Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-07-02

Atlantic City. n. J.. July 2.-While
5000 spectators stood too startled to
utter a sound. the big balloon Akron
was shattered by the explosion OF the
gas bag. and blown to atoms at s:3s
this morning. half mile of shore on
Absacon inlet.
Melvin Vaniman who had built the
airship with the idea Of flying across
the Atlantic ocean, Calvin Vaniman.
his brother. Fred Elmer, Walter Guest
and George Bourtillion. his crew. were
instantly killed. No trace Of their bod
les has been discovered.
Flames Hide Ship From View.
The dirigible was sailing at a height
OF 1000 feet, and had been In the air
since 6:15 o'clock when the accident
occurred. She was a quarter OF mile
south Of Brigintine beach. The huge
envelope containing thousands OF cubic
feet OF gas, was rent by the terrific
force Of the explosion. probably caused
by expansion from the suns rays. 1t
burst near the middle. A mass OF
flames hid the ship from the view.
For q few seconds the dirigible was
visible while the air about the spot
where she hovered seemed to be. all In
flames, The fire dissipated for an
instant. and then the ship was seen TO
fall like plummet.
Men Unable 70 Escape.
First the understructure. which held
the men. held In a by meshwork. put
on after the second trip Of the balloon
three weeks ago. unble to escape, broke
away from the envelope It reversed
suddenly and plunged downward. d.
rectly above. twisting in long spiral
was the bag q ssmoking bag Of rubber
and silk. the flames sfuutins frnm q
dozen sections as It collapsed. It mt :
down after the car.
One Body Recovered.
In the descent, something which ap-
peared to be the body OF man, shot
out Of the left OF the wreckage and hit
the water before the descending mass.
It was reported that this was the head
less body Of Calvin Vanimann. At $50
a message was relayed ashore that this
body had been recooered. With 1t came
the statement from Captain Lambert
Parker, Of the Absacon federal life
saving crew. that this was true. and
that the other four members Of the
crew were entangled in the wreckage
beyond reach for the present. in
eighteen feet OF water. Efforts are to
be made to drag them to the surface.
Mrs. vaniman coIlapsss.
Thousands OF persons from every
part of the resort were gathered along
the inland, the board walk and about
the vaniman cottage, lust across the
inlet from the hangar. AT the inlet Mrs
Vaniman collapsed from the shock.
Greatest CONSERVATION prevailed for a
time.
Nearly Wrecked June 4.
Police reserves who helped TO launch
the craft. which sailed aionE grace
fully until the accident occurred. kept
the crowd from around the Vaniman
villa The flight this morning was the
second that the Ill -fatcd airship had
taken this year. after ttnlsering all
winter on the ship, Vaniman took the
Akron out for short fight on Sat-
urday morning. June I. At that time
the balloon was nearly wrecked by one
OF the mechanisms going wrong.
The longest fight the. balloon male
was last fall when II spent tho greater
part of the day In the air In the vicin-
ity Of this city. At that time the gas
in the bag was not sufficient to keep
the big ship constantly In the air and
1t had to make several landings. Dur
ing the winter. yaniman improved the
ship thru lessons learned In that flight.
Not Unlike the America.
In general appearance, the Akron was
not unlike the America. in which Wal
ter Wellman and vaninan attempted
to cross the Atlantic in 1910. but there
were many differences In the construc-
ton. The gas bag was thirty feet long
er than that Of the America. The di-
mensions were, Length OF bag. 25s:
diameter. forty-seven feet. Tho bag
was made OF compositions OF rubber
and was constructed In Ohio.
Description Of Balloon.
Beneath thiss Immense cigar shape
bag. was the car. about $50 feet long.
The bottom OF the car was composed
OF round steel tank about two feet IN
diameter and 100 feet long. In this tank
was stored the gasoline. On top OF the
tank was built a platform OF two inch
boards and on this rested one 100 horse
power motor. two Of eighty horse pow
er. one OF seventeen horse power and
q small dynamo, The larger motor was
used for the forward horisontAf pro-
the two pair cf propcllors. This could
be . propeller IN = horizontal or verti-
cal direction. The arnallcr motuu and
to operate the wireleee anparatua.
- ~