Evening star. [volume], May 07, 1937, Page A-5, Image 5

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
18 816 DIRIGIBLES
FELL IN 23 HEARS
Three of Worst Involved
Macon, Akron and
Shenandoah.
Br the Associated Press.
There have been 18 major dirigible
disaesters in the last 23 years—three
of the worst involving the United
States dirigibles Akron, Macon and
6henandoah.
The disaster list:
February 12, 1935—The Navy dirigi
ble Macon destroyed off the Pacific
Coast; 2 died. 81 saved.
April 4, 1933—United States Navy
dirigible Akron crashed in electrical
storm off New Jersey coast; 73 dead,
3 survivors.
October 4, 1930—British dirigible
R-101 exploded over France while en
route from England to India; 46 dead.
May 25, 1928—Italian dirigible
Italia crashed in Arctic In flight to
North Pole; 8 dead.
September 3. 1925—United States
dirigible Shenandaoh, formerly ZR-1,
■wrecked in Ohio; 14 killed.
December 21. 1923—French dirigible
Dixmude presumably struck by light
ning over Mediterranean; 52 killed.
February 21, 1922—United States
dirigible Roma, bought by United
States from Italy, crashed in flames
near Hampton Roads Army base; 34
killed.
August 24, 1921—Dirigible ZR-2
bought in England for United States,
frame buckled over Humber River;
42 killed.
January 29, 1921—British dirigible
R-34, wrecked in gale in Howden,
England; no lives lost.
July 21, 1919—Dirigible burned over
Chicago; 10 killed.
July 15. 1919—British airship NS-11
struck by lightning over North Sea;
12 killed.
June 20, 1914—Airship and air
plane collided at Vienna; 9 killed.
September 9, 1913—Zeppelin L-l
destroyed off Heligoland; 15 killed.
October 17, 1913—Zeppelin L-2 ex
ploded over Johannisthal Airdrome;
28 killed.
July 2, 1912—Balloon Akron ex
ploded at Atlantic City; 5 killed.
Besides the Zeppelins L-l and L-2,
Count Zeppelin lost four other great
peace-time dirigibles in accidents, the
Zeppelins 3 and 6 and the Deutsch
lands 1 and 2.
BUENOS AIRES STIRRED
Airship Was Scheduled to Visit
Argentina in July.
BUENOS AIRES, May 7 MP).—News
of the Hindenburg disaster stirred
Buenos Aires today, especially because
the airship was scheduled to make her
first visit to the Argentine capital in
July.
Arrangements has been made to
take a group of Argentine newspaper
men to Germany aboard the Zeppelin.
A. P. Man Tells
How He Snapped
Blast Pictures
Had Camera at Eye
Level When Ship
Burst Into Flame.
BY MURRAY BECKER,
Associated Press Photographer.
LAKEHURST, N. J. May 7.—I have
been a news photographer for years,
covering major events, but never in
my life have I had such a tragic and
spectacular picture as the destruction
of the Hindenburg appear before my
eyes.
I had taken several ‘‘shots’’ as the
Hindenburg approached the landing
field and had backed away for a gen
erl view when the first explosion oc
curred.
I had my camera up to the eye level
when the ship burst into flames. Like
a hunter, I had my sights on the
target and my finger on the trigger.
I shot the picture showing the first
puff of flames.
Changing my plates, I got a second
picture of the airship striking the
ground with the flames shooting the
length of the ship, and then started
running for it.
It is hard to explain my feelings. I
was in a daze and yet I was trying to
get all the pictures possible in the
least time. One of them was of a man
half-naked, his clothes burned from
him, stumbling from the ship.
Trying to recall everything now, the
screaming of people on the field, the
flaming ship, the mad scramble with
pictures, I find it impossible to co
ordinate them all. It was a moment
of spectacular madness.
Belin
(Continued From First Page.)
tonian on the Hindenburg, was re
turning from studies at the Sorbonne
in Paris. He saved his life by leap
ing from a cabin window 30 feet
above the landing field, and was un
injured.
Was Taking Photographs.
