Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1913-10-24
II DIE WHEN
A|RSH|PExPLODES
German DirigIble (OGk Fire
WnlIs Up 800 Feet
ONLY one FOUND ALIVE
New Filler, Carrying Military and Naval
Officers, Crashes to Earth Mass
of Fiames-

OF 7 IdfHEo~
The newest and largest OF the Esp
peiln war airaAipa, the LII, was de.
stroyed in nid-aId by an eHplo9ion
near Berlin.
All except one Of the twenty-elght
military and naval men on board, in
Guiding the engine admiralty trial
board, were killed.
Shortly after the disaster to the
navy aviation men came news that
three army officers belonging to the
flying corps were killed in aeroplane
accidents.
The disaster to the LII. occurred
just above thu main street Of the city
Of Johannisthal while the big dirigIble,
500 feet long, was making trial trip
preliminary to its acceptance as the
flagship of the new German aerial
navy. The shattered hulk OF the air
ship, a mass Of blazing canvass and
crumpled aluminium, dropped 900 feet
into the public highway.
Hundreds of persons, who had been
watching the flight from parks and
housetops, rushed to the scene. There
was nothing to be done except to take
out the bodies Of the victims from the
mass of twisted wreckage.
Lieutenant Baron Won Bleul. of the
Queen Augusta Grenadier Guards, who
was making the trip as guest, was
the only survivor of the wreck. He
was badly injured. and his condition is
critical. Many of the bodies were so
burned and mangled as to be unrecog-
nizable.
The dirigible, just before she left. the
balloon hall, at Johannis:hal, took on
board her regular naval crew and a
number Of officers. She headed for Bcr-
lin, a short distance away. In light
wind. About dozen aviators were cir
cling the aerodrome at the time In
seroplanes.
Everything was apparently in good
order on the airship. She was grad.
ually getting up speed whom suddenly
an explosion was heard by those on
he ground, evidently In one OF the
motors in the centre gondols. A fash
shot out and the next instant the en-.
tire ship was afre and plnngins down
ward Every inch OF canvass covering
and the balloonets disappeared in a
moment.
A second and more violent explosion
was then heard. the fire having reach
ed the gasoline tanks filed with about
two tons Of liquid fuel. Before the
echoes Of the explosion had died down
The wreck OF the most modern OF Ger
many's dlrigibles lay flaming mass
on the ground.
The six inmates Of the center gon-
dola had been blown through the sides
of the car by the first explosion and
their bodies fell quarter Of mile
away from tie wreck OF the balloon.
which was travelling at forty miles an
hour when the accident happened. All
the others, except two, were apparent
ly killed by the explosion of the gaso-
line tank. and were probably dead be.
fore the wrsckage reached the earth.
The commander and members OF the
admiralty trial board were seated in
The officers gondola. After the fire
started they were Gagged inside a net
work Of red-hot girders.
Two of the crew were alive when
rescuers reached the wreckage. One
Of them, however, died before he was
extricated. The other, Lieutenant
Baron Won Bleul, was desperately in
jured. Both his eyes we're burned out.
He urged the rescuers to kill him.