Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1908-06-06
SIXTEEN men DROP 800 FEET
FROM MID-AIR.
Accident at Oakland, CaI.-None
Killed, but All lnjured-Their Fight
a Spectacular one-Accident Causes
Panic-Other Accidents in East in
Which a Number Are Hurt.


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. By one of
those peculiar and fortunate chains of
circumstances which sometimes attend
sensational accidents, these 16 men
miraculously escaped death. None of
the injured, with the possible excep-
ton of one, is expected to die. Seven
of them are seriously hurt and nine
severely bruised and suffering from
the shock
The accident was a spectacular and
sensational one. Probably 10000 peo-
pie from Berkeley and Oakland had
gathered about the big vacant lot
wherein the great aterpillar-shaped
aircraft had been inflated with 500 900
cubic feet of Illuminating gas. 1t was
just 1880 when the stayrOpes were
cut and the airship rose slowly. The
five gasoline engines suspended be-
meath the big bag at intervals of prob
ably so feet, each attended by an engi-
neer, were not put in operation until
well up into the air, when two of them
had slowly set IN motion the long pro-
pellers reaching out from either side.
The engines were suspended indie
pendent of each other and the weight
did not appear to be equalized, for be-
fore the ship could be propelled fur
Their than few feet the forward end
tilted downward and the airship stood
at an angle of As degrees, suspended
in the air. The engineers and the
other members of the crew seemed TO
lose their heads, and instead of run
ming along the canvas pathway in Or
der to equalize the weight and to right
the airship they chung desperately to
the netting and fraii superstructure.
Gasbag Rips.
The rush OF gas to the stern end of
the long airship and the tremendous
weight of the engines and crew caused
the none too substantial envelope to
burst with a loud ripping noise. The
release OF great quantity of gas
allowed the airship to settle slowly to-
ward the earth, and for a few mo-
ments it looked as If it would come
down slowly enough TO avoid any in
jury TO the 10 men Some of them, |
however lost their heads before the
big machine could reach the ground /
and jumped. These escaped with |
broken limbs or severe bruises. Near
ing the earth, however the gas es-
capped with a rush and allowed the en-
gines and the big bag 10 come down
with great force MOrrell. the inventor
of tho craft, aud several OF the engi- |
neers We're thus caught and injured |
By the engines
Panic Ia the Crowd.
There was a panic in the big crowd
thai watched the ascension when The /
airship Deean to an AS d burst aud
fell toward thc earth Women screamed
aud iGu n fright ln every direction.
Several of Them tainted and had 10
be cared for
When the alrship landed on tAe
ground hundrods of meu rushed Tor.
Nald and Nlth Aniyes ripped the gas
baF IA hundred places cutting away
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