New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-04
THREE KILLED IN
FALL OF BALLOON
The POmmern. After Series of
Accidents, Drops Into
Baltic Sea.
REICHSTAG MEMBER DIES.
Alrship Hits Factory, Injuring
Occupants, and Is Blown
Away-Berlin Banker
Only Survivor.

Stettin. Germany. April 3-The Ger
man balloon Pommern. which made an
ascension here This afternoon. met A
series Of accidents. which ended i'm dis
aster under tragic circumstances i'm the
Baltic Sea. Three men lost their lives.
including the Radical member of the
Reichstag. Werner Hugo Delbriick Herr
Delhruck and another member of the
party were drowned. a third occupant
OF the car was picked up unconscious
and died from his injuries and the fourth
was rescued i'm a serious condition.
The Pommern. carrying Herr Del
bruck, who was acting as pilot: banker.
Herr Sommelhardt; an architect. Herr
Benduhn, and a man named Helm. as
cenGed early in the afternoon at the gas
works The wind at the time was blow
ing a hurricane and the Pommern broke
away before she had been completely
ballasted.
\ chapter Of accidents began immedi-
ately. The balloon ran into telegraph
wires. which broke almost overturning
the basket. II then dashed into the roof
of neighboring factory. destroying a
smokestack. With the basket svaying
loon scared To a great altitude and dis
appeared in the clouds at terrific speed.
A Long Fall Into Ocean.
Thousands Of onlookers, including
detachment Of troops who had assisted
i'm the ascent. ran along the roads. ex-
rcctiuE the basket To break away. The
balloon. however. Was not seen again
until il reached Swinemuude thirty-six
miles northwest Of Stettin. over which
n passed. at height Of six thousand
feet. i'm tho direction of the sea. Tugs
followed in its track. and one of them,
which had oUtdistanced the others. was
almost directly under il when suddenly
the balloon fell into the sea The tug
steamed to the spot quickly. but the
work Of rescue was difficult. Already
Herr Delhrjick and Renduhu had disap-
peared, hat Semmelhardt and Helm We're
cliuEiug to tho ropes. and they were
dragged aboard the vessel.
Describing their terrible experiences.
Herr Semmelhardt. after treatment, said.
"Our collision with the telegraph lines
and the factory roof had the most hor-
rthle consequences. Delhriicks leg was
broken and he was badly hurt In the
head. Renduhn had an arm and leg
fractured. Helm received bad contuSions
of the head. I was knocked seuseless,
but recovered in 4 moment tn find that
7 had crushed knee and chest The
network around the envelope wss torn
in such \ manner that We feared every
second the gas bag would slip out and
we would crash down ia the earth from
"a height Of sjx thousand feet, to which
,ye had assembled like 2 fash.
Delbruck Finally Opens Valve
"DeIbrick. i'm spite OF his awful CON
dition. vainlv endeavored to open the
valve. which had become entangled We
did not know what TO do. and merely
awaited our fate
In tho mean time. We passed over
Swiuemundo At = great altitude. and
soon found ourselves above tho sea. We
thought possibly that We might land in
sweden, but the balloon was caught in
q rain cloud. which drove us down until
We were within $50 feet Of the water.
polbruck was suffering agony, but ne
succeeded in pulling the ripping cord, and
we feU into the water like q log. All
mana Cod to get clear of the basket. !.
with Helm, swan and caught hold of tho
network but Delbruck and Benduhn
sank. ! remembered no more until I
found myself i'm the boat which res
cued Us"
Helm died soon after being taken on
the tug, and Delbrtick's body was washed
Z, : horp this evening