The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-14
Famous Aeronaut and -Four
Others Drop From Clouds
In An AiTShip
FALL IS TERRIFIC AND
men ARE TORN TO PIECES
vessel Was One That Had Been Re-
fitted, and While on an Expert
mental Trip Benzine Tank
Bursts Causing Wreck

Leichlingen, Rhenish Prussia, July 10
Failing through a space a distance Of
nearly 1900 feet Oscar Erbsloeh, noted
aeronaut and inventor, winner of the
international balloon race held at st.
Louis, Mo-, in 1907. one of the most prom
ising of German experimenters in aerial
flight, and four companions. were dash
ed to death today in field near opla-
| den.
The dead are: Oscar Erbsloeh. inven-
tor and balloonist Herr Toele. a manu-
facturer of Barmen; Engineer Kranz;
Engineer Hoppe; Motorman Spicke.
Only peasants saw the tragic ending
Of the flight of the balloon Erbsloeh,
which after a series o. unfortunate ac-
| cidents since its construction year ago.
had recently been refitted for passenger
| service They had observed the balloon
a short time before as it swung grace
| fully in the air Soon it disappeared in
the fog, and shortly loud explosion
was heard and crumpled mass fell
| like a plummet to the earth. So terrible
was the force of the fall, the gondola
was smashed to splnters, the motor was
buried deep In the sod while the five
men were crushed and torn almost be-
yond recognition.
Benzine Tank Bursts
Experts who examined the wreckage
afterwards declared that the benzine
tank had burst. The rubber envelope
had been torn to shreds and the vessel
collapsed. Nearby was found a sad mo-
mento of the disastrous trip. 1t was
leaf from the note book of Engineer
Hoeppe, continuing short record of the
| Journey There were only few words:
Departed hall 9:o4; ascended air s:os;
thick fog northward. Cannot see EARTH
sun breaks through; heavy fog below us.
Elevating planes sloped downwards; al
titude $50 metres, ca6 feet, az OLA"
This is the sole record of the last
voyage of the Erbsloeh. the other de-
tails of which cannot be learned owing
to the death of all Of the occupants or
the car Peasants near the scene OF
the catastrophe say that they heard the
propellers working. They fired revofvers
in order to indicate to the aeronauts,
then hidden in the fog, that they were
in the neighborhood OF houses. Then the
explosion occurred and they saw the
broken mass hurting downward.
The bodies of the victims were removed
to a morgue That of Erbsloeh would not
have been recognized had it not been
found alone. One of the engineers was
pierced through the breast by a piece
II of wreckage.
The eyes of the other engineer were
gouged out. The hands of all five Were
tightly clutohed as though they had held
desperately to the car as It shot down
| ward. Their shoes were torn from their
feet.
| Dubious Career
The Erbsloeh was constructed last
year and had had a dubious career. The
first time It assembled it crashed into
a clump OF trees and its occupants mar
rowly escaped injury.
A few days ago. during trial flight.
propeller was broken. The balloon, which
was of the non-rigid type, had just been
made over preparatory to the establish
men of a passenger service between Ell
berfield and nearby points Today 1t was
inflated for final test of the crew. The
ascent was made near Opladen during a
fog.
There were few eye witnesses OF the
| accident q
According to report the start was well
made. The Erbsloeh rose gracefully.
pushing it's way through the fog at .
| height estimated at several hundred
yards. At this altitude series of evo-
mtions was begun. To the onlookers the
| airship appeared to obey her helm per-
fectly. Suddenly there was loud re-
port and at the moment the forepart of
the vessel crumpled up and the gondola
was twisted about though it appeared
| standing one end As the gas escaped
from the forward compartment the prov
| swayed downward. For a second the air
| ship ffuttered like wounded bird and
then fell sSiftly to earth.
Erbsloeh and his companions We're killed
the second they struck the ground. Their
heads were battered in and every limb
broken.
An examination of the wreckage show
ed that the benzine tank had burst tear
ing to shreds the rubber envelope di-
rectly above it. The destruction OF this
envelope caused the bow to collapse The
stern compartment was stiil filled with
gas when 1t struck the ground.
The death of Erbsloeh and his crew,
with the destruction of the balloon. for
which much had been hoped. following
closely upon the loss of Count Zeppelin's
Deutschland has caused a gloom In avta-
tion circles.
ErbsIoch Was Daring
Oscar Erbsloeh had made many dav-
ing and successful balloon flights. In the
St Louis aerial race. when he won the
international cup which had been taken
the year before by Lieut.. Frank p.
I,ahm, at Paris. he covered a distance
of s76 miles. Starting at st. LOUIS, he
landed at Asbury Park, \. j., two miles
farther from the point of ascent than his
nearest competitor. NJ Leblanc Of
France, who came down at Herbertsville.
IN. J. Erbsloeh on that occasion piioted
the balloon Pommern.
In February, 1909. Erbsloeh, made a re-
markable balloon trip across the Alps.
His balloon, the Berlin remained In the
air for 30 hours, reaching maximum
altitude of about 1900 feet. An average
temperature of about II degrees below
zero was experienced.
Up to 10 days ago the roll OF aviators
killed since September H. 1903. stood
at TO- On July 8 Charles Wachter fell 70
his death at Rheims France, Yesterday
the English sportsman. Charles Stewart
Rolls died beneath the wreckage Of his