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105 Years Ago, 1921 transcribed as originally published in the Youngstown Vindicator:
"Airship explodes; 44 dead. Local man reported safe. Report of Esterly's death denied later. ZR-2, which U.S. was to have brought from Britain for $2,000,000 explodes over river at Hull, England…."
"London, Aug 24 (Associated Press) -- The giant airship ZR-2, purchased by the United States from Great Britain, exploded over the city of Hull today, according to advice received here shortly after 6:30 o'clock this evening. The airship is a wreck in the River Humber….
"A Hull message announces that the badly burned body of 'Ensign Marcus Asterley' was taken to the mortuary. It asserted that Captain Swean, the British officer who commanded the ZR-72, was unharmed. It is assumed here that by 'Asterley' is meant Lieutenant Marcus H. Esterly, American radio officer of Washington. D.C.
"A dispatch to the Press Association form Hull says five men were saved from the crew of 49.
"The airship was passing over Hull in fine style when suddenly it was seen to break in two. Instantly there were terrific explosions and the airship burst into flames and commenced to descend. Three parachutes were seen to leave the ZR-2.
"The explosions in the big dirigible were of such force as to wreck many of the windows of store fronts in the center of Hull.
"Burning fragments from the airship belched dense columns of smoke and flame which extended for hundreds of feet along the surface of the water.
"Eyewitnesses saw at least four men descend from the burning airship by parachute. Three men were seen hanging from one parachute.
"Marcus H. Esterly, son of Aaron Esterly, attorney, who resides at 242 Auburndale Avenue, Youngstown, was a member of the American crew of the ZR-2, being a radio operator. He has been in the air services since 1912, having been stationed in this country during the World War as an instructor at the Akron flying field, Pensacola, Fla., and was last at Norfolk, Va. Before leaving the United States about a year ago the first of last month, in company with the crew which was to bring the ZR-2 to the United States.
"He is thirty years old and his wife and three children are at present in this city, the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Esterly. He graduated from the Rayen School in the class of 1909...
"It was while the ZR-2 was cruising over Hull that she was seen to emerge from the clouds and suddenly break in two. One portion appeared to rise in the air. The other descended slowly and fell into the Humber. One explosion occurred as the ship was falling and another after it touched the water. The wreckage floated on the water about 200 yards from the riverside quay and continued to burn….
"The ZR-2 was the largest dirigible ever built, the dimensions being as follows: Length, 695 feet; diameter, 85 feet; capacity 2,700,000 cubic feet; total lifting capacity, 83 tons.
"The aircraft was operated by six engineers. She was estimated to have a cruising radius of 60 miles per hour, giving a capacity to make an aggregate of 6,000 miles of uninterrupted flight. She had a capacity for officers and crew of 42 men. The gasoline supply was 10,900 gallons. It was estimated that she would cross the Atlantic in 72 hours….
"The purchase price of the ZR-2 was to be $2,000,000. This, it is assumed, was to become effective after the aircraft had completed her trials and was delivered to and accepted by the American authorities…. The monetary loss, under the circumstances, apparently falls on the contractors and those instrumental in building the ship."
-- Compiled by Dante Bernard, museum educator at the Mahoning Valley Historical Society.