Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-05-28
GREW OF 10 MEN PRECIPITATED
TO THE EARTH THREE HUN
DRED FEET. Il.
GREAT ENGINES IMPROPERLY
SUSPENDED THE CAUSE
OF THE DISASTER.
NO ONE KILLED AS RESULT OF
THE SUDDEN DE
SCENT.

Oakland, Cal, May PA giant
airship on its trial trip in Berkeley
Saturday rose 300 feet from the
earth before 10000 people, tilted,
burst and dropped to the ground
with its crew of 16 men, every one
of whom was injured. None of the
injured, with the possible exception
of one, is expected TO die Seven of
them are seriously hurt and nine Sc
yereIy bruised and suffering from the
shock.
1t was 1870 o'clock when the stay
ropes were cut and the airship rose
IsIowIy from the earth. The five gas
oline engines, suspended beneath the
big bag at intervals of probably So
feet each attended by an engineer,
were not put in operation until we'll
up in the air, when two of them
islOWly set in motion the long prOpel-
JIers reaching out from their sides.
Tine engines were suspended indie
pendent OF each other and the
weight did not appear to De equally
divided, for before the ship could be
propelled farther than a few feet, the
forward end tilted downward and
stood at an angle of As degrees, sus-
pended in the tir, the rush Of gas 10
the stern end of the long airship and
the tremendous weight of the en-
gines and crew caused the none too
substantial envelope to burst with a
loud ripping noise.
The release of the great quantity OF
gas allowed the airship to settle
slowly toward the earth and for a
few moments it looked as if it would
come down slowly enough to avoid
any injury to the 16 men. Some of
them, however lost their heads be
fore the big machine could right, and
jumped These escaped with broken
limbs or severe bruises. Nearing the
earth. however, the gas escaped with
a rush and allowed the engines and
big bag to come down with great
force. J. A. MorreH, the inventor of
the craft, and several of the engi-
neers were thus caught and injured
by the engines
When the ship landed, hundreds OF
men rushed forward and with knives
ripped the gas bag in hundreds of
places. cutting away the vanished
material to get out the men buried
underneath.
The injured men were quickly res
cued and taken to the Roosevelt and
. Oakland hospitals, where they are
all doing we'll The big airship was
400 feet long and Sc feet in diameter.
It was long torpedo-shaped affair,
with blunt ends, round on top and
saggipg somewhat in the middle on
the lower or under part.
Dragged to Death.
EIdorado Springs, Mo, May "a
Hernie Schroeder, was fatally injured
in attempting to make a balloon as
cension Saturday afternoon. The bal
loon struck a wall with great force
and Schroeder was rendered uncOn-
scious. He was dragged through the
tops of buildings for two blocks, fin
ally landing on the porch of resi-
dence.
Fight With White Wing.
HammondspOrt, n. Y, May PA.
A d. McCUrdy handled Baldwin S
airshtp, the White Wing, in her fifpm
flight here Saturday. One hundred
and eighty three yards was covered,
in f. 50 seconds, the machine 'r'N' =.
ing at Tie rate of 135 mi g an hon
The maximum height was abour 70
feet.
Knabenschue Has Accident.
Toledo May 24-Roy Knaben-
achue anC his new airship, capable ct
carrying three passengers, net with
disaster upon the occasion of its
second flight Saturday. Knabenschue
attempted to alight in a baseball park,
where a game was in progress. bur his
machine becoming unmanageable hit
fence The propeIIers and gear were
badly damaged, and the airshiD will
be out Of commission for several days