The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-05-26
AIRSHIP BURSTS 800 FEET UP,
10000 People See Spectacular Accident
At Oakland. Men Jumped to
Ground.

Oakland, Gala, May 23.-A
mammoth airship, on it's trip trip
in Berkley today, .usc 800 feet
from the earth in view of 10000
spectators, tilted, burst and drop
ped to the ground with its crew
OF sixteen men, every one of whom
was injured. With the possible cx-
ception Of one all will recover. Sev-
en- were severely hurt, while nine
were cut and bruised.
l.. c. Roers, engineer, whose
right leg was fractured and who
was injured internally, may die.
The accident was spectacular. A
great corcourse Of men, women and
children from Berkeley and Oakland
had gathered around field, where
in the great airship had been filled
with illuminating gas. The airship
rose slowly from the Garth. The
flvc gasoline engines, suspended
beneath the long gas receptacle at
intervals Of about Krtv feet. each
attended by an engineer, were not
put i'll operation until the airship
was well i'll the air Then two Of
the engines slowly yet in motion
the long propcllcrs reaching out
from them on each side Of the
ship. Before the ship could be pro-
pcllcd further than few feet the
forward crd tilted downward un-
til the craft stood at an agile Of
about rs degrees, nose downward.
The members Of the crew were
apparently trying to run along the
canvass pathway in order to cqua-
lie the weight and to right the air
ship, and they clung desperately
to the netting and supcrstructurc.
The rush of the gas to the stern
of the long gas bag caused the ell
vclopc to burst with a loud ripping
noise. The release Of a great guam
titv Of gas caused the airship to
settle towards the earth. Some Of
the crew lost their heads and
jumped. suffering broken limbs or
severe bruises. Nearing the earth
the ship lost gas more rapidly and
the Ovcrwcightcd remnant WAS
borne to the earth rapidly and with
great force. Morrcll, the inventor
Of the craft. and several Of the en-
gincers, were caught in the under-
structure and injured by the ell
gines. AS the gas bag burst and the
ship fell towards the earth. men,
women and children screamed and
ran in every direction. Several wo-
men tainted and children were
knocked down. A cry OF horror
rose as several men lcapcd from
the ship and hurled themselves to
earth, where they landed with
thuds that brought groans from the
injured and created alarm among
the onlookcrs. AS the ship crash
ed to the ground a moment later.
hundreds Of men rushed forward,
and with knives ripped the gas
bag in hundred places. cutting
away the vanished material to gcr
out the men buried underneath.
The I'M jurcd men were quickly talk
cn TO the Roosevelt Hospital and
Oakland hospitals.
!. +. AIorrcll had a long time
been engaged in building. and cH-
plotting his airShip. which was
more than 400 fcrr long and .,6
feet in diameter. He announced
that it was only a model Of the one
: he intended to builO, declaring that
he would construct a ship I.2oo
feet long and capable OF carrying
500 passengers. The gas bag was
in the shape of a torpedo. with blunt
ends. The five engines were suS-
pended by means Of heavy network
AZ canvass running board connect
ad the engines. The ship was not
in the al rlong enough to determine
ks.Shcthcr it could be propelled and
irectcd by the ten propcllcrs. two
Driven by each engine. tt is said
EtO have cost $4,000.