its first trip across the continent. Barriers of rank had no room in the rugged life aloft: officers and men lived in common : eomraderie, facing common dangers. Yet the discipline was as strict and I as perfect as aboard any ocean dread nought afloat. “Day and night the life of the air ship is in the keel.” said Mr. Wood, writing in the National Geographic Magazine of his trip. “It is a triangu lar tunnel running the length of the ship. Its base is the thin cotton bot tom panel of the outer covering of the big tube; its equilateral sides are the gas bags, when they strain full against the wire and tw-ine network which holds them in place. ' Cat’s “Walk” Tests \erve. w- “In the center, 682 feet long, from nose to tail fins, is the runway, 9 inches wide. It is called ’the cat's walk,’ from the skill required to tread i it. The thin cotton covering. 12 inches below, gives a false sense of security; but the ground, usually 3.000 feet be low, is only two steps removed. A roughly stitched rent in the cotton shows where one man made the first step, and with true sailor veracity the marks of the fingers are shown where he gripped the steel-hardened duralumin to save himself from taking the second step. No admonitions are needed to walk the straight and nar row path. The crew, as nimble as structual steel workers, trot along, pass each other, and even stop to wrestle. “Four lateral runways pierce the sides of the tube to ladders leading into motor gondolas. Though the run way is precarious, negotiating an un inclosed ladder 3,000 feet above the ground while speeding 70 miles an hour requires cooler nerves. “Men skip up and down and even stand on the gondolas to watch the passing scenery. “Every five meters in the tunnel, corresponding to the outer circular ribs, is a triangular frame of latticed girders. In the center of the ship the triangular frames are 12 feet across and 9 feet between base and apex. The sides become shorter in the ends, and heads are bumped and cut by the cross-girders. One bump convinces the most skeptical of the rigidity of the Shenandoah. "In the upper angle of the triangle is the rubber gas pipe, wilted and loose or puffed to the size of an 18- inch water main, according to alti tude. Flanking it are the metal fuel and water pipes. At the side 3, dis tributed so the load will be equalized through the length, are the 724-pound gasoline tanks, the smaller cani of lubricating oil, and the sleeping bunks for officers and men. One habituated youth slept In a hammock, only the cotton between him and space, as comfortable as if his bed were swung between the towering aerials of the Arlington wireless statical. Decks of Thin Plywood. “At intervals along the runway are three decks, little 12-foot-square plat forms of thin plywood. One is for the mooring equipment and the other two are euphoniously designed as officers’ quarters and crew’s quarters. Though discipline does not deteriorate, ‘side’ is lacking on an airship. In stead of a suite of three rooms and private bath and messbov, to wh’-h a rear admiral is entitled on a bat tleship. his private bunk .is not dif ferent from those of the crew. The same sized shaving mirrors, the only luxury aboard, are in both quarters. The rations are the same, the combi nation cook and'messboy is the same, mess hours are whenever anybody Jias time to eat, and as the food, in or 40 years of almost continuous early rising, extended sleep is a difficult habit to acquire. So, tired of watch ing the lights on the celling and hear ing the rattle of the milkmen’s carts, the men arise and sit on their front porches, waiting for another day of waiting to begin. » Miners' wives- no longer get up with their husbands to cook a hasty break fast and fill the gaping dinner pails. But they have obtained recruits in the kitchen, and many a husband hus tles about the stove in a blue gingham' apron, helping the "missus” put up the Winter’s preserves. Most of the miners declare that they are not worried over the pros pects of a long suspension, saying that the average worker has a large family, with sons and daughters em ployed in the silk mills, shirt factories and other industrial plants in the re - sion. eluding the hot soup, is distributed from the crew's quarters, the officers frequently munch their dry sand wiches there. "In daytime the keel is fairly light through the white cotton flooring, which is not blackened inside, as is the remainder of the outer tube. "At night it is dark and mysterious. The emergency dials glow like ghostly faces with cabalistic words and signs, dots and dashes for levers and but tons. The chill wind whistles against the thin covering, and the motors, which never stop, roar right beneath. Silent, muffled figures are huddled on the hunks, some wormed