AIRSHIP DISASTER.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3316, 21 October 1919, Page 5

AIRSHIP DISASTER.

BURNING 'WRECKAGE FALLS‘

TERRIBLE SCENE IN BANK.

TEN KILIi.ED,- MANY INJURED.

Ten persons have been killed and 100 injured" through a large dirigible, on a. fest flight, catching fire and falling 500 feet, and crashing through the glass roof of the Illinois Trust Savingfi Bank buildings, wl‘i’{C_s a correspondent fom Chicago. - '

The ‘majority -‘ of" the= dead were employ‘eeg of the bank, who were burned to death through ‘the ‘explosi6fi"of the tanks as they hit ’the floor of7the banks, scafltering ‘a'w'ave of flaming petrol over the workers for a radius of 50ft. " '

Men a.n<l girls, with their clothing in flames, fought their way through the only two exits of which the wire cages. wm'(* working. ' _ The" rotunda instantly became a. nlass of flaming wreckagé, »a.nd the intense heat made I'oscue‘l’vAdl'l< extremely difl"l- - V .

It was’3O minutes before the bodies beneath the airship could he re-moved,‘ and they were burned beyond recognition. j ' ‘ Ambulances from all the I]oS'l)itallS in ‘the city 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 ma_ny people were injured and cut. by flying glass as :1 re. sult of the explosion, and others, were badly burned, : . The cerrtral portion of the bank was wrecliccl, as a. result of the explosion and fire. A

It was after banking 'hours when the accident occurred, and therefore none of the public was inside the build-

Tho airship had. been flying over the cify for several Hours, adver'tisi.ng 21. pleasure resort. 51...,¢111y it burst info flames, buckled up, and plun_qr~.r] down~ wards. - T ‘ . Tho members Cf_Hm 0,1-ow"{flld Several I*f:s':r=ngors, all of whom were strmiped in parachutes, jlrnlpod. Several landed safely. but the silk parachutes of others were bllT]]l‘d, and tho \vo:1x'01“s were dashed. to pieces.