Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-27

where it dropped to within $50 feet of the
lakes surface.
Ballast was throw out, and when the
craft reached Niagara 1t was practically
without ballast. Captain Mueller attempted
to make a landing, and tried to release the
gas with the rip cord. 1t failed to work
properly, with the result that the big bag
dragged along for 1000 feet.
An ancor caught in a clump OF trees
and snapped from the balloon. which rose
and fell alternately. The basket dragged
over railroad tracks, struck a barn, and
finally landed at the DEVILS Hole, 200 feet
from the gorge. Both the Gregory boys
were seriously hurt.
Count ZeDpelin's Loss.
Inventors have lost fortunes and been re-
duced to poverty by injuries to airships.
The accident to the Zeppelin balloon. Au-
gust 5, 1905, is an instance Of the disap-
pointment which so frequently awaits the
would-be aviator.
After spending an Immense fortune in an
endeavor to conquer the problem OF aero
flight, at the moment of his great triumph
in the navigation OF the air, Count Won
zeppelin's airship was destroyed by light
ming during a storm at Echterdengin, near
NAoh NAN ~
hours, with just two descents to remedy
minor defects, the German airship has con-
tinued Its flight from Lake Constance to
Mayence and back. When just a little
north OF Stuttgart, at s o'clock in the
morning, a further descent was made for
repairs.
While the men were working to remedy
the defective machinery a thunderstorm
burst, the wind tore the airship from it's
moorings, hurting II in a southeasterly d.
rection. II had barely Travelled fifty wards
when 1t was struck by a flash of lightning.
The vessel suddenly plunged earthward,
there was a terrific explosion, followed by
a column OF flame, and the airship, which
had become the pride OF the German ma
ton, vanished into space, leaving it's in
ventor a broken-hearted and ruined man.
One of the most remarkable escapes from
death In a~eronautical history was that OF
Gail Robinson. who sails the Knabenshue
sirship, at Springfield, o., July 10. 1907.
Robinson fell 800 feet, the only mark Of
his experience being a small scratch.
I Every one of the bystanders who wit
messed his ascent expected to see Robin
son dashed to a pulp. At first his machine
shot downward so rapidly II was difficult
for the eye to follow him.. AS he neared
the earth the machine slowed up, and he
reached ground safely.
When the people flocked to the wrecked
balloon, thinking to find Robinson a corpse,
he was coolly lighting a cigarette.
Fell to His Death.
On September 3. Charles oliver Jones. a
~well-known aeronaut OF Hammondsport,
N. Y, who was a personal friend Of Lieu
tenant selfridge, fell a distance Of 800 feet
TO his death. Jones had been at the fair
grounds with his dirigible balloon, Boom
Grams which was known as a Strobel air
ship. He made an ascent in the afternoon.
When the balloon reached a height OF about
500 feet, the bag suddenly caugh fire
Jones fell with the frame OF his motor,
and when the spectators reached him, he
was lying under It. The gas bag was COM
pletely destroyed.
II was Jones who evolved the famous
June Bug" which made several record
flights for short distances. The JUNE
Bug won the Scientific American trophy.
offered for heavier-than-air machines, at
tanning a speed OF about thirty miles an
hour against the wind.
Two OF the pioneers in aerial flight who
gave their lives in the effort to evolve
practical flying machines were Lilienthal
a German scientist, who was killed In the
simmer Of $50 and Nj. Filcner. aao.he.