“Pride of Navy’s Airships Meets Disaster While on Its Way to Middle West
AMBULANCES AND PHYSICIANS RUSHED TO AID OF VICTIMS
Caldwell, Ohio, Sept. 3, 1925—(A. P.)—The giant dirigible Shenandoah is no more. It went down in three pieces here early to-day and killed its commander, Lieut. Commander Zachary Lansdowne, and at least fourteen of the officers and men, making up her crew.
The airship struck a line squall—a variety of storm most feared by airmen—shortly after 5 o’clock this morning near this Noble county village, while traveling at an altitude of 4000 feet enroute from Lakehurst, N. J. to the West.There was no explosion, wee big ship simply met winds of a strength which it was unable to combat. After encountering the storm at the high altitude the ship headed heavenwards to an altitude of approximately 5,000 feet when it suddenly came down again and broke into three pieces. One piece, | 150 feet or more in length, fell in a field about, one and one half miles from Aya, ‘The control compartment in which were commander and navigating crew fell fifty feet away and the third section, 150 feet long, drifted through the air like a free balloon for twelve miles, landing neat Sharon;”
03 Sep 1925, Page 1 – Harrisburg Telegraph at Newspapers.com
Two days later was the hottest day on record in Alabama.
Wayback Machine
September 1925 brought the most severe drought on record to Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee.
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On September 6, 1925 the average maximum temperature in Alabama was 106F
September 6 and 7, 1925 were the two hottest days in Tennessee.