into padded sleeping bags, others bundled in fur suits, fur mittens and wool boots. Lights always are flashing and mov ing in the dim distance. "On the crew's deck, lit by a dying electric bulb, will be a group of men who have come ofT duty—wheelsmen with weary eyes and arms, machinists with ears stuffed with cotton, drinking I hot coffee from tiny paper cups—and i a chief figuring out his hourly report of the fuel consumed and the gallons of converted water ballast. "While half the ship sleeps, the other half watches and works, day and night, four hours on and four hours off. Other nights were like the first night. The routine never changed any more than did the mad roar of the motors. “The silvery covering of the tube was stretched over a skeleton of tri j angular-shaped, latticed girders of duraliimin, which is one third the ■weight of steel. Frame Made Heavier. "The Shenandoah was built on the plans of the Zeppelin L-49, which came down in the American area in France. Her structural strength was increased, which adds to the weight, but which stood in good stead through the Rock ies. An additional frame was added in the center, increasing her length and making possible an increased lift by another gas cell, but not improving her stream line or speed. "The five engines were each of 300 I horsepower, the two forward, close under the tube, with direct-dri\*\ 11- foot propellers, and the remaining three with propellers 18A4 feet in diameter. Two of these were reversi ble and water recovery condensers were on three of the motors. Thev recovered from 110 to 122 pounds of water ballast from every 100 pounds of gasoline consumed. ‘“The Shenandoah's gas cells had a displacement of 2,148.070 cubic feet. Under certain barometric conditions, if filled with hydrogen, they would lift 150,365 pounds, and with helium 85 per cent of that, or 128,884 pounds. As the gas starts to expand as soon as the ship rises, it seldom was more than 85 per cent filled. Under such conditions the lift of the helium-in flated Shenandoah was 109.551 pounds. “The dead weight of the ship, when dry and without water, gasoline, or oil, was 82,000 pounds. This could not be changed and the ship had to be lightened from the ‘disposable,’ in dis tinction from the ‘useful,’ load. The 15 per cent reduction In Inflation meant a 40 per cent reduction in the entire load, as well as 40 per cent less than what an 85 per cent full hydro gen ship could lift.” SHENANDOAH WRECKED BY “MINIATURE STORM” Weather Expert Finds Nothing to Indicate Lightning Struck Big Dirigible. By the Associated Press. COLUMBUS, Ohio, September 4. An “ordinary local thunderstorm, probably a miniature affair compared to the hurricane the Shenandoah rode out at Lakehurst some months ago,” was responsible for the disaster, W. H. Alexander, United States Weather Bureau observer here, an nounced last night. Mr. Alexander, who went to the scene of the crash to investigate, de clared that the storm could not have been forecast and that the dirigible could not have been warned of its presence. Predictions at best only could have informed officers of the ship that storms were likely to occure In the area over which they were passing, he said. Mr. Alexander reported that he found no evidence of a storm other than the wreckage itself, that no trees were broken and that corn standing In the fields nearby was uninjured by the wind. This condition indicated, he said, that air currents were more violent at higher altitudes than at the sur face of the earth. "Lightning might have struck the ‘ dirigible," he declared, "although there J was nothing to Indicate that it had.” I • 11 13 Cholera Cases at Yokohama. fOKIO, September 4 OP).—Thirteen ; cholera cases have been reported at i Yokohama. Authorities* are vaccinat ing a thousand persoris to prevent a i spread of the disease. It is reported officials plan to mobilize reservists In WONDERS OF MODERN SCIENCE WERE INVOKED IN SHENANDOAH ’ The Shenandoah comprises many wonder stories of modern science. Its length, 680 feet, was two-thirds that of the Leviathan, yet its weight of only 37 tons was a tiny fraction of the Leviathan's 50,000 tons. “As the airship floated mysteriously ; overhead.” says a bulletin today from : the National Geographic Society, “it j looked like a magnified cigar wrapped in tin foil, with six tiny baskets sus- j pended from it. ' Inside the covering j were 20 great gas bags, with a total : gas capacity equal to the cubic con- j tents of a train of 700 freight cars, j These were interspersed with from 40 j to 78 gasoline tanks and a comple ment of one-ton water tanks. "This equiptnent was supported by a j metal framework which was a verl i table maze of girders, struts, and j beams; there were 3.000 struts alone in the