The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-05-25
AN AERIAL sHlPWREcK
the Earth, Killing or Gripping
the Members of It's Crew

oakland, Gal, May IA mammoth
airship ON it's trial trip in Berkeley
yesterday rose 800 feet from the earth,
lin view Of 10000 spectators. tilted,
burst and dropped to the ground with
its crew Of sixteen men, every one of
whom was injured. With the excep
ton of one. all will recover. Several
we're severely hurt, while nine were
cut and bruised.
The accident was spectacular. A
great concourse of men, women and
children from Berkeley and Oakland
had gathered around a field wherein
the great airship had been filled with
Illuminating gas.
The airship rose slowly from earth
I he five gasolene engines, suspended
beneath the long gas receptacle at in
tervals of about fifty feet, each at
tended by an engineer were not put
in operation until the airship was wei:
UP in the air. Then two Of the en-
g1nes slowly put in. motion the long
pfopellers reaching out from them on
each side of the ship. Before the ship
could be propelled further than a few
feet the forward end tilted downward
until the craft Stood at an angle of
about Az degrees, nose downward.
The members Of the crew We're ap-
rarently unable to, run along the can
vas path in iordef to equalize the
weight and right the airship and they
The Fall to Earth
The rush of the gas to the stern of
the long gas bag caused the envelope
to burst with loud ripping noise.
The release of the great quantity of
gas caused the airship to settle to-
ards the earth. Some of the crew
lost their heads before the ship could
s!ight and jumped, suffering broken
limbs or severe bruises. Nearing the
earth the ship lost gas more rapidly
and the over weighted remnant of gas
was born to earth rapidly with great
force Morrell, the inventor of the
craft, and several of the engineers
were caught in the under structure
and injured by the engines.
AS the gas bag burst and the ship
fell towards the earth, men wOmea
and children screamed and ran in ev-
cry direction. Several women tainted
ana cnllQren, were kIlOckeu uoWH.
A cry of horror rose as several mei
lear ped from the ship and hurled them
selves to earth, where they landed with
thuds that brought groans from the
injured and created alarm among the
Knockers.
AS the ship crashed to the ground
a moment later hundreds of men rush.
ed forward and with knives ripped the
gas bag in a hundred pieces. cutting
away the vanished material TO get
cut the men buried underneath The
injured men were quickly taken to the
Roosevelt and Oakland hospitals.
Had Cost $4,000.
j. A. Morrell had for long time
been engaged in building and exploit
ing his airship, which was more THAN
400 feet long and So feet in diameter.
He announced that it was only
model of the one he intended to build,
declaring that he would construct a
ship LOO, feet long and capable of car
rying 500 passengers. The gas bag
vas the shape of a torpedo with blunt
ends. The five engines were suspend
ed by means of heavy network. A cam
1ass running board connected the en-
sines. The ship was not in the air
long enough to determine whether It
could be propelled and directed by the
ten propellers, two driven by each en-
CINE 1t is said to have cost $4,000.