The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1913-10-21
Destroyed In Mid Air

largest of the Zeppelin war airships
the I'LL" was destroyed in mid ali
by an explosion at 1915 o'clock thi.
morning. All but one of the q mil
itary men on board, including the
entire admiralty trial board, were
killed almost instantly.
The disaster occurred just above
main street in the city of Johannis
thai, while the big dirigible, 500 feet
long, was making trial trip, prelim
mary to its acceptance as flagship OF
the new German aerial navy.
The shattered hulk of the airship
mass of blazing canvas and crum.
pied aluminium, dropped 900 feet into
the public highway.
Lieut.. Baron Won Bleut of the
| Queen Auguste grenadier guards who
was making the trip as a guest was
the only survivor but died a few hours
after the accident.
Many of the bodies were so burned
and mangled as to be unrecognizable.
The admiralty trial hoard consisted
OF seven officers including Lieut.. Com
mander Behnisch, and Senior Lieut.
Freyer of the German naval flying
corps. The airship's pilot was Capt
Gluth veteran sherman In the en-
ploy of Count Zeppelin.
Some On Board
Naval Constructors Neumann and
Pietzier and Naval Engineer Busch
were among those on board the ship.
Lieut.. Commander Behnisch was a
close friend Of the emperor. He was
formerly navigating officer of the
imperial yacht Hohenzollersn and la
ter commander of the cruiser Panth
re. Lieut.. Freyer was also a favor
lite of mperor william. He was for
merly personal adjutant of Prince
Adelbert one of the sons of the EN-
peror.
A director of one fHe aviation
companies at the Johannisthal aero
dome was an eye witness OF the dis
aster. He described 1t as follows:
Disaster Described
Il was In my office about sol
yards from the scene of the acciden
when | was startled by an explosion
OF extraordinary violence. MY frs
thought was that an aeroplane hat
landed on the roof OF my buiIdin,
and that the gasoline tank had ex
ploded.
Il rushed to n window and saw tn,
new dirigible in flames and prungin,
towards the earth. The outer GOVERN,
had been already burned off an,
the inner ballocnotte containing tn
PAS led disappeared
~. naked 1!-L-.nUs framework
with It's long centerpieces; it's inter
laclng ribs and its tapering ends, an,
the gondolas containing the motor
beneath, fell below foremost. Whel
the skeleton of the immense Graf
struck, the heavy gondolas burie,
themselves in the ground"
The dirigible before she left tn
balloon hall at Johannisthal took OF
board her regular naval crew and
number OF officers. She headed 70
Berlin, short distance away in
light wind. About a dozen aviator
were circling the terodrome at tn,
time in areoplanes.
The Explosion
Everything was apparently in goo,
order on the airship. She WAS grad
ually getting up speed when sudden
ly an explosion was heard by those
ON the ground, evidently In one Of
the motors of the center gondola. A
nash shot out and the next instant
the whole ship was aflre and plung
ing downward. Every inch of the
canvas covering and the baloonettes
disappeared In a moment.
A second and more violent explo.
sion was then heard, the fire having
reached the gasoline tanks, filled with
about ton OF liquid fuel. The echoes
OF the explosion had died down. the
wreck OF the most modern of Ger.