AIRSHIP EXPLODES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1569, 12 October 1912, Page 5

AIRSHIP EXPLODES.

ANjOTHER-GERMAN DISASTER. B»;/.ToIeeraBliA-rroE8 Afeociatlon-Oocyrlßlit Berlin, October 10. M 3, thc.-vnost powerful German military airship, exploded, nnd was destroyed whiio inflated at Potsdam, AIRSHIPS AND ACCIDENTS. The, Berlin correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" wrote on September o;—Deof tho German naval airship, which is expected to be finished by tho Zeppelin works at tho beginning or next month, arc published in the press here. It ie stated that the vessel will surpass in size, 6pecd, and radius of action all existing aerial cruisers. Its buoyancy will be so great that it will Iμ able to carry with it 6uffioient benzine for an unbroken journey of at least sixty hours' duration, and it is hoped to extend this to three days and nights. With an anticipated' speed of fifty-five miles an hour tho airship would bo able to travel upwards of 300 D miles without replenishing its tanks.

Tho efforts of tho Friedrichshaven works aro said to be at present directed to the construction of an aerial craft that will be ablo to remain in the air a whole, week without onco descending. Rigid airships are, however, delicate creations, and very difficult to manage. A few dsya . after the accident to tho military Zeppelin Z 11, it was tersely reported that in consequence of a rupture of the suspend-' cr "the stern of (he airship had slowly sunk, rendering more extensive repairs | necessary." A telegram from Cologne iio>r j affirms that what actually happened. wa» little- less than the total wreck of the vce- 1 uel. The entire framework of the balloon, it is said, collapsed, with -the result, that all tho cells wore destroyed, and months must elapse before Z II is fit to' take the air again. The message also complains that manoeuvres with militarj airships are oiot held with sufficient fre- ; quency, but adds the explanation that four weeks' practice with a Zeppelin costs the military authorities no less than. £5000 sterling. A fresh illustration of, tho shortcomings of tho rigid system was provided by the unsuccessful attempt of the SchuetteLanz airship, which has a wooden framework, to sail back to Frankfort from Berlin. Delayed by a motor defect, it was overtaken by a storm, and had to abandon the journey, and make for the nearest dock large enough to accommodate it, which was at Gotha. It was, however, only with the utmost difficulty that the trained hands of the Airship Battalion and those of dozens of voluntary helpers managed to get it safely berthed. Ge.rniany's advantago in aeronautical navigation is not so much in her airships themselves as in her unique experience in dealing with them.