The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1908-08-07
GERMANY Will
REPLACE A|RSH|P
ZEPPELlN's DlRIGlBLE CRAFT is
WRECKED BY WIND.
SEVERAL PERSONS ARE INJURED


Where Balloon Had AIighted for
Repairs After Triumphant Flight.
Preparing Plans for Another Airship
Berlin, Aug. 6-The German gov
eminent, II Is announced today, will
make large appropriation for a new
airship to be built by Count Zeppelin
Popular subscriptions for that pur-
pose are also being taken up through
out the country.
Echterdipgen, Aug. GA dramatic
end came TO Count Zeppelins long.
awaited endurance flight in his mon.
ster dirigible balloon, and today the
proud airship, which yesterday was
cutting rapidly through the air and
outdistancing pursuing automobiles,
lies In an open field near here a mass
| OF twisted, useless metal. A chapter
of accidents occasioned by bad moods
of nature and the failure of mechan.
| ical appliances combined were re-
| sponsible for the untimely end OF the
| balloon, the flights Of which has held
the attention of the world, and forever
| Count Zeppelin. The count, almost
heartbroken and unable longer to en-
| uMre the sight of his shattered craft,
has left by train for Friederichshafen
The airship had left Nackenheim,
] the scene of its first mishap, and over.
| night had visited Mayence and begun
on the homeward journey when mis-.
| fortune overlook II. Soon after its de.
| parture It was found that the front
motor was working badly, owing to
| the fusing of metal In the groove in
| which the piston rod ran. This was
caused by friction. Consequently
| Count Zeppelin was compelled to rely
on one motor on the rear platform
throughout the night, which consid-
| erably reduced his speed. During the
night, too he made an ascent of
quantity of gas. This deprived the
balloon OF some of it's buoyancy.
Over Echterdingen, Count Zeppelin
| decided to land. Although this was
the first time that such a maneuver
had been attempted with a rigid bal
loom the landing was Effected easily
and smoothly, only one of the steel
| wire stays being broken. The eng-
neers Immediately set about making
repairs to the balloon, which rode at
anchor In the center of large force
Of military, which had been called out
10 keep the crowds away. Count Yep.
peln went to neighboring inn for
luncheon. He was away somewhat
over two hours and was destined to
| see only the wreck Of his airship
when he returned
Motor Explodes.
A wind suddenly sprang up and
some OF the weather-wise bystanders
called the attention of the officers to
| the fact that storm was brewing
| and advised them to secure the bal
loon. Their warnings were unheeded.
| The balloon swayed to and fro, some
times raising a few feet from the
| ground. A formidable gust Of wind
struck the airship broadside, At FIRST
the craft heeled over and then her
bows rose in the air, carrying with
them number of soldiers holding
the ropes. After posing for a mo-
ment at height OF fifty feet, it
dashed forward again into a cluster
OF fruit trees. The impact uprooted
them. The airship returned to the
earth even more suddenly than it rose
and came crashing to the ground.
With a thunderous roar the forward
motor exploded. From the bows of
tho balloon shot forth a livid fame,
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
the tattered aluminium envelope still
remaining. The metal stays and
bands and portions of the motors
were strewn about in pieces like old
iron.
Several Soldiers Hurt.
Officers rushed forward and found
that several soldiers had been hurt.
The four engineers who were on the
forward platform of the airship haG
escaped death, but 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 ascend beyond danger,
but were unsuccessful. Count Yep.
pelin cant f,r yvl,o..