As related today over the telephone
from Princeton, N. J„ by Mrs. Poole. I
whose husband is director of the
School of Public and International
Affairs at Princeton University, the
youth described his experience as fol
lows:
Young Belin was taking photographs
of the landing through an isinglass
window in a forward cabin. Sudden
ly the ship was shaken by a terrific
blast. Out of the corner of his eye,
Belin saw the flames shoot from the
stern of the ship as it tilted and sev
eral other passengers were thrown in
a heap at the forward end of the
cabin.
Two nearby stewards broke the is
inglass and leaped while the zeppelin
began to drop. Belin also pushed his
arm through the window covering and
jumped. In a sitting position, the
youth struck the sandy field, lunged to
his feet and started to run from the
falling, crackling ship.
Almost Immediately, according to
Mrs, Poole, Belin realized that he
might be of assistance at the blazing
craft, now lying In a crumpled heap
of blazing, oll-soaked material. He
returned to the ship, found he could do
nothing and began a search for his
parents In the hysterical mob of ter
rified spectators.
The elder Belins and the Pooles had
been awaiting the Hinderburg’s moor
ing In the field office. Against the
F. L. BELIN, JR.
background of the flames, they saw no
one jump.
"It seemed absolutely inconceivable
that any one could survive that acci
dent,” Mrs. Poole immediately said.
"Almost immediately after it hap
pened, Mr. Poole told me to lead the
Belins away from the field. We were
all sure that Peter had been killed,
but my husband wanted to approach
the ship with the possibility of giving
assistance.
"The Belins were marvelous. I sup
pose the shock made them practically
insensate. They were perfectly com
posed. As the shock began to wear off
—as they began to gather the full im
port of the tragedy—we heard that
whistle. I can’t describe its effect, but
we wheeled around and there was
Peter, perfectly calm, to tell his grief
stricken parents that he was all right.”
The Belins left Princeton for Wash
ington by train this morning after
spending the night at the "ooles.
Popular in Washington’s younger
set, young Belin was graduated from
Yale University last Spring. He ex
pects to enter a foreign service school
here this Pall. At the Sorbonne he
studied subjects to prepare him for
the service examinations.
Father Was Minister to Poland.
His father was Minister to Poland
in 1932-3, and previously had been
with the Scranton (Pa.) Lace Co.
in his native city. Related to the
Du Pont family of Wilmington, Del.,
he was a vice president of the E. I.
du Pont de Nemours dc Co. and was
associated with the Aetna Explosives
Co. before entering the American
foreign service.
Prior to his appointment as Min
ister to Poland he served as secre
tary in Peiping, China; Constantinople
and London. He was also secretary i
of the American delegation at the
London Naval Conference in 1930.
Shortly after his escape last night
young Belin telephoned the Yale Daily
News, student newspaper in New
Haven, Conn., to tell of his experi
ence. Friends and relatives here,
however, did not learn of his fate
until his father called the local resi
dence at about 9:30 p.m.
AIRSHIP BLAST GIVEN
AS SPEEDING EXCUSE
District Baker Tells Judge He
Was Brooding Over Tragedy.
Escapes Fine.
Carl P. Reichel, 54, local baker,
was released on his personal bond on
a speeding charge by Judge Walter J.
Casey in Traffic Court today when
he told the court he was brooding
over the crash of the German dirigible
Hindcnburg at the time of his arrest.
Reichel said he lost a brother when a
Zeppelin fell in flames in Ekigland
several years ago.
Reichel asserted he was on his way
home to the 1700 block of L street
and was so occupied with thoughts of
the two tragedies that he did not
know he was traveling 40 miles an
hour until Pvt. R. L. Dowell arrested
him at New York and New Jersey
avenues.
The brother, Reichel said, was a
member of Germany’s force manning
lighter-than-air ships.
ICKES’ CONTRACT PLAN
ANNOYS WESTERN FIRMS
Another Federal Order Let to Bid
der Farthest From Scene
of Construction.
By the Associated Press.
Secretary Ickes awarded a Grand
Coulee Dam materials contract today
to that one of several identical bidders
who was farthest from the scene of
construction.
