The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-29

% newspaper men. sailed from Des-
seldorf for a three hours excursion.
The objective point was Dortmuno,
about 25 miles from Duesseldorf, but
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 a1d OF
the soldiers. 1t was realized that II
would require a large number of them
to hold the vast contrivance OF silk ana
metal against the wind.
1t was dangerous to attempt land
ing in an open field because of the
storm, as the metal was likely TO pouno
to pieces In the high wind one of
the motors refused to work and the
ether two were not powerful enough
to make any progress in the gale. The
airship drifted, swaying in the violent
gusts and sometimes leaning TO an an
enginemer were at work repairing the
disabled motor.
At Winds Mercy.
When this was done all four screws
we're driven at their full power, un-
Ger which, ir normal conditions, the
airship was capable of attaining a
speed of 40 miles an hour. But the
beImsman 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 the
shin around for fear of overturnlng,
and decided to crift in the gale which
vas blowing at the rate of so miles an
hour, toward Osnabruck, also garri-
son station. If he missed that he ex-
pected to continue on to Senne.
Suddenly he perceived whirlwind
coming and ascended to a height of
nearly 1000 feet to avoid the worst
of it. With the whirlwind came
heavy downpour of rain. After half
an hour the Deutschland came down
to permit of observations, and it was
hnrOion forests
lay below. The forward motor again
stopped and Co1esmann sent five of
the correspondents to the aft gondola
to ballast the vessel.
The Deutschland sank rapidly,
having lost much gas in the high alti-
tude and dragged along the top of the
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 compartments
and the whole great structure settled
down thirty or forty feet from the
ground.
Benzine Gave Out.
''It is not the fault of the Zeppelin
SYSTEM exclaimed Herr Colesmann.
THAT is all right. It is our own fault,
our benzine ran out"
Colesmann company had just paid
s137,5OO looked like wreck. The
frames were broken but the motors
were not damaged. The silk was rip
ped and had fallen in torn mass on
the tops of the trees.
Reports of disaster, explosion and
death were widely spread. A party
of officers and surgeons came by au-
tomobile from Iburg, while the
district governor and his wife, with
first aid to the injured material ar
rived at the scene within half an hour
by special train. A company of in
fantry was sent from Osnabruck, and
picketed the wreckage. The disaster
occurred at half past o'clock in the
evening. The early part Of the flight
was delightful, much like automobiling
without the jarring. The airship
maintained an altitude of about 500
feet, and during the first hour or two
the passengers felt contempt for the
trains rumbling and spoke of auto
mobiles as out of date. This was when
the airship was sweeping gracefully
across the country, but during the
height of the storm the consciences of
those aboard were not so easy.