Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-08-07
HIT BY LIGHTNING
COUNT ZEPPELIN'S GREAT AIR
SHIP IS RUINED IN
STORM.
SAD BLOW TO OLD AERONAUT.
Nobleman Has Spent Most of His Life
and LaviShed Fortune to Per-
feet His Ship.
DISASTROUS END OF HIS VOYAGE.

STUTTGART, Aug. 5.-The Zeppelin
airship broke away from its mornings,
took fire and disappeared in the air.
Several persons were injured. Count
Zeppelin, however. is safe
1t now appears that the airShip ex-
ploded during thunderstorm ut >
o clock this afternoon. Previous to eN-
ploding it burst into flames. 1t is sup
posed to have been struck by lightning.
The latest report from Echterdingen says
it is ruined.
Bursts Into Flames
The storm blew up unexpectedly. \
fierce gust of wind tore the balloon from
its anchorage and drove it in Il south
westerly direction for some fifty yards.
Here the rear end of the great fabric
dropped and smoke and flames were
seen to burst out from one end to the
other. Then i'll Il few seconds came the
explosion and 4 great column OF flames
shot upward into the air This was fol
lowed by a crushing down to the earth
attached to the under side of the air
ship. Several bystanders were knocked
down.
Two causes had conspired 10 make it
necessary to land the airship at Echtcr-
d!ngen, the overheating of the piston boN
of the forward motor and the escape ut
considerable gas. owing to the fact that
the count took the airship to Il height
of about 5000 feet.
Disastrous End of Trip.
The airship had just completed the
most remarkable voyage i'll the history
of aerial navigation. 1t left the Lake
of Constance yesterday morning for a
trip to Mayence and return. The flight
was successful in a great many ways.
The machine responded absolutely to
the control of its pilots and was navl-
gated over the Lake of Constance, down
the valley of the Rhine over Strasburg
and several other cities, and was eX-
Dected at its starting point this morn
ing. 1t suffered an accident last even
ing, however, and had to come to the
surface of the Rhine for repairs. These
however. did not take long and the
airship was soon on its way again.
Shortly before s o'clock this morning,
when the machine was expected at
trledrichshafen, its point of departure,
it came down at Echterdingen, five miles
south of Stuttgart, because the piston
box of the motors had become overhead
ed and also because the amount Of gas
in the balloons had been reduced as Il re-
suit of sailing in high attitudes.
Great Blow to Count.
Count Zeppelin has devoted his life
lllllp anu Ills JcISOudl lOlluH W lllt hc
velopment of his airships. The vessel
that was lost today was the fourth he
has constructed. When his own money
had become exhausted the German Reich
stag voted him $l25,0OO to condu It fur
ther experiments and No. was the re-
suit. The German government agreed to
purchase this ship on condition that it
fulfilled certain requirements, the prin-
cipal one being that it remain in the air
twenty-four hours and land on terra
firma. This stipulation had not been full
filled.
The airship was AS feet long, with Il
diameter of about 10 feet. 1t tapered to
blunt point at the bow, while at the
stern were various rudders and frames
used in steering. 1t was fitted under
meath with two independent platforms.
each car carrying Il motor capable of
developing 40 horsepower. As many us
sixteen passengers had been taken alOft
at one time. Sleeping accommodations
were provided for the crew, and an APP
paratus was installed for the dispatch
and receipt of wireless telegraph mes
sages. The initiating gas was distributed
among sixteen separate interior compart-
ments, which were contained within the
outer rigid envelope of aluminium.
Recalls Patrie Accident.
The accident to he Zeppelin airship
recalls the eEd of the French military
airshp Patrie in December, 1907, which
was then considered the finest dirigibe
balloon in existence. The Patrie was
undergoing repairs to her machinery at
Verdon A sudden gust of wind struck
the airship and the 200 men who were
holding the guide ropes were dragged
along for several hundred yards before
they let go. The balloon then shot up
to a great height and disappeared. Five
days later the Patrie came down in Ire
land