The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-07-16
CRASH 3 TO DEATH.
Five German Asronau,s Fah a Thousand
Feet to a Horrible Fate.
> BALLOON COLLAPSES

p BALLOON COLLAPSES
The Accidental Explosion Of a Dili.
eible Air Ships Benzine Tank
Wrecks the Gas Bag and the Col
lapsed Balloon and Those In 1t
Hurled to Death.
Falling through space distance
of nearly 1000 feet, Oscar Erbsloeh,
noted aeronaut and inventor, winner
of the international balloon race
held at St. Louis, Mo-, in 1907, and
one of the most promising OF Ger
man erperientmers in aerial fight
and four companions, were dashed
to death in a field near Opladen
Prussia, Wednesday.
The others killed were: Herr
Toelle, manufactures Of Barmen;
Engineers. Poehhoeppe and hran2
and Motorman Spicke. -
Only peasants saw the tragic end
ing of the flight of the dirigible bal
loon Erbsloeh. which, after a series
of accidents since its construction.
wear ago, hal recently been refittec
for passenger service. They had OBJ
served the balloon a short time be-
fore as it swung gracefully IN the
air. Soon it disappeared in the fog,
and shortly a. loud explosion was
heard and a crumbled mass fell like
a plummet to the earth.
So terrific was the force of the
fall that the gondola was smashed
to splin3ers, the motor, .buIfed deep
in the sod, while the five men were
crushed and torn almost beyond rec
ognition.
EXPERTS who examined the wreck
age declared that, the benzine tank
had bursted. The rubber envelope,
had been torn to shreds and the
bow collapsed. Nearby was found
a sad memento OF the disastrous
trip. It was a leaf from the note
book Of Engineer Hoeppe, making. a
short record Of the journey. There
we're only few records:
Departed Hall 9.04; ascend air
$40; thick fog northward. Can not
see earth; sun breaks through;
heavy fog beneath us. Elevatlng
planes sloped downwards; altitude
$50 metres &(s16 feet) at S.l4."
This is the sole record OF the
last voyage of .Erbsloeh, the details
of which can not be learned owing
TO the death Of all the occupants or.
the car. Peasants near the scene
of the catastrophe say that they
heard the propellers working. They
fred revolvers in order to indicate
to the aeronauts, then hidden IN the
fog, that they were in the neighbor-
hood Of houses. Then the explosion
occurred and they saw the broken
mass hurting downward. 3g-.::-,-;,,s
The Erbsloeh has had dubious
career. The first time 1t ascended
il crashed into clump OF trees ana
it's occupants. narrowly escaped IN
Jury. The balloon, which was one
of the non-rigid type, had Just been
made over, preparatory to the es-
tab,ishment OF passenger service
between Elberfeld and nearby points.
There. were few eye-witnesses OF
the accident. According to these,
the start, was we'll made. The Erbs-
loeh rose gracefully, pushing its
way. through the fog to heights es-
mated at 800 yards. At this altl-
tude a series of evolutions were be-
guns~>To the .onlookers the airshlp
appeared to obey her helm perfectly
Suddenly there was loud report anu
at the moment the fore part OF the
vessel crumpled up and the CONDO
las was twisted about until appeared
as tho standing on one end. AS the
gas escaped from the forward COM
partment the Prov swayed down.
ward. For a fash the airsh1p hut
tered like wounded bird and then
fell swiftly to the earth.
,Erbsloeh and his companinos were
killed the second they struck the
ground. Their heads were battered
in and every linmb was broken line
bodies of the victims were removed
to a. morgue. That of Erbs.oeh
would not have been recognized had
it been alone. It was pierced through
the breast by piece of wreck. Ihe
ewes of the engineer were gonged
ont The hands of al five were tight
" clutched as though they had held
desperately to the car as 1t shot
downward. Their shoes were torn
from their feet.
The death of Erbsloeh and his
crew, with the destruction of the bal
doom from which much had been
hoped following closely upon the
wreck cd the German ship. Deuchs-
land, has caused gloom in AVA
ton circles.
Votes for Income Tax.