Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-07-13
OSCAR ERRsLoEH, FAMOUS GER.
MAN BALLooMsr, AND FOUR
COMPANIONS KILLED
ERRsLoEH WAS WINNER
OF INTERNATIONAL RACE
Captured Honors in st. Louis in 1907
Gasoline Explosion Causes Gas Bag
to Burst and Aviators Fall Several
Hundred Feet-Bodies Terribly Torn
and MutlIated.

maui, VINO won the lnCeruatlOual UstllooA
race at ST. Louis in 1907, and four com
panions were killed today when the
dirigtble balloon Erbsloeh burst at
height Of several hundred feet and
dropped to the earth crumpled mass.
The cause Of the accident is matter
OF conjecture, but 1t Is believed the
bursting Of the bag was due to the
expansion Of gas by the warm sunshine.
The wreckage fell so heavily that the
gondola was broken to bits and the
motor was buried in the ground. The
victims were frightfully torn.
Gasoline Responsible.
An examination Of the wreckage
showed that tho benzine tank had
burst, tearing to shreds the rubber
envelope directly above 1t. The de-
struction of this envelope caused the
bow to collapse. The stern compart-
ment was still filled with gas when
it struck the ground. The aviators'
bodies were terribly mutilated. their
heads were battered in and every limb
broken.
Shoes Tom From Feet.
The body OF Erbsloeh could not have
been recognized had it not been found
pierced thru the breast by q piece of
wreckage. The eyes Of the other en-
gineer were 1ouged ous. The hands Of
all flve were tightly clutched as tho
they had held desperately to the car
as II shot downward. Their shoes were
torn from their feet
Explosion Heard by Peasants.
The ascent was made at s:15, at
which time there was scarcely a breath
OF air stirring. It had been planned to
make long trip and the weather con-
ditions gave proniHs Of q delightful
excursion. When tho command to let
60 was given, the great craft rose
gently and soon was moving rapidly to
the westward. It disappeared on the
horizon ana half hour later entered
a bank of fog that hung over the vii
lage Of Op1aden. For time the Erbs-
loeh was lost to view, but later it
emerged from the fog and the peasants
below were startled by a report like
that Of cannon, and raising their eyes
saw the shapeless mass come shoe ting
down from the clouds.
Was Bold Aviator.
Oscar Erbsloeh had made many dar-
ing and successful balloon flights. In
the st. Loui. aerial race. when he won
the International cup which had been
taken the year before by Lieutenant
Lahm at Paris. he covered s76 miles.
Starting at st. Louis he landed at As
bury Park, N. j., two miles farther
from the point Of ascent than his near
est competitor, NJ Leblanc, Of France.
In February. 1909, Erbsloeh made a
remarkable balloon trip across the
(. Alps His balloon Berlin remained In
the air thirty hours. reaching a maxi
mum altitude OF about $4,000 feet. The
average temperature OF about IL de-
grees below zero was experienced.
Recent Accidents Numerous.
Up to ten days ago the roll Of avi-
iators killed since Sept. II, 1908, stood
at ten. July Charles wachter fell
to his death at Rheims. France. Yes
terday the English sportsman, Charles
Stewart Rolls, died beneath the wreck
age Of his aeroplane. and today Erbs-
to pieces.
to this accident:
A., Washington.
4 Rossi Ena, Rome.
e. Lefebvre, France.
Captain Louis F. Derber. France.
Antonio Fernandez. France.
Leon Delagrange, France.
LeKlon Herlbit, Spain.
. Chauvette, Minehilan. France.
Eugene Speyer, San Francisco.
) Robi, Germany.
Charles Rolls, England.
Baroness Do La Roche. who was
seriously injured the other day at
Rheims, France, is still In a serious
condition.