The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-07-03

the :ss. Tyneg;hag.sH going wrong, but II was
sa!e!y landed at the hangar without
serious mishan.
:, The Longest nigh, the balloon made
Vas last fail. when Il spen, the greater
paIl OF the day In the air IN the vi
oinity O! TINS city At that time the
gas IN the bag was not sufficient TO
heep the big ship constantly IN the
ar ana X mad to make several land
.nss During the winter Vanniman
ii. aas. ne ship through lessons
.Valhee In may flight In appearance
the Akron was not unlike the Amer
lea ~ which Walter Wellman and Van.
1iman attempted to cross tho Atlantic
0eean " october. 1910. but there were
many diWerences in the construction
~ the a!rsh4p which collapsed to-day
nc ga bag was thirty feet longer
nan ina, Of the America, but was
we're Len sin q bag 25s feet. diane
VI teet The gag was made Of 4
composition Of rubber and was con-
strucied IN Ohio.
Beneath this immense cigar-shaped
Gag was the so-c4llcc car siriisr H.,
shape 10 the Americas bu; ionger
perhaps $50 feet long. The bottom ~
~ eet was composed Of d round steel
sdnh aoout TWO feet = diameter and
Lou LOU, lpV ieet long. In this tank was
10 10 me gas bag by steel tubing
o. .!snt construction. on ton OF the
saHE was putt platform OF two-inch
boards and on this rested one 100
horsepower motor. two sO-horsepov-r
motors, one l7-horsepower motor ana
s!la44 dynamo. The 100 HORSEPOWER
..o.V! was used for the two forward
Ne4t!ea4 prope.!ers and the other Two
large motors for the two pa!rs 81
oFienta &c propelie5s These pron.ll.@s
could be turned from the horizor,si
10 me vertical nd We're TO be used TO
.a!se or lower the height OF the air
snip The small motor and DYNAMO
We're used for electric lighting and "a
tuEn!sn power TO the wireless outar
come Of the supplies OF the ship were
s.so stored on this PLATFORM In the
forward end Q: the platform ,vs-s.t
steering wheel and gear for controlline
the rudder and the stabilizine plancs
fore and aft
The sieePing. accommodations for the
up in the car
Great shock TO People.
ne u'sAster came as q shock TO the
people OF Auontic City who had come
week past The intrepid a.rrnan has
"e.h planning TO make another nicht
ana only waited Tor favorable winds
t-"St n!s nj conditions appeared salts
ne prooa ply would make nigh, At
sunrise to-day Al daybreak The on
a!tons were still favorable and m
Wo!a was given \ hundred policemen
Up 70 inc inlet. 10 assist IN getting
inc balloon out OF the immense han.
gar Their duty was TO hold on 10
the ropes OF the ship as she was care
iu!!E warped out OF the big shed
Hundreds OF persons who exnectes
the fight saw the Akron come out az
the hangar for the last time. The
operation was simple one and the Sig
Dag was brought out without difncui-
y. Once clear OF the shed Vanninan
jumped into the car of the shin. where
MS other four men had ALREADY gone
and ne gave the word 10 '.let go" In
and swaying from end to end Then
she rose rapidly. Vanninan appeared
10 20 nave complete control. and after
ciGehng about over the inlet ond on
ca out TO sea The manoeuvrings OF
the great aircraft constantly attract
ed additional people, and the upper
end Of the beach and boardwalk We're
crowded with people when the dis
story of Eyewitness.
IN eyewitness OF the disaster told
when about 1000 feet in the air
! saw a sudden puff OF smoke from
the forward end of the great gas bsg
In minute 1t exploded
TO those who have witnessed the
seemed at the start more success hi
than any Yet attempted? The crsu
seemed TO have better control than
ever before Starting ont from the
hangar the snip rose slowly from, M,
ground and passed easily out over
the water OF the inlet. grazing no
masts OF the fleet of yachts anchored
there. Su
'Vanniman and his crew were cheer-
ed by number OF fishing parties a.
the inlc. about TO start ont for a dav.s
sport The whistles OF a feet of
motor boats sounded God speed, -
the airship and its crew
After getting up abou, 500 feet tho
snip made complete circle of the
waters OF Grassy Bay. Apparently
vanniman was making a test Of the air
The airshlp passed over tho Rovs,
Palace Hotel he said. and then az,
over :he southern section OF the Cit,
BY this Time the word had ouicki,
spread that the ship was in the aiSS
and thousands OF residents and visitors
nocked TO the boardwalk TO witness tba
Il Sht. Soon after the puff OF snoie
was seen the men on the airshin wcra
seen gathered together on ono side
OF the craft. but this proved 10 ~ y
ripping OF the right Side Of the bfs
gas envelope. The spectators. hoyev,'ns
did not realize that anything had sban
pened until suddenly the huge bna, 80
seen Ia buckle from the two rxfren,a
ends. forming perfect u" There
was no report. but immediately tho col
lapsed bag fell toward the ocean win
frightful velocity.
ar