Omaha daily bee., 1910-09-15
Whole Structure in Blaze in Space of
Few Minutes.
ONLY wRECKAGE REMAINS NOW
Tangled Mass of Aluminium Frames
Relic of Dirigible.
woRKMEN WERE CLEANING II
Holders Containing Explosives Open
Durins PrOce~s-Cause of Igni-
tiOn Not KnOwn-BaIIOOn Fa-
mOus for Passengers Trips

BADEN BADEN. Germany Sept. IA
The latest type of Count ZeppeHns invent
i've genius met with disaster today. when
the dirigible balloon Zeppelin VI took fire
after an explosion while being warped into
her shed. A score or more of men were
engaged in the task of housing the airship
when a benzine tank in the rear gondola
exploded. setting fire TO an adjacent gas
compartments. The explosion Of this com
partment was followed by the explosion Of
the sixteen others There was gush OF
flames. developing intense heat, and the
whole structure was destroyed In a few
minutes. Nothing remained of Count Yep
pelin's latest model except a tangled mass
of aluminium frames.
The shed also became ignited, but the
flames were extinguished without serious
damage. Several workmen were burned.
but none fatally.
The iguitioin of the benzine occurred
while workmen we're engaged in cleaning
the machinery. during which the benzine
holders were open. The cause Of the igni-
ton has not been ascertained.
Zeppelin VI during the last eighteen days
has made thrty-four passenger trips, COW
ering about 1900 miles and carrying more
than 800 passengers. The flights of the
dirigible were made regularly, often in un-
favorable weather.
Many Americans Ride.
The Zeppelin VI was under charter of the
Passenger Airship company, having re-
placed in the service the recently wrecked
Deutschland. 1t was transferred from
Frederichshafen to this place and after be-
ing fitted with improved propellors and
other new features, made trial trip on
August 19. 1t proved to be the speediest
of its type and 1t was announced that it
would maintain a speed Of thirty-eight
miles an hour.
The dii1gible was constructed to carry ter
passengers, and during the last few days
had made trips TO various interesting
places Many Americans were among tht
passengers. Baron Rudolph Goldschmidt-
Isothschild had chartered the airship foI
the use of private party next Friday
He had agreed to pay $50 for the first two
hours Of the excursion and s25O for each
additional hour.
The measurements of the Zeppelin v
we're: Length. Az feet; width. AZ feet; gas
capacity. 10000 cubic yards. Its thre'
motors had a total of 4OO-horse power, ex
pended in four propellers and giving it {
speed OF thirty-eight miles an hour. Sus
pended from the center of the airship wa
luxuriously furnished cabin. IL carried
crew of ten men.
short Trip Made.
The Zepelin vi ascended at ll:2O o'clocl
with twelve passengers for a trip to He'll
bronn. The airship had covered abou
| twenty miles when a motor in the forwarC
! gondola acted badly. IL was impossible 4
effect satisfactory repairs and after SOM
time spent in futile effort the airship re
I turned here.
The Zeppelin /, after making an endur
ance flight that astonished the world wa
torn from her moorings by the wind ant
threshed itself to pieces during a thunder
storm. The Zeppelin II was destroyed by
gale at Limburg- -An-Der-Lahn on April 2
last. Zeppelin III made bad landing an,
was seriously damaged at Mergentheim
The Deutschland came to grief in Teuto
berg forest on June Is last.