Evening Star Newspaper, September 3, 1925, Page 4

o Tl LANSDOWNE WON HONORS IN SERVIGE Was Pioneer Air Pilot—Other Victims Had Distinguished Records. By the Ascociated Prees VVILLE, Ohio, September 3 —Comdr. Lansdowne was born in Greenville December i. 1859, He left | high school in his junior year to take up a naval appc ent at Annapolis in 1905, and was graduaied in 1908 In the naval aviation service 1915 he was one of the first as pliots, and was decorated for distin guished naval air service by the for mer Prince of Wales, now King George of England, on his visit to America Lansdowne was land at a n America s comma British eric Berli ha time when Mr as first American Am many after the W Two brothers, cinnati, and He ing engineer in dition to the mother a Betsy Ross Lansdowne Kinon of Rapids, Wis., 2 born of this marriage. His sec wife was Miss Betsy Ross, Wash ington, D. C. Lawrence Escaped Twice. T. PAUL, Minn., September 3 (#) Lieut. J. B. Lawrence, 34, Killed i the Shenandoah crash, was a membe: ew of the ill-fated Navy dirigi , which exploded at Huill, I jand, in 1928, with heavy loss of life. Pilot of a Na alloon in the Gordon Bennett race in_ September. he narrowly ped death when his bal loon crashed into another Lieut. Lawrence enlisted ir naval air service immediately war was declared in 1917. His mother C. G. Lawrence of St. Paul, is his_bride of 18 months at kehurst. N. J AUSTIN, Tex., September 3 (#) Lieut. Comdr. Louis Hancock, killed in the Shenandoah crash, was the son of Mrs. Lewis Hancock of Austin, and a member of one of the oldest and most prominent families here. He was mar. ried at Wildwood. N. J., on June 3 1924, to Mrs. Joy Bright Little, daugh ter of Senator and Mrs. Willlam H Bright. Prior to the outbreak of the war he was engineering head of the Pacific flotilla of the United States Navy WASHINSTON AN HILLED N WRECK Lieut. Willilam Ed Sheppard of | Washington, who was killed in the Shenandoah disaster, had been at- | tached to her since the christening | in 1923. He was the son of Mr. and | Mrs. John A. Sheppard, 209 Tyelfth street southwest. Lieut. Sheppard re ceived his education in the Washing ton public schools and after complet- | ing his courses went to work for the Ford Motor Co. here, where he remained until the outk of the World War. He entered the naval service on July 2z, 1918, and was immediately sent to Detroit, where he was at the Packard Motor Co. super. vising the buildin rplane m When the new airplane carr Wright was being fitted out he ordered to duty aboard that and remained there until June 2 when he was ordered to the naval station at Pensacola, Fla., for instruc tion in heavier-thanair craft. He served there until November 15, 1922, when he was sent to the Naval Hos: pital, in Washington, for treatment, and upon discharge was assigned to duty in the Bureau of Aeronautics in the Navy Department at Washington On March 1, 1923, he was detached from the bureau and sent to Lake hurst, N. J., for duty in connection with the fitting out of rigid airships. When the Shenandoah was christened on Oc as ordered to duty aboard < Lieut. Sheppard was married about eight years ago to Miss Alta Plowden of this city, and they had one child, Edgar Sheppard. § years old. The mother and child are at Lakehurst, N. J. Lieut Sheppard also had a brother, B. B. Sheppard, living at 1844 Irving street; a_sister, Mrs. Mary I. Plarr, living at Ballston, Va., and an other sister, Mrs. Carrie Bidnead, who lives_with his parents at the Twelfth street address. Dirigil)](; History Since War Costs Lives of 126 Men 1 dirigibles being experimented various powers with a view p develor nt in the post. war period have t with dis: T The principal cases were as follows: The French dirigibl Dixmude fell into the Mediterranean December 21, 1933, after having presumably been struck by lightning, and the officers and crew, numbering 62 men, were all lost. The dirigible ZR-2, which was bought in England for United States, met with disaster over the Humber River August 24, 1921, her frame buckling. Over 40 persons, including 16 Ameri- cans, lost their lives in her destruc tion. The giant Army dirigible Roma hought by the United States from 1taly, crashed to earth in flames near the Hampton Roads Army base on February 21, 1922, and 34 men were killed. The British dirigible R-34, which made the transatlantic journey in JSuly, 1919, was wrecked at her base by & strong wind on January 29, 1921. fatalities, however. accidents included in July 21, s of ten lives when an airship fell in flames into the Tllinois Trust and Savings Bank, at Chicago. July 15, 1919—British airship 2 11 fell into the North Sea, with a loss of 12 lives, after being struck by light ning. June 20, 