AVIATION PERILS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 660, 10 November 1909, Page 8

AVIATION PERILS.

TERRIBLE FATE OF FRENCH AIRSHIP. . .CREW OF FOUR SACRIFICED. ', An appalling' disaster has ' resulted in the { wreck.of the French' military, airship Repub. | lique ..which was taking, part' in'.the .army, .manoeuvres this year. , " The, airship left La ; .Palisse at .7.5 on Saturday morning,' September 25;, ;■: Its' crew.' consisted. of Captairir Marchal, : .■Lieutenant Phaure, and two'assistants.'named Vincent'andiHeaux ' ■ .■'■' ■■'■■. -:■'■'.!; ■'~'■■:':-: :X. ... The Kepublique passed 1 over.' Moul' W' aWa height of'about 3QO feet: at twenty-fivt -minutes" past eight, and the whole population: turned out to watch the vessel, marvelling.at the ease with which it travelled, and loudly cheering the aeronauts: ...-,■• ■.-.■ ■.■.■'■.: :•■..-. .■■■;:■:••"-,.■./■ ~ /.Onlreaching a;point-abreast of Trevoli 8 kilometers to the north of Moulins, she was seen to ! make a sudden swerve to'the right, which.carried her. to a. height of 200 metres'above', the road.:. She then turned and soared above the ■.town. ■..'■-'. ■'.■■ '." ■■ ■■ . ~' ■ ■ 1 '.■■■; ■; -. ■ ;'';„ :. A' few ; minutes later,..at 8.35, a.m.; to'-be'ci-,aot, the airship was,seen to oscillate from left ;to; right, and then fall at a'terrific: speed*to ■ the' bank at;tho left side of Hie-'road* .close :.tp the-Chateaji'd'Avrilly. .-■■ '■'■'.-.'. ■:'■.'■>.■ ■■ ::..The-two , military: conductors of the' Aeronautic Department,-under command : of' Lieutenant Tissier, : of the Engineers, came on to the spot almost immediately, and found the bas.ketrlying, literally .crushed 'to pieces on , tho road, covered :by the casing of tho gas-bag. Servants from the chateau, together with'some 'soldiers, and peasants' working.,in the : fields, hurried to. the scene to render assistance to Lieutenant Tissier. .■''V.. , .'■■•■■..■'."•..'• ■

": Instantaneous Death. ..,:■■■' v : .In.the basket deathly stillness reigned. They raised the canvas aud disclosed a horrible spectacle, '.four .mangled -.bodiiw lying covered .with wreckage. ■,; '.■'■ .'•. ..' . : ..-,■■ ■./ . . '.;■-. .. ■ Captain Marcnal seemed to bo seated with his head and chest thrown back', : and his. eyes wiao, open. Lieutenant Phaure. was lying, just out-' side the ; basket. -As for ■ th<i : two" mechauics,. they.were buried under the cylinders. , ■. ■■ ■A doctor .was.'on-the spot, and •at first thought ..Lieutenant' Phaure' was'still: living. He loiind, howover, that ; his pulsowas no longer beating, and that -the light did not ; cause. the pupils of-his"eyes to react, and'he expired.a few Beconds Mater. ' The other'. three-"-victiiiis had died instantaneously. •'■. " ■."-."■ :.:'i'he doctors .say. that both, the violence of the 'shock of striking■■ the earth and the injuries inUicted■ by.-the .gear and. framework or' the airship falling on. their' heads; contributed to of death. . .■.■.■''.'.. ,•■ - The blade of the, prppelleriiirhich caused the accident foil into a fields 50. pjetres away from the road. ■', -, ~■' [ -\:'>'; ' "■-'■': ... .. ■'.- •,■ Ayhen the, disaster to : the Eepubliquo occurred.the airship "was travelling at. the fate of.about,twenty-five 'miles an' hour. The-eh-velopo, burst, with a- report like a cannon shot, and it, was ,this'. that/gave, rise to the.-supposi-tion.that tho accident .was due to an explosion of!'gas'. .-; '..-. ; ..-',',' ■" '-. ';■ ... ' A few'moments before the disaster the'officer in- charge signalled' to the motor cars ■ following the balloon that all: was:well. -' . : ■'■'. .- M. Briand,,the Premier, accompanied by his secretary .and- General..'Goiran,: arrivec , ; from St.- Etionno ; at .half-past five, and motored to the-; scene of the accident.. ;After inspecting :th ß wreck of the .dirigible, M- Briand visited the hospital where the- bodies of the -crew 'iwete lying.' ■.' V ..,:.■.,:.. ■--y ■ ];';-. ; ..V.; r '.-. : ' 'Cause, of-.the ; Disaster. .>.'■' ,:.■" ' The; Minister- for' War f has received '■ 'iihe following report from General"lloqnes l-v.'. ■ : ;.fTJ»ere is no'doubt>that the disaster was duo ito ; the breaking, of one of the blades of the Tight screw .close to .the axis.' -She- blade .ripped -,the .envelope,, and .fell 150 yards .to, the right of .the -spot,where ,the balloon fell-■■ T>ere is ,too,, no 'trace-of fire en the, gas. bagi'> which' does-aw with any: idea of an explosion: '-In vieyv. of certain .reports which have' been cur■r? W". M '.:it PW be. categorically de-.clarfld-that,any question of malice.may be put.asidOj the', appearance :of tho broken section .being convincing' in, this respect. Finally,, the' condition ,'of. the balloon, at the start was eicellenfj propellers, had. been • examined ,oarefully. That is'all that can be saidTr °he moment. I shall, however, endeawur to gather evidence shoir.ing>mpletely th'e , causes of: the accident' with a! -view' to'' the 'lessons .thatmar.'bo learned from it." ';' ' Prior" to'her'departure (sava iii» crew ,of the Kepiibliqu'elfetedl 7 fiie mo|r dnd: he ? TiM?t'' t ??? ble > iitl propeller on. tl i^ 7)^. ■J'm;- promptly cut short, the,. President Imm T a f retn ™ n S >'the'Elvsee, there te await further particulars. ' "We: hare no luck d 9 u t?^ b . l( « a : -«mark frequently 'IJainont who,,was'grp,atiy affected by'ithe-Repnblioue fcatetrophe, that aa Roon-as of it hissed the 'cause. Ninety-nine; out of one hundred accidents to steerables to the propeller; With the is bound to come-sooner, or later. Indeed this is danger that, threatens. steerables.' Propellers ought t»: beof wood andnotof steel as wood is.flexible and follows, the, slightest vibrations.- Wood propellers, cannot: break in the air,: but ..only ,if they are suddenly- broueht into, contact with-.the ground. "™ u b<« , Captain Flenry, the military balloonist al Meudon, says that, the ■ rupture' of a. blade of the propeller had long been dreaded, iso it had been .Tery carefuUy .watched.''.'. Even, the'• best steer propellers, were Subject to fissures,' caused by the extreme speed 'with '.which ..they- him, and they have; often ■to be .changed. The adon' hon of wooden propellers had long been. contemplated. ■■ , . ■ . .. . .. . • .