New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-11
TWO MEN FALL 500 FEET
FROM ZEPPELIN A|RSH|P
OirigibIe rs Carried Away
with Four Soldiers Cling
ing to RopeS-TWo
Saved.
SEVEN Ii BODIES FOUND

Major Won Parseval Criticises
Handling of Craft, Which
Dropped Some 4,500 Feet,
Causing ID Deaths.
Leipsic. Sept. 1O.-Two soldiers were
killed and another Zeppelin dirigible
narrowly escaped destruction here to-
day when the great German military
airship Z-5 was wrenched free from the
hands of $50 men and carried aloft by
sudden gust of wind.
The 10 had just returned from the
German imperial army manPuvres in
Silcsia, and an attempt was being made
10 get the vessel into the balloon hail,
when a sharp gust Of wind suddenly
dragged the airship from the hands of
the soldiers holding her ropes. The
motors were started barely in time TO
prevent disaster.
Four soldiers who became entangled
i'm the lines were carried up. one man
cXtricated himself and another waS
hauled into the gondola. The other
Two men fell 10 the ground from a
height of five hundred feet and were
instantly killed.
The drigible was eventually brought
10 earth and safely housed.
nj l..
stroyers. with their searchliEhts flashing
over the dark waters. remained all night
at the scene Of Yesterdays airship catas-
trophe. in which fourteen officers and
men out of a crew Of twenty-one per
ished when the new German marine
drigible Zeppelin LII. while flying from
the German coast TO this island, was
wrecked in hurricane.
Seven bodies. including those Of Lieu
f<nant Baron Won Maltzahn and the en-
Eleer officer Wehner. undoubtedly are
Confined I'm the cabin Of the airship. which
lies $50 feet below the surface OF the sea.
One victim was picked up by boats
launched from the destroyers. but he was
dead when taken out Of the water six
other bodies. including those of Captain
Netting. chief of the naval airship ser
vice and Captain Hdnne. commander OF
the wrecked direlble. were recovered this
afternoon. Doctors worked ene~getically
over three Of them with the hope OF re-
suscitatinC the men. but without avail
The airsh,p was engaged in reconnois-
sance work in Connection with torpedo boat
mano-uvres. and when struck by the gale
was flying at a height of from 400 TO
5000 feet. She was equipped for a thirty
hour cruise and was observing actual
warfare conditions The balloon had sus-
tanned a heavy loss Of gas. due to the cold
atmosphere. and was already unmanage-
able when caught by the storm. The
entire amount OF water ballast was thrown
overheard. but the airship failed TO re-
spond and fell into the sea at point
about eighteen miles north OF this island.
The hurricane which destroyed the
latest German naval airship TUNED into
steady gale to-day. and II has been I'M
possible to locate the wreck.
II became known to-day that a hydro
aeroplane accompanying the dirisibie also
had narrow escape from destruction. &.
The aviator, Lieutenant Lengefeld, how
ever saw the cyclonic storm approaching
and piloted his machine toward Helgo-
land. lie reached haven Of safety Just
iu time.
The Zeppelin Ii tried to circle the
storm. but was drawn into II. The ruo-
ders and machines were useless, and the
heavy rain and furious wind jammeo inc
belnless craft seward. The occupants
of the forward car never had a chance 10
escape The persons saved were ridlhs
u the rear gondola.
BerIin Sept. lO.-Major Won Parseval.
we'll known as a dirigible pilot and aero
plane constructor. in an interview TO-DAY
iupliedly censured the commander Of the
u-fater dir,gible LII He believed the
destruction OF the naval airship Was
brought about 10y overlooking the vessel
with an extra crew and by not having
sufficient ballast available on board.
The airship reached its highest altitude.
Major Won Parseval contended. OILY by
means Of its motors. the body Of the
craft serving as an aeroplane. The loss
~ Gas. due TO the balloon passing through
cold atmosphere added 10 the net over
,,.cigbt and the descent, when II became
necessary. could not be accomplished
gradually. The airship. instead. fell rap
idlv and was crumpled by the impact
with the sea.
An official report issued tonight says
thA, tt,. disaster TO the LII detracts In no
,,,iso from, the worth Of the rigid system
airship as an instrument OF war Ine
loss OF the dirisible,. II points out was
M, due 70 technical deficiencies. lack OF
ballast or loss Of gas. but solely 10 Inc
greater mower Of unusual weather condi-
lions Sudden gusts. sometimes horizon
tai sometimes vertical drove the airship
several hundred yards up and then down.
and finally the PROV struck the water
50 violently that the craft broke IN sew
eral places amidships. The report denies
that the dirgible was overloaded a.
part Of her war equipment was not Oh
board.
on the other hand. friend OF captain
Hanne. in "A statement tonight say
Hsnne knew that the LII was too heavy
for big crew and had remarked on one
occasion that he expected some day TO
be obliged to make swift glide to the
earth.
The new L-2 has "A lifting capacity OF
three and half tons more than had