The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-14
Five Fall Through Space
Distance of 1000
Feet.
OSCAR ERBSLOEH
ONE OF THE DEAD
While High in Air, Benzine Tank
Bursts, Balloon Crumples, Flut-
ters Like Wounded Bird,
Then Falls Like Plurnrnet
to the Earth-Bodies
Terribly Crushed.

4SllAO4y SluolAS0.
Leichlingen, Rhenish Prussia. July
13.-Fall!ng through space distance
of nearly 1000 feet, oscar Erbsloeh.
noted aeronaut and inventor, winner
of the international balloon race held
at ST Louis. Mo-. in 1907, and one or
the most promising of German expert
mentors In aerial fight. and four COM
panions were dashed to death to-day
In field near Opladen. The others
killed were Herr Toelle, manufac-
turer of Barmen; Engineers Hoeppe
and Kranz, and the motorman, Spicke-
Only peasants saw the tragic ending
OF the flight of the dirigible balloon
Erbsloeh. which, after a series Of un-
fortunate accidents since Its construc-
ton a year ago. had recently been re-
fitted for passenger service. They had
observed the balloon a short time be-
fore as 1t swung gracefully in the air.
Soon 1t disappeared in the fog, and
shortly loud explosion was heard.
and a crumpled mass fell like plum
met to the earth. So terrible was the
force Of the fall that the gondola was
smashed to splinters. the motor was
buried deep in the sod, while the five
men were crushed and torn almost be.
yond recognition.
Benztnc Tank Bursts.
Experts who examined the wreckage
afterwards declared that the benzins
tank had burst. The rubber envelope
had been torn to shreds and the bow
collapsed.
Near by was found Sad memento OF
the disastrous trip. 1t was leaf from
the notebook Of Engineer Hoeppe.
containing q short record OF the jour-
ney. There were only few words:
Departed Hall. s:04; ascended air,
9;os; thick fog northward cannot see
earth; sun breaks through; heavy fog
below us. Elevating planes sloped
downwards: altitude. $50 metres (9l6
feer) a. 9:l4."
This is the sole record of the last
voyage OF the Erbsloeh, the other de-
tails of which cannot be learned ow-
Ing to the death of all the occupants
OF the car. Peasants near the scene
OF the catastrophe say that they heard
the propellers working. They fired re-
volvers in order to Indicate TO the aero
nauts, then hidden in the fog, that they
were In the neighborhood of houses.
Then the explosion occurred, and they
saw the broken mass hurtling down.
ward
The Drbsloeh had had dubious ca
iSct. us iiIsl LlI1le II OeSCended 1t
crashed into lump OF trees, and Its
occupants narrowly escaped injury.
The balloon. which was of the non
rigid type, had Just been made over
preparatory to the establishment of a
passenger service between Elberfelt
and nearby points. To-day It was
inflated for final test by the crew.
The ascent was made near Opladen and
during a fog
Falls Swiftly to Earth.
There were few eyewitnesses to the
accident. According to those the start
was we'll made. The Erbsloeh rose
gracefully, pushing Its way through
the fog to a height estimated at sew
eral hundred yards At this altitude
series OF evoiutions was begun. To the
onlookers the balloon appeared to obey
her helm perfectly. Suddenly there
the forepart OF the vessel crumpled IN
and the gondola was twisted about
until 1t appeared as though Standing
on one end. AS the gas escaped from
the forward compartment, the Prov
swayed downward. For a flash the
airship fluttered like wounded bird
and then fell swiftly to earth.
Erbsloeh and his companions were
killed the second they struck the
ground. Their heads were battered In
and every limb was broken.
The bodies OF the victims were re-
moved to morgue. That of Erbsloeh
would not have been recognized had
II been found alone. One OF the en-
gineers was pierced through the breast
by piece of the wreckage. The eyes
of the other engineer were gauged out.
TIL e hands of all five were tightly
clutched as though they had held des-
perately to the car as 1t shit down
ward. Their shoes were torn from
their feet.
The death OF ErbsIoeh and his crew
with the destruction Of the balloon.
for which much had been hoped fol-
lowing closely upon the loss of Count
Zeppelin's Deutschland. has caused
gloom In aviation circles.
The public had scarcely recovered
from the shock caused by the acclden-
tal death Of Charles Stewart Rolls, the
English aviator, when 1t learned that
Erbsloeh had been added to the long
list of Germans who had lost their
lives while ballooning. The effect was
depressing,