American Air Fatality

Hokitika Guardian, 5 April 1933, Page 5

American Air Fatality

DIRIGIBLE FALLS INTO SEA

SEVENTY-SEVEN MEN ON BOARD

FOUR MEN REPORTED RESCUED

PARTICULARS OF AIRSHIP.

NEW YORK, April 4

It was an hour after the Akron was forced down that wireless messages were received from the German oil tank-ex “Phoebus” which was standing by. The messages said: “We have saved four men, including Lieutenant Wiley. All 'are suffering from submersion and shock. We cannot -gave all.”

The Phoebus gave the position of the Akron as being from ten to fifteen miles off the Barnegat light, and about 45 miles from the New York harbour.

The weather was then blustery, with rain squ'alls. The dirigible, Akron, is attached to the navy.' -She is 785 feet long. Her gas capacity is over six million cubic feet. She cost over six million dollars.

She started on a short cruise jn the afternoon, with many naval officials aboard, including Rear-Admiral William Moffet, the Chief of the Air Division

\A general alarm, has been broadcast. All of the naval vessels in trie vicinity are proceeding to the scene under forced draft.

The Navy Department- early on Tuesday mustered -all -resources to rush to the aid of the Akron down at sea. Lakehurst 'Naval Station officers have informed the Navy Department that the chances of the Akron’s survival are slight.

SEVERAL men SEEN To DROWN

NAVY WITHHOLD INFORMATION

NO MORE BIG AIRSHIPS

NEW YORK, April 4

The Phoebus reports that when she approached the scene of the Akron crash she found mattresses and wreckage floating in the water. After rescuing three men, the Phoebus saw other men sink before they could be reached.

The Phoebus radioed to the Navy Department at 4 a.m., .stating that the Akron had crashed at 12.30 a.m. in a widespread thunder storm. The Phoebus added that three was wreckage and also many men on the water when the Akron was last seen. The Navy Department are withholding official information, but the indications are that the eight million dollars dirigible Akron is probably a total loss.

At the. same time, the hope of rescuing any of the seventy-three. remaining men is steadily diminishing.

SEVENTY-SEVEN MEN ON BOARD

BAD WEATHER FOR SEARCH

NEW YORK, April 4

Th© Akron fell into the sea shxtly before 1.30 o’clock on Tuesday morning with Admiral William Moffett, one of tile seventy-seven men believed to be aboard, the others comprising nineteen officers and fil'ty-seven enlisted men. The Akron went on a test flight from Lakehurst, New Jersey.

The steamer Phoebus reported rescuing the chief officer and three other men. iSh.o, later reported that she was searching for survivors.

Weather conditions at sea are reported to be unfavourable, with low visibility.

Though the air "’as choked with wireless, details of the Akron disaster wrjre not available two hours after the first word had been received. ■ The Akron was equipped with every modern means of communication, hut .she sent no message, as far ax is learned, after reporting all well at 8 run. on Monday.

.PHOEBUS PICKS UP S.O.S

The weather to-day prevented the despatch of any airplanes until daybreak.

The dirigible crashed twenty miles east of Barnegat. The casualties are still, undetermined.

AKRON SENDS OUT S.O.S

DRIFTING INTO A. STORM,

NEW YORK April 4

’Headquarters here said that the T\ : - vate opinio i •of the naval officials at Lakehurst r. tnticn is that the airship Akron wkas struck hv lightning during the storm.

CASUALTIES THOUGHT TO BE HEAVY

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.)

NEW YORK, April 4. The mammoth American dirigible, "Akron,” with seventy-seven people on board, is down in the sea off Barnegat, in the State of New Jersey. The damage and casualties have not yet been determined. A German tank steamer, the "Phoebus,” reported as follows, early on Tuesday: "The United States dirigible "Akron” is afloat off the New Jersey Coast with seventy- seven men 'aboard. We have picked up some of the crew, but we cannot get all.” Later reports show that the circumstances of the "Akron’s” fall into the sea are not yet available.

At exactly 1.30 a-m. to-day the C-apo May radio station picked up from the airship Akron “S.Q.S.” signals. At 3.30 a.in. to-day, observers at Ship-bottom, near Baimegat, reported to the coastguards™en that they saw Iliime3 shooting' skyward at s-ea, It is unknown whether they were flares used by boats in searching for the Akron, -or by the German tanker that was standing by the dirigible.

For 'a time flares from the ill-fated dirigible were visible at the Barnegat Lighthouse. Later the flares apparently drifted out of range. The time of the Akron’s crash has been fixed at 12.30 o’clock this morning, during a , violent thunderstorm, Four hours later the Phoebus reported that after she li'ad rescued four men, she had lost sight of the dirigible, and that the wreckage of it was drifting seaward into the storm and darkness at a rate of about twelve miles per hour. It was being blown by a *45 mile an hour offshore wind.

The coastguard boats are expected to reach the Akron at five o’clock this morning. There are three known survivors of the Akron. They are:—Lieutenant Commander Herbert Victor Wileys, the airship’s executive officer. Metalsmith Ei-win, the boatswain's mate. Ohi-Af Radioman Copeland. The latter’s condition is considered serious.

CASUALTIES MAY BE HEAVY. NEW YORK, April 4,

Commander Cunningham, who is in charge, of the Third Naval District, in reply to a question as to whether he thought there has been heavy loss of life, answered: “Very heavy. 1 guess—very heavy I”

(Received this day at 10 a.m.) WASHINGTON, April 4. The chairman (Mr Vinson), of the Hous e naval committee said : “There won’t he any more big airships built. We have built three and lost two.”

DESCRIPTION BY A SURVIVOR

OFFICER’S BODY WASHED ASHORE

(Received this clay at 10.15 a.m.) NEW'YORK, April 4

A message received liei'e said that the body of Lieut.-Commander Harold IMacLellan was picked up by a coastguard.

A message, signed ‘Wileys,’ given out by a coastguard, said, in part; “We are surrounded by lightning at the Light (presumably the Barnegat Light). The night atmosphere is not very turbulent. We ran an east course until about 11 p.m., and then crossed to the west. At midnight we sighted a light on the ground and changed oui course to 130 degrees.

“The ship began to descend rapidly from its flyinj altitude, and we dropped ballast. We became entirely surrounded by lightning. About twelve thirty the ship ag:in began to descend rapidly from flying altitude, and at sixteen hundred feet wo dropped bah, last forward, and regained altitude. Thre e minutes later we seemed to be in the centre of a storm, and the ship began to shift about violently. “The ’ ship commenced t 0 de s cend and th e stern inclined downward. The rudder control was carried away, and the descent continued to the water. The ship was demolished upon impact. 'ln a lightning flash we. saw many men swimming among the wreckage which drifted rapidly away. The diiscipli.no in the control car was perfect.”

(Received this day at 11.30 a.m.) NEW YORK, April 4. Four men arc reported rescued, but OUp of these later died. Every available agency is being pushed to aid thp f lien “Air Queen,” as the Akron was also known. Sailplanes, land planes, and coastguard boats sped toward the scene of the crash about twenty miles off the Barnegß Light, and approximately forty-five miles .from New York Harbour.

The Tanker Phoebu s , flying the flag of the Danzig Fve ( . State, bound from New York for Tampico, was within a few miles of the Akron when th e wireless spluttered an S.O.S. through the static choked skies at 1.30, There w k no further word from the aircraft which apparently descended vapidly, either falling, 0 r crippled to a point of forced descent.