Commenting on this policy, which
has come to be recognized as uniform
with him in cases of identical bids,
he said:
“The practice of awarding the con
tract to the firm which ships from the
mo6t distant point (from the scene
of construction) is beginning to irk
the Western concerns. They are find
ing that identical bidding places them
at1 a disadvantage.”
The contract, for 2.942.685 pounds
of steel for the Washington State
Dam, went to the Camegie-Illinois
Steel Corp. on a bid of *77,250.
Chronic cases of
Cystitis
have been helped by neutralizing the
trouble-causing acids with Mountain
Valley Mineral frater direct from fa
mous Hot Springs, Arkansas. Buijd
up your alkaline reserve with this
deeply satisfying health water. Phone
Met. 1062 for a case today.
Mountain Valley Mineral Water
MET. 1002. 140S K 81. N.W.
miw
1315 F STREET N.W. 1
-199 A. S. BECK STORES IN NEW YORK. PHILADELPHIA. WASHINGTON, DETROIT. AND S5 PRINCIPAL CITIES■■■■J
* \ f ft
.'■* *
HINDENBURG USED
PORT AT OWN RISK
Navy Stipulated TT. S. Be Ab
■olved From All Responsi
bility in Accident.
By the Associated Press.
The United States Navy stipulated
In advance that use of its facilities at
Lakehurst were "entirely at the risk” I
of the operators of the dirigible Hin
denburg.
An explanation of this Government’s
arrangement with the dirigible oper
ators—granting them mooring and
servicing facilities at the Naval Air
Station at Lakehurst, N. J., for their
1937 schedule—specified that:
‘‘By the terms of the permit, the
operators of the Hindenburg art
granted permission to use certain air
ship facilities at Lakehurst not now
in use by the Navy under conditions
based on the general premise that the
use thereof is entirely at the risk of
the permltee and entirely without ex
pense or responsibility on the part of
the United States.”
Canteen Established by Queen.
Under Buckingham Palace there is
a canteen which was especially built
by Queen Victoria for the royal serv
ants.
SWEDISH JOURNALIST
MISSING IN DISASTER
Br the Associated Press.
LAKEHUR6T, N. J., May 7.—Among
the Hindenburg missing today was
Birger BrincJfc Swedish journalist and
one of the editors of the Stockholms
Tid ingen.
Elnar Thulin, American representa
tive of the paper, said he had sought
, Brinck In vain everywhere. The editor,
he said, had made the air trip to the
United Stat&o to interview Gov. George
Earle of Pennsylvania in connection
with the 150th aniversary of the land
ing of Swedish colonists In Delaware
County, Pa.
PARTY CANCELED
Pete to Honor Luther Called Off
After Crash News.
Members of the German Embassy
staff had arranged a farewell supper
to Ambassador Hans Luther last night
at the home of the air attache, Lieut.
Gen. Friedrich von Boetticher.
Instead, the honor guest and host
were flying, to Lakehurst, N. J., at ths
supper hour for first-hand investiga
tion of the Hindenburg explosion.
Luther will return to Germany soon,
his term here having ended.
One company now controls all sales
of Japanese matches.
Have you a skeleton in your closet? Have you
a perfectly good coat and vest you're ashamed to bring
out into the open — because the pants look shabby? Stop
being plagued by these ghosts! We can show you how.
'dr We’ve a particular pride in seeing our clothes live to
a ripe old age —for selfish reasons. It's a swell way to
make friends —and hold them! Sturdy woolens do
their part. Fine needlework helps a lot. But in the long
run, theft’s nothing like an extra pair of trousers for
extra wear. They're your "ace-in-the-hole"—your "old
age" insurance—a luxury you can easily enjoy. Extra
trousers cost nothing extra. at Bond*s — the only
place in town where 2 trousers are included with
every suit! 'dr For most men, buying a new suit of
clothes is a major operation. Make it a successful one!
P.S. Our prices have not been raised!
•25 '30 ‘35
two trousers with every suit*
Gobordinct
1335 F St. N. W.