Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-06-27
A|RCRAFTS COLLIDE; NINE KILLED
ATTACKING AERoPLANE RIPS
OPEN DIRIGlBLE BALLOON
Ninoed Machine Accidentally Plo"s
Into Big Gas Bag Near vienna
While Making Mimic Attack

Vienna.-Nine burned and multi
ated bodies. the splintered fragments
IF an aeroplane. and the charred rem
uants Of a big dirigible balloon are
The mute records of one OF the most.
tragic. certainly the most sensational
disasters which has occurred since
man learned 80 fly. The catastrophe
which resulted i'm the death OF all con
rernrd. nine officers and men, follow
I'd a mimic attack Saturday by the
beroplaue ON the dirigibIe at a great
height durinc the Austrian maneuVers
md served to show more than any pre-
vious accident to flying machine have
done the horrors that would be likely
to attend aerial warfare.
The dirigDie military balloon COert-
ling early Saturday left Fischamend
eleven miles from Vienna. manned by
Captain Johann Hausworth in com
mand Lieutenant Ernst Hofstetter,
Lieutenant Buer, Lieutenant Haiding-
er. Corporal Hadima, Corporal Weber
and Engineer Kammerer.
At the elapse of half an hour
silitary biplane. with Lieutenant
Flatz and Lieutenant Hoosta aboard,
started in pursuit.
II was the intention of Captain
HauswOrth to take photographs of the
movements OF the troops below and
then 10 join in the mancuvers. At the
same time he was to keep out OF
range of any Of the mosquito craft
which might seek TO attack him
Like a wasp, bent on attacking
clumsy enemy, the aeroplane circled
several times around the balloon, now
darting close to her and then away,
always apparently steering Off just
in time to avoid an actual collision.
Meanwhile the balloon continued to
rise until it was about 1900 feet from
the ground The aeroplane, at still
greater height, unanswered until it
appeared to be nearly over the air
ship. Then it began its descent. II
was the evident intention of the pilot
of the aeroplane to take up a position
directly above the dirigible, within
striking distance, but owing either to
fatal miscaiculation of distance or
/ speed, the nose of the biplane struck
the envelope of the airship and ripped
1t wide open.
A tremendous explosion followed
/ the balloon burst into flames, which
enveioped the bipiane, and in a mo-
ment the wreckage began to drop,
crashing like lead to the slope of a
/ hill. Almost at the same moment the
wife of Lieutenant Hofstetter arrived
/ in a motor car.
The envelope of the balloon still
was burning when it struck the
ground. Lieutenant Flatz, when ex-
treated from the wreckage OF the
aeroplane. showed faint signs of life
but almost Immediately expired All
the others were killed.
Military officers who witnessed the
disaster said that the maneuvers had
/ been undertaken with instructions to
carry out as far as possible actual
war conditions, in which an aerOplane
was attacking a dirigible. the latter
trying to repel the assault. The oc.
cupants of both craft had been order
ed to conduct themselves as they
would in actual combat. According tC
some experts the catastrophe seem
ingly was caused by the aeroplane be
ing caught in the eddies from the bal
loon. They attribute the accident to
a stecies of whirlwind caused by the
airship's propeller which drew in the
smaller machine