The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-07-03

boardwalk were crowded when the dis
aster occurred.
Stories of Eyewitnesses
Eye witnesses told several stories. One
said:
when about 1000 feet in the air saw
a sudden puff of smoke from the for
ward end of the great thing. In a min
ute 1t exploded. To those who have wit
messed the many flights of vaniman
this seemed at the start more satisfac-
tory than any yet made. The crew
seemed to have better control than aver
before. Starting out from the hangar
the ship rose slowly from the ground
and passed easily out over the water
for the inlet grazing the masts of the
fleet of yachts anchored there.
'Vaniman and his crew were cheered
by a number of fishing parties at the
inlet about to start out for a catch. The
whistles of a fleet of motorboats sounded
farewell salute to the airship and its
crew. After getting up about 800 feet the
ship made a complete circle of the waters
of Grassy Bay Vaniman apparently
was making a test of the air pockets
THE airship passed over the Royal Pal
ace hotel" he said, land then flew over
the southern section of the city. By this
time the word had quickly spread that
the ship was in the air and thousands of
residents and visitors focked to the board
walk to witness the fight.
Soon after the puff of smoke was seen
the men on the airship were seen gather
ing together on one side. There proved
to be a ripping of the entire right side
of the big gas envelope. The spectators
did not realize that anything had hap
pened until suddenly the huge bag was
seen to buckle from the two extreme ends
forming a perfect letter u. There was no
report, but Immediately the bag fell to-
ward the ocean with frightful velocity.
Men Seen Plainly
1.-The forms of Ave men could be seen
plainly plunging through space. Their
bodies turned over and over again before
they sank in the sea just off the outer
bar and not far from a can buoy. From
the boardwalk abreast of the llfesavers'
station it looked as il the now limp gas
bag and its metal framework covered
their bodies.
Men on the boardwalk turned THEN
eyes from the sickening sight and women
screamed. One man who appeared to
grasp the situation made a dash for the
Royal Palace hotel to telephone for help
A large launch on the way to the fishing
grounds started to blow whistle to at
tract the attention of the other boats and
In a short time the inlet waters were
blackened with boats rushing to the aid
of the men,
Vaniman, because of his genial DISPOSE
ton, had endeared himself to the citizens
of Atlantic City in bonds of friendship
His untimely end caused sorrow. To a
reporter who interviewed him he ex-
pressed the greatest confidence In the
ability Of the Akron to make good on all
that was claimed for It, He was keenly
| aware, however, of the dangerous nature
of the gas used for initiating, but he felt
II aXD1pQio, aa n
could reach 1t.
Theories of Explosion
One theory of the cause of the explo-
sion is that gasoline used for sparkling
the engines exploded and In turn COM
municated to the gas. Vaniman had re-
Gently tested an entirely new material
for the gas bag of his balloon. 1t is re-
inforced with wire mesh and vaniman
claimed with 1t he coulo construct a bal
loon that would neither expand nor con-
tract, thus producing dirigible craft
that would be absolutely under the con-
troll of engines and steering gear. On his
last two trips Vaniman dispensed with
the services of his wireless telegraph op-
eartor and had removed the apparatus
thus giving his crew additional space in
the working quarters.
That somebody had let too much free
gas into the engines and backed up the
exhaust was the theory of Chief Black
of the fire department, who was on hand
with his men to help in launching the
raft.
II had no idea there was anything
wrong until / suddenly saw the smoke
change to fame and saw the entire real
end of the big gas bag go up as though
by explosion" he said. I'VE heard the
screams of the doomed men across the
water. The sight was an awful picture
The big balloon dipped down by the stern
and started toward the earth at a terrific
rate.
"I turned my head. But the screams
of the crowd forced me to look again. ]
saw the big balloon collapse like bursted
kite and dive down toward the bay"
Widows Saw Catastrophe
Another theory for cause is that the
dangling rope of the rigging dragged into
the big pencil shaped propellers when
they were whipped against the bottom
and allowed the top vapor to sweep into
the engines through the valves. Three
of the widows of the men killed in the
airship are Mrs. Melville Vaniman, Mrs.
Bourtillion and Mrs. Elmer. They had
gathered at the Vanniman cottage across
from the hangar within an hour after the
accident.
Outside the little cottage was a crowd OF
and men. all saddened, downcast and
some in tears over the oppressive sorrow
of it all. Policemen were on guard around
the leased spot of the vaniman house
to keep back the morbid Everyone
seemed to feel deeply the sorrow Mrs
Vaniman, although fainting on the porch
of her little dwelling when she saw her
husband dropping to his death, stood the
strain better than the others after she
was resuscitated. She was on her feet
soon. Mrs. Bourtillion and Mrs Elmer
cried on Mrs. Vannimans shoulders. De-
spite the intensity of feeling Mrs. Van
imam talked of her husband. She said
'.He was so very brave that believe
he never thought of death"
Never Opposed Him
Il never urged him not to go up
she said. ''as ] knew ii would not inf1u-
ence him. 1t would be more exact to
say he never would hear what I said He
was devoted to his work and flight In
the air. however dangerous, was to him
merely an incident. 1t was step In the
pleasurable science of air navigation
which he studied when he was awake
and dreamed of when he was asleep.
IT shall never forget the feeling In my
heart when he left me at 2 a. m. had
foreboding of trouble. believe 1t now
as truly as | can believe anything, and
I am not a superstitous woman.
Eyes, I saw them fall. I saw one man
jump. Something tells me that It was
Melville I saw him spread out In the
air fiat as he fell, and then-Oh, I can
scarcely speak of it--all grew dark be-
fore me. They were so high in the air
1t must have been 1000 feet.