The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-07-15
CAUSE Of Gloom.
Death IF ErbS.OGh and His
Grew Sadden Air Men.
FELL TO DEATH IN DIRIGlBlE.
Bursting Of Benzine Tank Causes Bal
loon to Suddenly Drop Downward
From Sky With Five Doomed
Men Powerless to Escape.

Cologne, July 14.-The death of Cap
tain Oscar Erbsloeh and the four mem-
bers of his crew, with the destruction
of the dirigible balloon for which much
had been hoped, following closely upon
the loss of Count Zeppelin's Deutsch-
land, has caused gloom in aviation cir
cles. The public had scarcely recov-
cred from the shock caused by the ac-
Rolls, the English aviator, when they
learned that Erbsloeh had been added
to the long list of Germans who had
lost their lives while ballooning.
Erbsloeh was one of the most re-
nowned of Germans aeronauts and
cup in the distance race for balloons
at st. Louis in 1907.
The distance Erbsloeh's dirigible fell
is estimated at from 2,G00 feet to 5000
feet.
The bodies of the five men, crushed
debris of the wrecked balloon when
those who witnessed the fall reached
the spot where 1t fell. The accident was
caused by the explosion of benzine
tank
The dirigible Erbsloeh belonged to
the Rhine Aerial club. 1t resembled a
miniature Zeppelin dirigible being but
one-sixth the size of the airship of the
famous inventor. The Erbsloeh con
sisted of twelve balloon nets placed
side by side in a rigid and covered
frame like the watertight compart
mcnts Of ship. A long aluminium car
for the engines and passengers was
SWING below the gas bags. The cal
contained two gasoline engines of higl
power which drove the fore and aft
propellers that gave headway to the
airShip.
The Erbsloeh was constructed last
year and had had a dubious career
The first time it descended it crashed
into a clump of trees and its occu
pants narrowly escaped injury. A
few days ago during a trial flight q
propeller was broken. The dirigiblC
had just been made over preparatory
to the establishment of a passenger
service between Elberfeld and nearby
points. Yesterday it was inflated fol
a final test by the crew.
| The dirigible went aloft in a fol
near Dusseldorf, from which point tht
ill fated Zeppelin passenger liner start
| ed her last voyage. In the aluminium
car were Erbsloeh and two cOmpan
| ions. together with the two chauffeur
whose duty it was to take care of tn
gasoline engines.
There were few eye witnesses of tn
accident. According to these the star
was well made. The Erbsloch rOS
gracefully, pushing its way througI
the fog to a height estimated at Sev
eral hundred yards. At this altitude
series of evolutions was begun. L
the onlookers the airship appeared t
obey her helm perfectly. Suddenl
there was a loud report and at the me
ment the fore part of the vesse
crumpled up and the gondola wa
twisted about until it appeared a
though standing on one end. AS tn
gas escaped from the forward con
partment the PROV swayed downward
Ter a cash the airship tluttered like
wounded bird and then fell swiftly
earth.
An examination of the wreckage col
vinced experts of the cause of the n,
cident. The benZine tank was foun
to have burst, tearing to shreds I'll
rubber envelope directly above it. I'll
destruction of this envelope caused Il
bow to collapse. The stern compar
ment was still filed with gas whe
1t struck the ground.
The disaster in all its details reser
bles the one which befell the FrenC
army dirigible several months az
when five French officers met deaf
by the collapse of the gas bag.