The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-26
FALL TO DEATH FROM BALLOON Four French Officers
 Are Killed. BAG BURSTS IN THE AIR envelope ,llapses And Soldiers
 YAre crushed. Das ., 4ce Feet to Ground After Louo Report ef ExpIos,en-were
 Experimenting for the
 Army.
BAG BURSTS IN THE AIR

Moulins, France, Sept. 25.-The Frencn dirigible military balloon Re- pubiique exploded in the air five mics from nere this morning and was com pieteiy wrecked. The four men on board were killed.
 tenant Chanre and sub-Lieutenants Vincenot and Reux.
 The Republique left La Palisse, where she mad been engaged in the re- cent army maneuvers, at o'clock this morning, in Charge of Captain Marcnal She passed over Mouths ct a quarter before at an altitude of 400 feet, go- ing at a high rate of speed. and appar- ently under perfect control. The off, cers in the cars were waving their hands in response to che enthusiastic cheers from the people below them when. without warming. the airship ex- ploded with loud report.
 At the time she was sailing at an al- titude of more than 300 feet. The wrecked envelope and car fell to the ground immediately ahd the four men on board were crushed to death.
 It was the intention of Captain Mar mobile containing mechanics was fol- lowing the balloon. It was almost di- rectly beneath 1t when the disaster oc- cured.
 The car fell straight down. carrying the futtering remnants of the envel- ope and the occupants were buried be- heath the wreckage. All were dead except Lieutenant Phaure, but he lived only few minutes after being re- moved. sS
 The bodies were transported to the chautau d'Avrilly, the property of the Marquis de Chavennes.
 Lieutenant Tixier. who was in com mand Of the automobile. says the bal loon suddenly burst and collapsed. 1t seemed to oscillate violently @ mo- ment prior to this as if 1t had been struck and fell with the rapldity of a stone.
 Apparently death in the case of the three men had been instantaneous.
 An examination of the airship dis closed the cause of the accident. The axle of the right propeller had broken and the propeller had passed through the envelope. falling in field about 15e yards awoy.
 National Calamify.
 Paris. Sept. 25--The destruction of the Republique assumes the magnitude of a national calamity, especially as the French had come to believe that the semi-rigid type. which is the sys- tenn employed in the construction of their dirigibfes. was superior to the rigid type wh oh has been adopted by Count Zeppelin of Germany. Presi- dent Fallieres and Generai Brun. Min ister, of War. who were informed of the catastrophe. while engaged in the Inauguration of the first International Exhibition of Aerial Locomotion at the Grand Palace. were much affected and left the building immediately. The President instructed General Brund to send the coincidence of the government to the families of the vic. tims
 The disaster has thrown e damper on the exhibition, where thousands of interested in the problems of avia- tion had gathered to celebrate the re- cent performance in aerial navigation.
 The accident recalled that of 1902, when the dlrigible balloon La Palx, belonging to the Brazilian Sever0. ex- ploded at height of 1.200 feet. while enroute from Paris to Issy, killing the pilot and mechanician. The consensus of opinion, however. is that no aeci- dent, no matter how depiorable, can now stop the onward march of avia- ton.
 M. Briand, the Premier. and M. BFun left for Moulins this afternoon to pay a tribute to the dead officers.
 The cause of the accident was the subject. of discussion among the ex- perts at the exhibition.
 M. Reuff,s who is showing a hybrid diriRible aeroplane at the exposition believes the only way to precent such accidents Is to equip the dirigible with planes, by which it can glide to the earth in the event of the envelope bursting.