Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-06
MONSTER AIRSHIP
IS TOTAL WRECK
EXPLOSION PREVENTS RECORD
VOYAGE
COUNT ZEPPELIN ESCAPES WITH
OUT INJURY
Worlds Greatest Air Graft, Which
Cost Fortune, Lacks but Few
Hours Of Completing
Wonderful Trip
tcontlnusa from Pare onsl

0~N
6o00 feet, losing considerable auan-
tity of gas. This deprived the balloon
of some Of its buoyancy
Over Echterdingen Count Zeppelin
decided to land. Although this was the
first time that such a maneuver had
been attempted with q rigid balloon,
the landing was effected easily ana
sfnoothlv one of the steel wire stays
being broken. The engineers immedl-
ately set about making repairs TO the
balloon, which rode at anchor IN the
center Of large force OF mllitary
which had been called out to keep the
crowds away.
Count Zeppelin telegraphed to Fried
richshafen for more gas Cylinders
and then went to a neighboring inn for
lunch.
He was away for over two hours
and was destined to see only the wreck
of his airship when he returned.
The local railroad companies ran
special cars to convey the curious
eightseers to the spot, while pedestrl-
ans. automobiles and wagons loaded
with peasants also fiooked to the VI
cinity.
It is estimated that the crowd around
the monarch of the air numbered near
ly 10000 persons.
At 2:S0 o'clock this afternoon q wind
suddenly sprang up, and some Of the
weatherwise bystanders called the at
tention of the officers to the fact that
a storm was brewing, and advised tho
officers to secure the balloon. me
warnings were unheeded.
Forward Motor ExpIodes
The balloon swayed to and fro,
sometimes rising few feet from the
ground.
At 2:5s D. m. formidable gust OF
-. dGfd0 At
first the craft keeled over and then her
bows rose in the air, carrying with
them a number of soldiers holding the
ropes, After poising for q moment at
a height of fifty feet 1t rose above
cluster of fruit trees The impact up
rooted them. The airship returned to
earth more suddenly than it rose and
came crashing to the ground. With
thunderous report the forward motor
exploded.
From the bows of the balloon shot
forth a livid flame, while from the rear
escaped thick clouds of black smoke
which caused the entire structure to
disappear from the view of the thou
sands of spectators. When the air
cleared the balloon was seen lying IN
an open field on a high plateau with
only the ragged, tangled strips of the
aluminium envelope still remaining. The
metal stays and the portion of the
motors were strung ABOUT IN pieces
like old iron and blackened with smoke
and scorched.
OFFICERS rushed forward and found
that several soldiers had been hurt.
The four engineers who were on the
forward platform had escaped death,
but they were suffering from injuries.
They were taken to a hospital. The
men tried when the balloon broke away
to couple up the motors, so as to as
cend beyond danger. But in this they
were unsuccessful.
Count Zeppelin was Immediately sent
for When he arrived and saw the
hopeless wreck, he broke down. His
head was bowed on his chest and tears
were streaming from his eyes as he
stood in an attitude OF despair in front
of the shattered mammoth aeroplane.
Then friei44s induced him to enter a
motor car and return to Stuttgart,
whence he left by train for Friedrich
shafen.
An explanation Of the accident by
experts is possibly that one of the
bai1oonets, of which the immense bal
loon was constructed, burst and a
spark of the motor ignited the gas
when the balloon was carried into the
air.
Count Zeppelin's secretary said to-
night that the count is already pre-
pairing plans for another balloon.