intricate design. "It is for this metal framework that Iduralium was used —an alloy so light i and strong that a girder 16 foot long : could be balanced on one’s little fin ger, yet if the tips were placed on blocks It would bear the load of eight men sitting upon it. “The engines could drive the craft for more than two days and nights at 60 miles an hour, or if the ship slowed down to a mere average express-train speed of 60 miles an hour It could travel for 90 hours. “In one of Its'six cars was a pho tographic laboratory, so that motion picture reels and photographs could ■ INCIDENTAL TO THE TRAGEDY Mrs. Elizabeth Knox Lansdowne. looking at the skies, flag in hand, in Greenville. Ohio, for her boy’s ship, was informed of his death. George C. Schnitzer. chief radio en gineer, matched a coin with another engineer at Lakehtirst for the privi lege of making the trip, and won death. Lieut. J. B. Anderson, a survivor, clung to a loose girder and with the aid of a rope thrown to him climbed to the hull. F. E. Master, aviation pilot, who had planned to descend by parachute to his home in Akron, came down most of the way to Ohio ground on a girder instead and jumped safely. Chairman Anthony of the House Army appropriations committee, says that the wreck was inevitable sooner or later. “Broadcasting” was the last entry in the ship's log. The ship crumpled in an aif whirl pool. caused by winds of opposite di rection. like a tornado above the earth. The greatest wish of Comdr. Lansdowne, unfulfilled, was to fly over the North Pole. The Shenandoah rode out a worse *storm at Lakehurst some months back. No broken trees or felled corn was found near the scene of the crash. Motorists grabbed souvenirs from i the wreckage and later they were sold I by hawkers at a quarter each. Col. Mitchell says such disasters would not be frequent under a special air service department. Dirigibles and balloons are merely bubbles of gas in frail envelopes. Sec retary Wilbur comments. Henry Ford was to have taken a ride on the Shenandoah when it reached Detroit. C. P. Burgess, an engineer, who helped design her, says the Shenan doah was the strongest ship of her kind built except the Los Angeles, which is shorter and fatter. Helium saved 14; had hydrogen been used, there would have been an . explosion. There’s not enough helium left to fly the Los Angeles now. ' “Don't think that the days of the airship are numbered,” says Lieut. Comdr. Rosendahl, a survivor. , Col. Hall, U. S. A., wHo was aboard, says weather forecasts by wireless 1 would have enabled the ship to avoid i the fatal squall. Chief Machinist Charles H. Broome, who was killed, had survived the ZR-2 i disaster. The Shenandoah, two years old and « costing $2,000,000, had flown 30.000 [ miles, beating any other dirigible's i record. Mrs. A. Gamary, who was in her ; kitchen when the cabin of the Shenan doah crashed into her garden 60 feet ' away, was one of the busiest women . in the disaster area. She administered ; to F. E. Masters, aviation chief rig ger, who miraculously escaped injury „ by leaping from the ship. In her ! kitchen overlooking the scene of 13 of the fatalities she fed him a big coun try breakfast, which he munched as .’ he described his narrow escape. The ' back of his shirt was shredded where a wire had caught him as he leaped. 5 1 > It was daylight when the residents near Ava sighted the approaching Shenandoah, but the lights in the gondolas were still burning, spec tators said. The only other flare re , ported was that from the exhaust pipe as the control cabin dropped into the . Gamary garden. l Machinist Ralph Jones said that the 1 last logging he reported was at 4:3? i a.m. "We were supposed to report cue- locallon-enwr»4ft mlnntenußiwfcdg be developed on itoard and the pic torial story of a flight be ready when the ship landed, or even thrown over board by parachutes at designated places. , Another car had a sound proof radio compartment with a pow ] erful sending apparatus and tele ] graphic instruments. . "The most astonishing Tnechanical contrivance on the Shenandoah was ! the water-recovery apparatus, which replaced the gasoline burned with an equivalent weight of water, and thus saved the valving of precious helium. “The apparatus for recovering water on the Shenandoah consisted of sev eral tiers of long, light pipes exposed to the cooling air, so that the super ■ heated steam condensed and filled ! water tanks. This manufactured j water compensated for the weight of | the gasoline consumed. "Formerly, as fuel was burned, the ship grew lighter and tended to rise. Thereupon the gas expanded and it was necessary to release enough | helium to equalize the lift of the gas to the weight of the ship. "Even htough helium cost has been brought from a radium-like luxury price to $Bl for 1.000 cubic feet, the amount the Shenandoah had to valve on long trips was an expensive oper ating item. On its famous St. Louis visit, for example. 