The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-07-02
AKRON ExPLODES
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| (Conti1ued from Page One.l
make another flight and only awaited
| favorable winds.
Last night conditions appeared sat
i isfactory and he notified the city au-
| thorities that he probably would make
/ flight at sunrise today. At daybreak
| the conditions still were favorable and
| the word was given. hundred po-
and sent up to the inlet to assist in
getting the balloon out of the immense
hangar.
Hundreds of persons who expected
| the fight saw the Akron come out IT,, OF
| the hangar for the last time. The
operation was a simple one and the
big bag was brought out without diff
Guilty. Once clear of the shed Vanl-
man jumped into the car where the
other four men had already gone and
he gave the word to Let CO."
Starts Out to Sea.
Instantly the ship rose. slowly at
first, and swaying from end to end.
Then she rose rapidly. Vaniman ap-
after circling about over the inlet and
the mainland, the ships nose was
pointed out to sea.
An eye witness of the disaster told
this story of what he saw:
when about one thousand feet in
the air 1 saw a sudden puff of smoke
from the forward end of the gas bag.
In minute it exploded.
''Tc those who have witnessed the
many flights of Vaniman this one
seemed at the start more successful
than any yet attempted. The crew
seemed to have better control than
ever before. Starting out from the
hangar, the ship rose slowly from the
ground and passed easily out over the
water of the inlet, grazing the masts
of the fleet of yachts anchored there.
''Vaniman and his crew were cheer
ed by a number of fishing parties at
the inlet about to start out for a days
sport. The whistles of a feet of motor
boats sounded God speed to the air
ship and it's crew.
After getting UP about 800 feet the
ship made a complete circle of the
waters of the CLASSY bay Apparently
Vaniman was making a test of the air
currents"
Big Bag Buckles Up.
1.-THE airship passed over the Royal
Palace hotel,'' he said, "and then flew
over the southern section of the city
Soon after the puff of smoke was seen
the men on the airship were seen gath
cred on one side of the craft The spec
tators, however. did not realize that
ANYTHING had happened until suddenly
the huge bag was seen to buckle from
the two ends, forming a perfect 'JT'
There was no report but immediately
the collapsed bag fell toward the ocean
with frightful velocity.
1.-The forms of five men could be
seen plunging down through the all
from the great height, their bodies
turning over and over again before they
sank in the sea just off the outer bar
and not far from a can buoy. From
the board walk abreast of the lifesav-
ing station it looked as if the now
limp gasbag and it's metal frame work
covered their bodies.
Men on the walk turned their eyes
from the sight and women screamed.
One man who seemed to grasp the sit
uation made a dash for a hotel to tele-
phone for help. A large launch on the
way to the fishing ground blew a
whistle to attract the attention of the
inlet water were black with boats rush
ing to the aid of the men,
Everybody Liked Him.
Vaniman because of his genial dispo-
sition had endeared himself to the citi-
zens of Atlantic City. and his untimely
end caused universal sorrow here. To
a reporter who recently interviewed
him he expressed the greatest conf
dence in the Akron to make good.
He was keenly aware of the danger
Gus nature of the gas used for initiating
the bag, but he felt that it was safe
from explosion as no flame could
reach it.
One theory of the cause of the ex-
plosion was that the gasoline used for
operating the engines exploded and in
balloon. Vaniman had recently been
testing an entirely new material for
the gas bag. 1t is reinforce with wire
and Vaniman claimed that with it he
could construct a balloon that would
neither expand nor contract, thus pro-
ducing dirigibIe that would be abso-
lutely under the control of engines and
steering apparatus.
On his last two trips Vaniman dis
pensed with the services of his wire-
less operator and had removed the ap-
paratus, thus giving his crew additional
room in the working quarters That
somebody had let too much free gas
in the engines and backed upt he exhaust
fire department. who was on hand with
his men to help in launching the bal
loon.
Heard the Men Scream.
ST had no idea there was anything
wrong until I suddenly saw the smoke
change to flame and saw the entire
rear end of the big gasbag go up as
though by explosion he said 1--WE
heard the screams of the men. The
sight was awful. The big balloon dip
ped down by the stern and started
toward the earth at a terrific rate ]
turned my head away but the screams
of the crowd forced me to turn back
and 1 saw the balloon collapse and dive
down toward the water
Another theory for the cause of the
disaster Is IHdI dangling rope OIL the
rigging dragged into the big propellers
whipped up against the stern end OF
the balloon and snapped off enough con
to free the gas, allowing the vapor
to sweep into the engines and explode
Three of the widows of men killed in
the airship are Mrs. Vaniman, Mrs
Bourtillion and Mrs. Elmer. They had
gathered at the Vaniman cottage across
from the hangar within an hour after
the accident Outside the little cottage