The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-14
erbSIOeh, Famous Aeronaut,
One Of the Victims.
EXPLOSION high IN the AIR
Machine Smashed 10 Pieces
as II Struck the Earth.

Trip was Preparatory tn starting
Passenger service In Rhine vare,
Ciue In Dead Mans Note Beck
May Reveal Cause Of the Disaster.
.Spssiai Cable Dsspsichss 10 TIE SUI
COLOGNE. July is.-whiIe the dirigible
balloon Ertsloh was fiying over the village
Of Patched this morning it collapsed
and fell to the ground Five Of the
occupants were killed.
The dead are Oscar ETbsloh, the in
ventor: Herr Tolle 81 BArmen. manu-
facturer. and tho three men Of the crew
Of the airship. Kranz, Hopp and Spiecls
There have been various estimates
Of the height at which the dirigible was
flying when its explosion shook tho at
mosphers. A majority Of the observers
report that the airship was all Of so
meters, OF 2.o24 70 feet. in the air when
IL blew up. Later and cooler estimates
make the height about 500 feet
An idea Of the force with which tn,
airship struck the ground may be CLEANED
from the fact that the motor was driven
ton feet into the soft earth. The bodies
among tho wreckage were pitifully man
gIed Erbsloh's body was unrecognis-
able.
A notebook was found in which in
Hoppe handwriting. was entered thu
following
-Stsrt. 9OI Thick fog northward.
s.Oe Earth invisible. Later. sun breaking
| through thick fog beneath Va. Downward
with vertical rudder. Height. $50 ma
tsrs. els.
The abrupt ending OF tho log suggests
that trouble began AZ that time. but there
il nothing to indicate this cause Of tina
disaster, which - animatsdly discussed
by experts. A majority believe that II
was due To sudden ennergencs from the
cold fog into the burning rays Of tn,
sun. with the result that tbs balloon
burst owing to the expansion 81 the gas
The flight started from the village ~
Reichlin gen. near Dusseldorf. az O'Clock
ths morning The weather was warm
and fine. although there were indications
that fog was likely to gather at high altl-
tudes Nevertheless Il was deemed safe
To start on cruise Of several hour,
which was Intended o. be the final test 81
the long DISTANCE capabilities NJ til
dirigibls before beginning passenger
seryic. to Dusseldorf on July ~
The crew were m high spirits and the
balloon scared they laughed and waved
their caps in RESPONSE To the cheers from
b..low Eri=l0h. a wealthy manufacturer
a Lieutenant in the reserve and one Of
Germany foremost aeronaut-. pilotst
the balloon. The others IN the car were
Herr TOlle ~ Barmen the two engineer
kr,.nz and Hopp and Spiecks. a m.,'hlr-
icIan
Tn. airrhip started in excellent form.
gong u the northeast u soon camel
it's top speed of about thirty miles an hour
and shortly afterward was enveloped ~
fog II was not seen again until u fell
What happened IN the interval can only
be con ectured II was a short voyage
Tn. ascent began al and the balloon
fell at go
There were no witnesses except some
farm laborers in a field. who were watch
ing the dirigible as II flew over the village
of Pattcheed These men say they sud
denly heard AN explosion overhead Then
they saw a rent IN the balloon. the car
tilted aud the airship pitched headlong
downward. striking the earth with fright
ful velocity in the valley IN the rear OF
N.uk amp ana Patio which are be-
tween Opladen and BurScheid What had
been AN airship. when they hurried Ia II
was a confused mass OF rods. ropes.
benzine tanks aud wheels covered with
tattercd fragments Of the yellow envelope.
mangIed as tn be- unrecognizable when
soldiers and physicians reached the spot
where the car struck The feet u most 81
the men were shoeless and their clothing
was In tatters. being rent probably by the
explosion which wrecked the balloon
The car itself was shattered to tiny fray
ments. pieces Of the metal and the heavy
motors being driven deep into the earth
ItisimpOssible TO ascertain absolutely ths
causs. Of the disaster. hut many believe
that the explosion came from the azpan-
sion OF the gas IN the balioOu when 1t was
warmed by the dear rays u tho sun at
the altitude the dirigible attained. Others
think the motor may have broken. starting
the wreck: still others believe that the
petrol reservoirs blew up
IL ~ said that before the Airship as
cended IL was noted that the balloOnsts
enclosed in the main envelope were filed
To their capacity and therefore there was
little chance for any expansion. Both OF
the motors and the fuel tanks were 80
smashed by the fall from the SAY that no
dsduction can be made from their frag-
menfs
The Erbsl0h was built in 1919 and was
Of 7.sOO cubic meters capacity. II
was driven by two gasoleue motors VI
I2S hor-a-power each. since its initial
ascent las, year the httls dirigible had
made several III Ehts Cor short distances