The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-05-29
4 GIANT AlRsHIp
BURSTS IN THE AlH
Drops Three Hundred Feet With
Sixteen People.
10000 PEOPLE SEE MACHINE FALL


Oakland, Cal. Especially SixteeI
occupants of the Morrell airship, tn.
largest ever constructed, fell 800 fee
when the craft collapsed on its tria'
trip. None was killed, but all of tbs
16 men were seriously injured. They.
suffered broken legs and arms ant
several probably have internal in
juries and will die, it is believed
Thousands of persons gathered jus.
before noon to witness the trial
The giant ship, which was 450 fee
long and SO feet in diameter, com.
bination of aeroplane and dirigible
air craft, driven by six gasoline en-.
gines generating 200-horsepower
rose successfully from the ground to
height of 800 feet.
The car was occupied by 16 mer
who had become interested in the
invention and who agreed to make
the trial trip before buying stock ir
it. All are residents of Berkeley and
Oakland. Suddenly the large gas
bag, containing 500,000 cubic feet OF
Illuminating gas, burst. The ma
chine began to settle slowly as the
gas escaped, and it appeared that ii
would settle to the ground without
injuring the occupants of the car
When it was within IS feet of the
ground, however, the remaining gas
was let out with rush and the
whole machine, thousands of pounds
in weight, dashed to the ground with
terrific force The occupants of the
car were caught under the heavy ma
chinery. Among. the thousands watch,
ing the ascent were many women
As the big machine collapsed and
dashed to the ground scores of them
tainted. The 16 injured men were
taken to the Roosevelt Hospital, in
Berkeley.
The accident was spectacular. A
great concourse of men, women and
children from Berkeley and Oakland
had gathered, around a field wherein
the great air shaft had been filled
with illuminating gas. After much
waiting that made the onlookers anx.
ious, the stay ropes were cut and the
airship rose slowly from earth. The
six gasoline engines, suspended be
meath the long gas receptacle at in.
tervals of about so feet, each at,
tended by an engineer, were put is
operation until the afrship were well
up in the air. Then two of the en-
gines slowly set in motion the Iona
propellers reaching out from them
on each side of the ship. Before the
ship could be propelled further thar
a few feet the forward end tilted
downward until the craft stood al
an angle of As degrees, nose down
ward
The members of the crew were ap.
parently unable to run along the can
vas pathway In order to equalize the
weight and to right the airship, anl
they chung desperately to the netting
and superstructure. The rush of tht
gas to the stern of the long gas bas
caused the envelope to burst with
loud, ripping noise.
The release of a great quantity
of gas caused the airship to settle
toward the earth. For few mo.
ments it looked as though it would
come down slowly enough to avoiG
any injury to the 16 men.
Some of them, however, lost Their
heads before the ship could aiighi
and jumped, suffering broken limbs
or severe bruises. Nearing the eartL
the ship lost gas more rapidly and
the overweighted remnant of gas
was borne to earth rapidly with great
force. Morrell, the inventor of the
craft. and several of the engineers
were caught in the understructure
and injured by the engines.