Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1912-07-03
T FdehtfuI Catastrophe Occurs
off Atlantic City During Trial
Fliebi of the Giant Balloon
Axiom
MEMBERS OF CREW
MEET INSTANT DEATH
thousands Of People Along
Shore Witness the Accident;
Builder Of Air Craft and Co.
Workers Are Killed,

~, Morning Jnurnni SPECIAL rensed Wirc.)
Atlantic CITY y j.. July Elm
Ntaw of 5000 spectators. the hg dir
ipihle ballun Akron. was shattered by
the explosion of the gas bag at 6.43
tins morning. half mile off shore
If Abseeon inlet Melvin Naniman,
who had built the airship with the
idea of flyins across the Atlantic
ocean, calvin Naniman. his younger
brother Fred Elmer Waiter Guest
and George Bourtlllion. his crew were
instantly killed. No trace OF their
bodies has been discovered. The dir
elhle was sailing AZ a height Of 900
feet ana had heen IN the air since 6.15
O'Clock when the accident occurred.
The great snip fclAV quarter Of a mile
south Of i'rigantinc beach. The huge
enNolope containing thousands of Gu
bic feet OF las. WAS rent hv The ter
lrifiy eApiasioh, pto blN eau I'D by
expansion from the suns rays.
II burst Il ar the middle A mass
of flames hid the ship from view. For
perhaps ten seconds tho half million
dollar dirieblc was invisible. while
tho air about the spot where she had
been hoyerine seemed to he al flames.
Thc tire disappeared and the ship,
outlined against the sunrise. was seen
to fan like plummct. First the un-
dcrstructure Of car in which were
penncd the unfortunate men held in
hN mesh WORK put on after the sec
ond trip of the balloon three weeks
ago unable to escape. broke away
from the envelope II upended the
bow turning first IN slow arc, then
II reversed suddenly ana plunged
downward Directly above twisting
n long spiral, was the bag, a smok-
flames shooting out from "A dozen
sections as II collapsed. 1t fnttered
e moment ana then strcaked down
after the car In the descent. some
thue which appeared to be the body
af tutn hot out TO the left Of the
wreckaRe, beyond reach for the pres
rest of the descending mass II was
that tins was the headless
body Of CALVIN Naniman
AT $3.50 IA, m. a message was re-
ayrd shore from rescucrs that this
body had been recovered with 1t
camr the statement from Captain
lamhert rarkr N the Nbsecon fed
cral llfe saving crew, that this was
true ana thnt the other four members
ot he crew were entunsled in the
huYond reach fir the pres
lnt ~ eiehleen feoi ~ water
The nishi was the second that the
tlrUln iiHN i1hfN llliN NtNi. Nbill-
uau took the Akron out for a short
fHeht 81 SATURDAY. morning, Juno /.
Al hat time The balloon WAS nearly
Wrecked by some Of the mechanism
4oinn wrong Hut IL WAS lauded With
aut serious uishap
The longest fisht the balloon made
,Naa last fali whom Il spent the great
r pult of tha day IN the mir in the
iciniiN Of this city
ln general appearance the Akron
Nas NOT unlike the America in which
Waltur Wclnan ana Naniman at
etoptcd O. CROSS tho Atlantic ocenn in
lctobet lalo. bu there We're many
differences iu the construction The
as ba Was thiry feet LONGER than
hat Of the America. but was smaller
d diameter.
1hr dimensions Wre lenath of
$685. 2 fnNi diameter feet The
l1s Mas nalde of composition of
uTher and Was constructed i'm Ohio.
Beneath was the ear. similar in
hupt as tina Nmaricas bat longer.
3erhaps 1850 ftct lonG. The bottom Of
he car Was composed of round
ltg, tnh two feet in diameter and
tbpm 100 feei long In TINS tank was
torrd the easeiiue. Tho car vas
Connected to the sls hae 10y steel tub
us uf lsht construction. on top Of
he tNk uas a platform nf two-inch
toards ANA ou this rested one leo-
horsepower notor Two of eight
lur-t -pnWcr ene seventeen horse
iuM,r meteor and snl dynamo.
Ihc luu- hur-tnuNt motor was
ised for the tNo Onward vertical pro-
'gflsfs and tine other two large mo-
ers for Tho TWO pairs of ufentAhie
iropeiOr These prereilsrs could he
sfntJ frnm the horHauUi to the YER