6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 6-12, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com 831 Most days, a person standing on the giant rock that is Point Sur can look out into the distance over the Pacific Ocean and see nothing, save for the occasional whale spout. This is true today and it was true 90 years ago, when lighthouse keepers still staffed this facility that is today a State Historic Park. So it would have been particularly remarkable for lighthouse keepers Thomas Henderson and Harry Russell Miller on Feb. 16, 1935, to see a massive military airship, 785 feet long and 147 feet high, floating northward about three miles offshore and about 1,000 feet above the surface of the ocean. The USS Macon was a marvel in its day. Designed along with its sister ship, the USS Akron, in 1926, the rigid airship was inflated with 6.5 million cubic feet of helium gas. Four small aircraft were stored onboard for scouting missions, and to rejoin the massive dirigibles, pilots of those Sparrowhawk F9C-2 biplanes would aim perfectly for retractable trapeze bars. The Macon was ready for its first test flight in 1933, and relocated to Moffett Field in the Bay Area the next year. On one test flight, as it returned to Moffett on Feb. 12, 1935, the Macon hit weather off the coast of Big Sur. A gust of wind tore off a fin, and the rest of the ship unraveled from there. Henderson and Miller watched from Point Sur as fog thickened and misting rain started to fall; they turned on the foghorns, and within 10 minutes, visibility improved. By the time they caught sight of the Macon again, it was over. According to a transcript of an investigation, Henderson described watching the outer shell rip apart. “At times it looked like some torn-up newspapers, not quite that color, but of that appearance,” he said. “Fragments could be seen falling and drifting.” Miller’s account was similar: “It seemed like a paper sack that blew apart…strips just hung there and whipped in the wind.” “When this happened we were very much excited,” Henderson said. “We were aware of the fact that the Macon was in distress.” Two sailors died, one who jumped fearing that death was imminent as the airship sank toward the water. But its descent was slow enough that the other 74 crew members survived. The crash marked the beginning of the end of an era. (The Akron fared worse; it was destroyed in 1933 in a thunderstorm off the coast of New Jersey, killing 73 of the 76 people on board.) Now 90 years after this loss, volunteers with the nonprofit Central Coast Lighthouse Keepers are bringing the story back to life at Point Sur. A small group will reenact the experience from shore, standing where Miller, 46, and Henderson, 49, would have stood, reciting the words they are reported to have said, at the same time of day (5pm) that the crash occurred. “We have their actual words, because they both testified at the investigation,” says volunteer Dennis Mar. “It will give a very visceral feeling to this event.” Mar grew up in Sunnyvale, with trips to Moffett Field as part of his childhood. “I read about dirigibles growing up, and I’ve always had this affinity for it,” he says. “Then I realized, nobody else is doing commemorations like this.” The story of the Macon interests many visitors, says volunteer/ lighthouse historian Carol O’Neil. Many come for lighthouse history or the scenery, and are surprised by what they learn: “It’s kind of a wow moment,” she says. Mar has seen an exhibit at Moffett dedicated to Macon artifacts and interpretation, but hopes to get at something more human in the curated experience on Wednesday, Feb. 12. “We have the actual testimonies of the keepers. I thought, we should do something because nobody else is doing something,” Mar says. Point Sur Lighthouse is open for public tours at 10am Saturday-Sunday and 1pm Wednesday. Highway 1, 3 miles north of Andrew Molera State Park entrance, Big Sur. $15/adults; $5/children ages 6-17; free/children 5 and under. 625-4419, pointsur.org. Dead Zeppelin Volunteers at Point Sur Lighthouse revive the wild story of a dirigible crash offshore, 90 years later. By Sara Rubin The USS Macon is immortalized inside the Point Sur Lighthouse with newspaper clippings, photos and a model of the military airship that crashed off the Big Sur coast 90 years ago. “It seemed like a paper sack that blew apart.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE KATIE RODRIGUEZ Looking to take your Chamber Membership further? Committees are a great way to be more involved with your community while expanding networking opportunities. Each of our committees has a specific purpose and would not be possible without the help of our volunteers like you! Contact our office to learn how you can join an MPCC Committee today. MPCC Committees: Economic Vitality • Government Affairs • Marketing Membership/Ambassadors • Special Events Join Today! • montereychamber.com • info@montereychamber.com • 831.648.5350
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