200,000 cubic feet of helium had to be valved. The water-recovery device meant a saving on one such trip of $16.200 —enuogh to pay for the experimentation and I installation of the mechanism." 1 is my opinion that the crash oc curred shortly thereafter." “No fault of the ship's,” seemed to be the unanimous opinion of the crew. All agreed that no ship could have survived the storm. After passing Chambersburg, Pa., the radio log book, picked up near the wreck, says: "Down close to a mountain. Altitude 3,600 feet.” Last night, a message was sent by radio to the Lakehurst naval air sta tion urging the promotion of Chief Yeoman Brennan to the position of chief storekeeper. Lieut. W. L- Richardson. Navy photographer, recovered the suit case containing his camera in an apparent unharmed condition. Opening the case, however, rbvealed that the cameras and plates were broken into a thousand pieces. Richardson cut his fingers in jumping from the ship. McCook Field. Dayton, sent its hos pital ship to the scene, offering to transport the injured to Navy or Army hospitals. The two injured, however, had been removed to Mari etta Hospital. Masters was surprised that his in tended parachute drop at Akron to see his new baby had been Heralded throughout the country. “I didn’t want my wife to know that,” he said. “It was to be a surprise.” The nose of the Shenandoah wreck when the ship was torn loose from its mooring mast at Lakehurst January 16, 1924, during a storm, remained in tact. Lieut. J. B. Anderson of Hyattsville, Md., a survivor, was at Hull, England, when the ZR-2 fell Into the River Humber. He was to have flown back to the United States in the craft as a member of the crew. The Ohio Department of the Ameri can Legion has ordered flowers sent with each casket when they are ship ped from Belle Vajley. DAWES VOICES REGRET. Speaks Briefly From Train at Butte, Mont. BUTTE. Mont., September 4 UP). — Vice President Charles G. Dawes ex pressed deep regret at the loss of life in the Shenandoah disaster as his train, which is taking him to the Northwest, stopped here last tJght. He spoke briefly to a crowd at the station. Flying Twisted Nose of Shenandoah Os Balloon, Six Men Landed It Safely By the Associated Press. CALDWELL, Ohio, September 4. —- With oglythe twisted and torn nose of the ill-fated Shenandoah as a ship, and in the grip of the howling “West ern twister,” seven members of the crew of the dirigible maneuvered their fragment as a free balloon for more than an hour and landed it without seriously injuring any aboard. While the nose fluttered like a leaf in the wind, the men calmly went about getting it on an even keel and slowly let out gas and threw off gaso line, finally bringing it to earth. Suspended in midair and t4b*-afr-girflag»-<frßjr-qraarted-- or~were VALUABLE LESSON IS SEEN IN CRASH Officers Say Need for De veloping Craft to Battle Weather Is Shown. By Consolidated Brest.. CALDWELL, Ohio, September 4. One glance at the giant Shenandoah, once the pride of the naval air serv ice, sprawled out. crumpled and broken, its torn parts scattered over this ryugh countryside, and the lay man is convinced of the futility of lighter-than-air craft. But not so the air navigators them selves, though they are terribly shock ed by the third tragic ending to Amer ican ventures into dirigible operation. Surviving officers of the ill-fated Shen andoah, as well as other naval air officials here, have not lost hope that some day a perfectly safe ligtiter-than air ship will be built. While not talk ing for publication, they see this dis aster as affording one more lesson to be utilized in any further construc tion. Helium gas, developed in this country, eliminated the danger of ex plosions, the cause of previous disas ters, but there remains the task of de veloping a ship structurally perfect to withstand the elements. Wind Too Strong. Thursday’s disaster was simply a case of the wind getting the better of the ship. A few more minutes and It would have passed the local twister that enveloped it when above the rough hills of southern Ohio. The gale and changing air currents proved too much, however, and the ship buckled. “But,” say she naval officers, "there are perils that nature furnishes for every sort of transportation. Ocean liners, including the supposedly per fect Titanic, have come to grief as a result of natural accidents. Railroad trains have had their troubles. In stead of giving up attempts to over come them, builders have set about to meet emergencies. “The lighter-than-alr craft is still pioneering. It is realized now as never before that