The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-07
Scene o the Wreck.

Echterdingen, August 6.-A visit to the spot where the Zeppelin airship only two days ago the master of the air, now lies hopeless wreck would have a saddening and depressing effect upon anyone who had witnessed the magnificent flight of what was once the most perfect balloon yet con- structed. A cold, drizzling rain added to the cheerlessness of the scene The huge carcass of the aerial monster had been torn asunder hy workmen during mum were heaped in tangled masses along the highway.
 Only a narrow streak of burned grass marks the spot where the airship made it's descent yesterday morning. Some of the delicate and complicated machinery seems to still be perfectly good, and even the instruments for the taking of photographic views during flight escaped destruction in the ex- plosion. Everything of value that might be used again has either been removed to place of safety or is un- der guard. The ground, however, is filtered with remnants of half burned balloon cloth and splinters of wood and aluminumi The two gondolas that were suspended. beneath the car are practically intact and the forward mo- tor was still in order when it was tried today. The piles of gas tubes sent down to renew the gas supply have been removed by the cavalry and shipped back to Fredrichshafen
 Conspicuously in the scene of the disas- ter stands forth the enormous bow of the airship, with It's huge button-like center- piece. This has not been at all damaged It looks like a colossal basket, and is at least 12 feet high. Close by is the trunk of tree split to the roots To this the airship was tied when the catastrophe oc- cured. It seems that the head or bow of the ship was broken clean off from the main body of the ship. It is quite evil dent also that the gas could not have ig- nited at this end of the bow, as otherwise the bow would have been destroyed.
 Only one of the machinists who wit messed the explosion yesterday could he found at the scene today. He said the disaster was inexplicable. Neither motor was working at the time, and there was neither light nor fire anywhere near the balloon.
 How it occurred" said this man, lis an unfathomable mystery"
 It Is assumed that the strong concus- sion to which the airship was subjected by whirlwind caused the self-ignition of the hydrogen gas. Many other versions of the disaster are advanced by those who witnessed 1t, but on the whole the ex- planation set forth In these dispatches last night seems to be most near the truth as it Is possible to get. Some of the eye witnesses are inclined to blame the military authorities for the loss of the ship. It seems that when the whirl- wind came sweeping over the field hun dreds of people rushed over the cordon of soldiers, prompted by the desire to hold the airship to the ground by the guide ropes, but the officers gave orders that the crowd be driven back and not permit ted to approach, A few minutes later the huge body struck the ground with full force and the explosion occurred. The de- vastation wrought in neighboring corn fields and fruit gardens illustrates forci- bly, the cyclonic power of the whirlwind that wrecked the ship.