The Irish standard., 1910-07-02
AERIAL TRAIN
MEETS DISASTER
COUNT ZEPPELlN's GIANT CRAFT
DASHED TO PIECES IN
GERMAN FOREST.
WITH PARTY OF NEWSPAPERMEN
Thirty-three People on Board Alrship
In Wild Scramble to Safety
Gale Bullets Ship In Clouds
-Trees Tear Bag.

Dusseldorf. June 29.-Count Zeppe.
Inns passenger airship Deutschland,
the highest developed of all the fam.
GUS aeronaut's models, lies on top OF
the Teutoburgain forest, pierced with
pine tree stems, mass of Debated silk
and twisted aluminium. The 33 per-
sons aboard, after wild contest with
storm, escaped uninjured, descend
ing rope ladder from the wreck OF
the pine tops.
Herr Colesmann, general manager
Of the new airship company; Chief En-
gineer Duerr of the Zeppelin company,
and Captain Kannenberg, of the crew
Of ten, and 20 newspaper men sailed
from Dusseldorf at $3.50 a. M, Tuesday
for three-hour excursion. The OBJ
jective point was Dortmund, about IS
miles from Dusseldorf, but a high
head wind prevailed and an effort was
made to reach Munster, garrison
town, SO that landing might be made
on the parade ground by the aid OF
the soldiers.
1t was dangerous to attempt land
ing in an open field because of the
storm, AZ the metal was likely to
pound to pieces. In the high wind one
of the motors refused to work and the
other two were not powerful enough
to make any progress in the gale. The
airship drifted, swaying In the violent
or6 nootiyoono 1ooninr RI
angle of 40 degrees, while all the en-.
ginemen were at work repairing the
disabled motor When this was done
all four screws were driven ut their
full power, under which in normal
conditions the airshlp was capable of
attaining speed of 40 miles an hour.
But the helmsman was unable to
keep his course and the great craft
was swung about at the mercy of the
winds.
Colesman did not dare to turn tho
ship around for fear of overturning
and he decided to drift in the gale,
which was blowing SO miles an hour
toward Osnabruck, which is also a
garrison station. Suddenly he per-
ceived whirlwind coming and as.
cended to height of nearly 1000 feet
! to avoid the worst of it. With the
whirlwind came an avalanche of rain.
After half an hour the Deutschland
came down to permit Of observations
and 1t was seen that the Teutoburgain
forest lay below. The forward motor
again stopped. and Colesmann sent
five Of the correspondents to the aft
gondola to ballast the vessel.
The Deutschland sank rapidly, hav-
Ing lost much gas in the high altitude,
and dragged along the top of tho
dense forest. A heavy branch of a
tree broke through the floor of the
cabin amidships, throwing two of the
guests to the floor. Other branches
ripped through the gas compartment
and the whole great structure settled
down 30 or 40 feet from the ground.
The airship, for which Herr Coles
mann's company had just paid $780,
800, looked like q wreck. The frames
we're broken, but the motors we're not
damaged The silk was ripped and
had fallen in a torn mass on the tops
of the trees.
Passengers Escape Injury.
| A rope ladder was swung down and
every one was mustered below. unin.
jured. except for bruise or two.
Two natives identified the spot as near
to Wallendorf, east Of Osnabruck
Many persons of the countryside
must have seen the descent and re.
ports of disaster, explosion and death
were widely spread. A party of Off.
GERS and surgeons came by automobile
from Iburg. The district governor and
his wife, with first aid to the injured
material, arrived at the scene within
half an hour by special train. A com
pany Of infantry was sent from Osna.
bruck and picketed the wreckage.
The disaster occurred at half past
five o'clock in the evening. The early
part Of the fight was delightful, much
like automobiling, without the Earring
The airship maintained an altitude OF
600 feet, and during tho first hour OF
two the passengers felt quite full OF
contempt for the trains rumbling be
low and spoke of automobiles as out OF
date. This was when the airship was
sweeping gently across the country
but during the height Of the storm the
condolences Of those aboard were not
80 easy.
Massachusetts Bishop Dies.
Beverly, Mass, June 29.-Bishop Nc
Wicker Of the Protestant Episcopa
church is dead.
AIaakan canMAnfion 0nans