Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-08-06
Mighty AirShip, After Record
Breaking Trip Over Europe
Totally Destroyed by Explo-
sion and Hurricane,
FOUR MEMBERS OF CREW
DANGEROUSLY INJURED
Universal Sorrow at Mishap
Suffered by Aeronautic Won
der Worker Who Is Already
Busy on Plans for New Craft,

Busy on Plans tor New Craft,
TBy Morning journal sDecial Lsased Wlre.I
Echterdngen, Aug. s. ~ A dra-
matte end came today to Count Zeppe-
Inns long endurance flight in his mon
ster dirigible. balloon, and tonight 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. chapter
of accidents occasioned by bad moods
of nature and the failure of mechan-
ical appliances combined, was respon-
sible for the untimely end of the bal
loon, the flights of which have held
the attention Of the world, and for
blasting the ambitions OF its inventor,
Count Zeppelin. The count, almost
broken-hearted and unable longer to
endure 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 it. Soon after its
departure It was found that the front
motor was working badly, ewing 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 consider
ably reduced his speed During the,
night he made an ascent of nearly
5000 feet, losing a considerable guam
tity of gas. This deprived the ballooni
of some Of its buoyancy. over Ech-
terdingen, Count Zeppelin decided to
land. Although this was the first time
that such a maneuver had been at
tempted with regular balloon, the
landing was effected smoothly, only
one of the steel wire stays being
broken. The engineers Immediately
set about making repairs to the ball
loon, which rode at anchor in the CEN
ter of large force of military which
had been called out to keep the crowds
away. Count Zeppelin telegraphed to
Friedrichshafen for more gas cylinders
and then went to a neighboring inn
for luncheon He was away for over
two hours and was destined to see only
the wreckage of his airship when he
returned.
The local railway companies ran
special cars TO convey the curious
sightseers to the spot while Tcdcs-
trians. automobiles and wagons loaded
with peasants also flocked to the VI
cinity.
II Is estimated that the crowd
around the monarch of the air num-
bered nearly 10000 persons
At 2 o'clock this afternoon a wind
suddenly sprang up and some of the
weather-wise bystanders called the at
tention Of the officers to the fact that
a storm was brewing and advised the
officers to secure the balloon. Their
warnings were unheeded.
The balloon swayed too and fro,
sometimes rising a few feet from the
ground. At 2;5S o'clock formidable
gust Of wind struck the airshlp broad
side. At first the craft heeIed over
and then her bows rose In the air. car
rying with them a number of helpers
holding the ropes. After polslng for a
moment at a height of fifty feet. IL
rushed forward against a cluster Of
fruit trees. The impact uprooted
them The airship returned to the
earth even more suddenly than II rose.
and came crashing to the ground.
With a thunderous roar the forward
motor exploded From the bows OF
the balloon shot forth a llvld flame.
while from the rear escaped thick
clouds OF black smoke which caused
the entire structure to disappear from
the view of the thousands of specta-
tors.
When the air cleared the balloon
was seen lying In an open field on a
high plateau, with only the ragged.
tangled strips of the aluminium envel-
ope still remaining The metal stays
and bands and portions of the motors
were strewn about In pieces like old
iron, and blackened with smoke and
scorched.
Officers rushed forward and found
that several soldiers had been hurt
The four engineers who we're on the
front platform Of the airshlp had es-
capped death, but they were suffering
from injuries They were taken to q
hospital The men tried, when the
balloon broke away. to couple up the
motors, 80 az TO ascend beyond dan.
ger, but they were unsuccessful.
Count Zeppelin was Immediately
sent for When he arrived and saw
the hopeless wreck he broke down Hi
head was bowed on his chest and