stress must be put on bettering the structural part of the ships to make them invulnerable In violent air disturbances. That problem will have to be solved in the same way that other transportation problems have been solved.” Souvenir Hunters Busy. The loss of the valuable helium gas was another toll of the disaster. In spection of the widely separated parts of the ship, with tie rear section scattered over a mire of hilly coun tryside and the front section nine miles south, shows that all compart ments have been broken. If they had not been broken by the fall itself thefr fate would have been sealed when the famous native American souvenir hunter got on the job. Only a part of rhe Shenandoah wreckage remained when troops came in numbers to care for the situation. Most every household In this section of the State today is showing a piece of the ill-fated ship. Furnishings of the very cabin in which Lieut. Comdr. Lansdowne and his men met their death have been taken by the irre pressible seeker of souvenirs. Troops End Vandalism. The covering of the ship in huge chunks, parts of the structural work— in fact, everything that could be car ried away—was picked up by the crowd. Troops finally have put an end to the vandalism. Naval officers from Lakehurst. N. J., have set about making a systematic study to determine the exact details of the disaster. One thing conclu sively demonstrated, as seen here, is that helium gas is the idea) filler for lighter-than-air ships. With hydrogen in use the tragedy would likely have spared nobody. But the problem re mains in emphasized form of devel oping a structurally perfect ship. MOTHER HAD AWAITED LANSDOWNE COMING Son Steered Big Dirigible Over Her Ohio Home on His Trip Last Sommer. By the Associated Press. GREENVILLE, Ohio. September 4. —Mrs. Elizabeth Lansdowne. mother of Comdr. Zachary Lansdowne. had anticipated greeting her famous son. commanding the ill-fated Shenandoah, from the yard of her home on Thfrd street, this city, as she did last Sum mer. when the giant ship was steered out of its course to pass over Green ville. Mrs. Lansdowne is recorded as being near collapse, a day of expected joy having been turned into one of deepest sorrow. Neighbors and towns folk called to assuage the grief which has befallen the aged woman, and everything is being done to lighten her burden. Capt. Lansdowne visited her with : his family last November. TWO FOUND DEAD IN AUTO Police Believe Man Shot Woman, Then Committed Suicide. DENVER, Colo., September 4 (/4 s ).— ; J- L. Wallace of Knoxville, Tenn., and . Mrs. Ethel E. Sherman of Denver were , found dead In an automobile today, victims, police say. of suicide and mur der. Wallace killed Mrs. Sherman by - firing a bullet into her head and then r took his own life, police said. Wallace, a dairy chemist, was said to be a member of a wealthy Knoxville family. On June 20 William Sherman, the woman’s husband, filed suit for di vorce, naming Wallace co-respondent. lowa Temperature Records 104. DES MOINES, September 4 OP).— The highest temperatures for Septem ber in lowa since 1913 were recorded yesterday by the United States i Weather Bureau, which said that the com crop in northwestern lowa, al ready damaged by drought, had suf fered further. The highest tempera ture was 104, at Sheldon. pulled to places of comparative safety ■ after the ship broke up. One, not so fortunate, F. J. McCar thy, chief rigger, was swept from his perilous perch in the forward end of the nose to the ground when the ' motorless craft struck a tree. He is in a Marietta Hospital in a serious condition. With three men forward and three aft in the nose it was maneuvered to a safe altitude after brushing trees and at least one farm house. Lieut. Comdr. C. E. Rosendahl and Lieut. J. B. Anderson directed the release of the helium gas and gasoline in such a way that the nose landed without d •ervwely injuring any aboard. AIRSHIP BUCKLED 7,000 FEET IN AIR Senior Officer, Surviving, Files Formal Report With Navy Department. By the Ansoeiated Preen A telegraphic report on the Shenan doah disaster was received hy the Navy Department last night from Lieut. Comdr. O. E. Rosendahl, as the senior surviving officer. The message said: “Mild storm suddenly followed by violent line squall subjected ship to enormous uncontrollable angle strains and rapid vertical ascent, resulting in ship's structure breaking in two at about 7,000 feet, at vicinity of frames 130 and 90. Control car very quickly” wrenched free in air, undoubtedly precipitating occupants. Forward wing cars wrenched from ship’s struc ture in air. “Forward section ship free ballooned approximately one hour with seven oc cupants, McCarthy being knocked out of ship by tree in landing. Midship section crashed with three