1914—Alrship and airplane colltded at Vienna, killing 9 September 9, 1913—Zeppelin L-1 de- stroved off Heigoland, with loss of 15 COMDR. ZACHARY LANSDOWNE, in charge of the Shenandoah, who was killed. p by Harris & Ewing. LIEUT. J. B. ANDERSON of the Shenandoah’s crew. LOSS OF AIRSHIP IS SEVERE SETBACK TO MEN BUILDING NAVY AVIATION (Continued from First Navy requested. The Dayton, Ohio. Army station, he said, was in readi- ness to take the air on a moment's notice. The American Red Cross sought information both from the Navy and the Associated Press, and ordered aid sent from the nearest Red Cross chapters at Cambridge and Caldwell. As the relief plans shaped up dur- ing the morning Navy medical assist- ance was ordered dispatched from Cleveland, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Klein to Take Command. Comdr. Jacob Klein was ordered to fiy at once from Lakehurst and take command at the scene of the disaster. Lieut. Comdr. Wick and Comdr. Fulton of the Construction Corps in Washington left for the scene by plane. "The recruiting officer”at Cincinnati took charge of the subsistence and transportation of the surviving per- Uyse. sonnel back to Lakehurst. October 17, 1913—Zeppelin L-2 ex- ploded over Joahannisthal Airdrome, The Red Cross order, addressed to its chapters at Cambridge and Cald killing 28. well, directed them to “immediately July 2, 1912—The bailoon Akron, |arrange for such emergency relief as groomed for a transatlantic voyage, exploded at Atlantic City, killing b. ides the Zeppelins L-1 and L-2 Count Zeppelin lost four great peace- the situation requires and use chapter funds for that purpose as representa- tive of the national organization.” Theodore Bock, national headquar- time dirigibles in accidents—the Zep- |ters representative, was instructed to peline 3 and 6 and the Deutschlands 1 and & proceed immediately to Caldwell. A message of sympathy was sent by THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. THE SHENANDOAH ANCHORED TO HER MOORING MAST FOR A WEEK'S TEST. She broke loose in a heavy gale, with the entire crew aboard, but was not injured. THE INITIAL FLIGHT OF THE SHENANDOAH AT LAKEHURST. The big airship attained a height of 1,200 feet and traveled about 30 miles an hour. Secretary Wilbur to Lakehurst, with instructions that it be transmitted to all bereaved families. Tried to Avoid Danger. The danger which wrecked the Shenandoah, Mr. Wilbur said, was one the Navy had tried to avoid. Last Summer " the department refused to send the craft into the interior be- cause of the prevalence of storms. When it was suggested that the Shen- andoah make the Midwest flight last July, the Secretary. said, Comdr. Lansdowne came to Washington and conferred with Admiral Eberle, chief of naval operations; Rear Admiral Moffett, chief of naval aeronautics, and other officers. As a result of his advice it was decided to defer the flight until this month, when it was r?)ll[ conditions would be more favor- able. Lansdowne Set Date. Comdr. Lansdowne himself, Secre- tary Wilhur said, was allowed to fix the time of the flight and to arrange the course. This was in accord with a policy of never issuing pre-emptory mers to officers In the dirigible eerv. | Mr. Wilbur declared the accident had been connected with that branch would lead to no change in the de- partment's policy toward the Los Angeles. While she cannot be used for military purposes, it is assumed she can be employed in a limited way in tests, to demonstrate capacity of operation. Among all officers there was a feel- ing of thankfulness that the Shenan- doah was not inflated with the ine flammable hydrogen gas. An explo- sion during the breaking up of the ship undoubtedly would have led to much greater loss of life. In his message of sympathy to the commanding officer at Lakehurst, Sec- retary Wilbur said: ‘Please extend my profound sym- pathy and express my great Sorrow to each family at Lakehurst suffering loss by the wreck.of the Shenandoah. We honor the officers and men killed and injured and deplore the loss we share in common with you. May God comfort you in your affiiction. Admiral Eberle also sent condolences. Comdr. Lansdowne haa been in command of the Shenandoah since February, 1924, and was regarded as one of ‘the ablest naval officers in lighter-than-air craf{t operations. He LIEUT. L. B. LAWRENCE killed in the Shenandoah cr: Copyright by Harris & Ewing LIEUT. C. E. BAUCH, a member of the Shenandoah’s crew. Copyright by Harris & Ewing. of aeronautics from the first, and was one of those who accompanied the British_dirigible R-34 on its_transat- lantic filght in July, 1919. His first assignment in lighter-than-air craft work was as an inspector at Akron, Ohio, in March. 