SHENANDOAH DISASTER.

Shannon News, 22 September 1925, Page 4

SHENANDOAH DISASTER.

' — NOT CAUSED BY STORMY WEATHER. SAN FRANCISCO, September 19. A message from Cambridge, Ohio, states that an article published i n “The Jeffersonian,” declares the Shenandoah was- in distress for at least two hours before she crashed, during which period no winds were recorded stronger than forty miles an hour, thus intimating that causes other than the storm precipitated the disaster. The disclosures are based on records recovered from souvenir-hunt-ers after the crash, also statements from the survivors immediately after the disaster, and statements from many newly-discovered witnesses. Dr. Arnot, of Loro city, states he saw the Shenandoah at 3.30 a.m,. when she passed over Loro City. Her tail was upturned, and she had obviously lost buoyancy, tumbling and rolling, while the nose was down. It was apparent the pilot was fighting to keep the ship from rising to a greater altitude. George Davies saw the airship over Cambridge at 4.15,, travelling Jltpv; not higher than 2500 feet. The air'ship apparently was in distress. The tail was upturned and the vessel turned off on a southward course about three miles west of Cambridge. The night was then calm and clear. Mr Davies’ statement of the altitude is corroborated by fT?» barograph on the ship’s clock, which stopped at 5.35. The Shenandoah crashed fourteen miles south of Cambridge. Thus, the dirigible took two hours and five minutes to travel the last twenty-two miles. D. Stevens, of Cambridge, states he was sitting in the porch of his home near the scene of the crash. The storm was mild. He said: "It appeared to me the ship’s distress was not caused by the storm, which I would not call severe in the least.” The article .also states: “Some of the crew declared . immediately after the crash. that one of the crew became excited and opened a valve. Another of the crew declared that th e Commander surveyed the weather report at midnight and remarked that there would be perfect weather for the landing next day. The nearest storms reported were slight.” The article concludes: “Evidence obtained at the preliminary inquiry ’ showed •conclusively the velocity of the wind never reached than forty miles an hour.”