occupajtts. only Gunner Cole being injured in landing—injuries not serious. After section crashed, landed 17 occupants safely. "Forward section of ship landed at Sharon about 10 miles east of other sections, which landed at Ava. Prob ably eight casualties from radio and control car. Probably three casual ties from keei and three from forward wing cars. "Sections of ship were deflated hy hand completely and anchored as well as possible. Deputy sheriffs and American Legion guarding property until arrival of troops from Columbus. Accurate identification of dead com pleted. “Lieut. Hendy, with survivors, left this afternoon and should arrive Lake hurst Friday morning. Bauch. Mayer, two chief petty officers, and myself are remaining here as long as neces sary. Lieut. Wiley arrived this after noon from Detroit and will remain while needed. “Personal effects all hands salvaged from ship. No fires during or after disaster. In my opinion, value of salvageable material is almost negligi ble. "LIEUT. COMDR. ROSENDAHL. “Senior Surviving Officer.” WELCOME PLANNED FOR SHIP IN WEST Hundreds Looked Forward to Visit of Air Giant on Long Flight. By the Associated Press. CHICAGO. September 4.—Hundreds of Midwest citizens looked forward to the visit of the Shenandoah on its trip through Indiana, Illinois. Missouri, lowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin. Michigan and Ohio and the Twin Cities. The turning point in the circuit had planned an elaborate welcome for the giant and her crew. The published itinerary of the dirigi ble called for a refueling stop at Scott Field. Belleville, 111., some time to morrow. Thence she was to circle 'over St. Louis, nose westward to Kan sas City and then swing northward over Bt. Joseph. Mo., and Des Moines. lowa, to Minneapolis and St. Paul. Nine planes from the 109th Minne sota Aero Squadron, under Maj. Ray Miller, were to meet the craft 60 miles south of the Minnesota State Fair Grounds Saturday and escort her over the fair on the opening day. Thou sands from all parts of the Northwest planned to visit the grounds to see the air giant. On the homeward journey the ship was to sail over Milwaukee and Ra cine, Wis., around the south end of Lake Michigan, over Chicago to De troit, and then to Toledo to pick up the original trail, on which yesterday's disaster occurred. At Milwaukee the ship was to have circled over the State fair, and plans had been made for an airplane escort over the city. When the Shenandoah sailed over Milwaukee on her Western trip in 1924 thousands remained up all night watching for her. and a similar interest had been manifested by the citizenry in the ap proaching visit. At Detroit the ship was to have been tied up at the mooring mast of the Ford airport for inspection by aviation engineers and citizens, but no elaborate public reception had been planned. CRAFT FUTURE NOT IMPAIRED Shenandoah Disaster, Lamentable as It Is, Without 111 Effect, Plane Manufacturer Says. By the Associated Press. CLEVELAND, Ohio, September 4. —Lamentable as is the accident, it can have no real effect on the tre mendous future for the lighter-than air craft. Glen L. Martin, airplane manufacturer and authority on aero natuics, declared today, commenting on the Shenandoah wreck. Mr. Martin offered the Government all facilities of his plant, planes and men in its employ. The Shenandoah was too light to be efficient, he said. The future of lighter-than-air craft lies in ships of tremendous size. The strength and lifting power of a dirigible increases in proportion to the cube of her dimensions, while the weight increases only as the square of the dimension, he explained. [ The bigger the ship, th\| stronger. If i the wreck is found to ha-ve been due to an engineering fault, that can be i corrected easily. But It will he rather terrifying if found to have been due to natural phenomena, Mr. Martin added. WRECK WAS INEVITABLE, HOUSE MEMBER ASSERTS Anthony, of Army Appropriations Group, Tells of Fight on Lighter- Than-Air Craft. By tbs Associated Press. LEAVENWQRTH. K&ns., Septem ber 4. —Commenting on the Shenan doah disaster, Representative D. R. Anthony, jr., chairman of the House Armp appropriations subcommittee, said: “While deeply regretting the loss of life, the wreck of the big ship was inevitable sooner or later. In my opinion, these very largo lighter than-air craft have no military value , sufficient to warrant the expenditure , of-millions In their construction, and , they cannot stand the strain of great storms. “For several years I have carried a provision in the Army appropria , tion bills which absolutely prohibited construction out of the Army air funds of large lighter-than-air ships of this type.” The Chilean section of the Tranaan dlne Railway will be electrified.