1917, in connection with the Navy’s first non-rigid alr- ships. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, A VIEW OF THE SHENANDOAH taken from the mooring m REAR GONDOLA. Photograph st at Lakehurst. e it on its flight across the It was several hoy edy before reports react Department began y of vircumstances under which the Details were ater development, while the v concentrated on relief measures. Hall, the Army observer | on the flight, requested a detail of 50 enlisted men and 3 officers from the after the trag- The Navy Department advice show- ed the following rescued and describ- ed as unharmed or having no serious serfous injuries, was received, as fol- SHIP WON FAME BY LONG FLIGHT Bettered Time of Fastest Train From Lakehurst to Pacific Coast. The dirigit by the Bure and constructed statfon, Lakehurst proved type of t ritish he first rigid airship bu in America. Six hundred and eigt feet in length, wit eter of 78.7. she con with a capacity « 1 00 cubic | feet. Her power plant consisted of six 300-horsepower Packard engines, capa | ble of driving her at a maximum speed of 60 miles an hour. The Shena was complete the St f er t flights were attached to h The whe of the nose out of six minutes of tk water were arkak contine West coast, she t for 18 da and Cam and retu Lewis v consumed not cou locating moo fog on two occasions. w minutes inst the f: train t between these points of hours hutes. ing time for connect Carried Ten Machine Guns. The Shenandoah ws helium gas, which is non-inflammable non-poisonous and_the ne gas to hydrogen. This gas from the natural gas of certain f Texas and in commercial quant | 1t is extracted by a Govern in Texas The dirigible was recently equipped with 10 n ne, twc ih S tor. torward irship was steered six power repelling airplane success achieved by She transcontinental to d to plans her 1 States nava expedition to the e The plans as drawn up called stationing vessels, fitted with mooring at Nome, Alaska. and Spitzber gen, the Norwegian archipelag Polar Trip Called Of. ft was hoped she would be able reach the Pole. and her crew was eag for the trip. but after her storm e perience at Lake in wi was torn from the moorin plans for the | doned Ly order « The United 8 other dirigible. the was built at the Zeppelin Friedeérichshafen. ( any Angeles; how r, under the t the peace tr by which constructed, can be used only commerc d experi The only di W The 1 framework of aluminum se, having th steel with only one-third weight. The outer sheathing wi cotton fabric painted aluminum, this merving only as a weather protection and streamline for the gas bags within. BURGESS, CO-DESIGNER OF SHIP, GOES TO OHIO Charles T. Burgess, expert on dirigi ble designing of the Bureau of Aero nautics, who did f the mathe matical work in tural pl for the Shenandoah, left Washington today for Ava, Ohio, where he will tr] to determine what structural weakness of the ship was responsible for tl Roland G. Maver, Seattle, Wash Chief Machinist M Shine Halliburton, Macon, ¢ Lieut. T. ¢ Hendly, Columbia, Tenn.: Lieut. ( E. Burch, Dorchester, Mass., Lieut J. B. Anderson, Hyattsviile, Md., Chief Gunner Raymond Cole, Lima, Ohio. Enlisted men— Louis E. Allely, Logan, Ohio: Henry L. Boswell Bagdad, Fla.; Arthur E. C Moscow, Idaho; James H. Collier Lakewood, N. J.. John J. Hahn Philadelphia: Benjamin O. Hereth Clatonia, Nebr.: Walter Johnson Minneapolis Ralph ones, Los Angeles; Julius E. Malak, Hoovers- ville, Pa.: Frank L. Peckham, Front- stone, Md.; August C. Quernheim Lakehurst, N. J.; William A. Russel Brooklyn, Joseph Shevlowitz Brooklyn, N. Y.; Charles Solar, In dianapolis, and Frederick J. Tobin Arlington, Mass Lester Knox Colemar chief machinist's mate, Fi Tex Mark Jones Donov chief boat- swain's_mate, Philadelph Officers « Lieut LIEUT. CHARLES E. ROSENDAHL, a member of the Shenandoah’s crew. emy in 1909, he had a wide range of | sea service before he was ordered to| the Pensacola fn August, 1917, Air Station he was sent to the| | British airship instruction station at graduated as an airship pilot. served during posts in England, at the Navy De- in connection with aviation operations and in command of an air station in France. was again ordered to duty at the| Navy Department and from Novem- ber, 1919, to February, 1920, was in command of the naval air station at Akron, Ohio, In December, first airship flight using the non-rigid airship C-7. he was assistant naval attache at the American embassy in Berlin, and from there was assigned to duty in con- nection with the contract for the con- struction of the Zeppelin. ZIt-3 Graduated from the Naval Acad-|the Los Angeles, although he did not! partment. here he made the AMES W. W. 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