THE WRECKED AIRSHIP.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1853, 12 September 1913, Page 7

THE WRECKED AIRSHIP.

SURVIVORS' STRUGGLES. WIRELESS CALL FOR HELP. TORPEDOERS TO THE RESCUE. By Telegraph—Press Association—Oopyriglit Berlin, September 10. Tho airship was manoeuvring with two aeroplanes .when the storm was sighted. Tho two aeroplanes foil, and the airship made a great offort to avoid tho hurricane, but the steering gear was unequal to coping with the whirlwind. When tho envelopo was struck it was largely deflated; it lacked the ordinafy resisting power. Ballast was thrown out, but this destroyed the airship's equilibrium. Wireless messages for help wero sent off. When tho airship was beaten down to tho waves, eighteen gas cells burst. Most of tho crew, with tho commander in tho front car, sank rapidly; hut tho men in tho after car were able to don salving suits. All in tho cabins were drowned like rats in a trap. Tho survivors sprang overboard and swam until picked up by torpedoers, which had received the wireless message and wont at full speed to the rescue. Tho airship will be salved in order to regain her valuable apparatus. (Rec. September 12, 0.10 a.m.) Berlin, September 11. An official account attributes the disaster to tho "LI" Zeppelin to tho gale. The airship struck the water nose Ssremfist, and broke amidships in several places. The vessel was in nowise overweighted. Tho disaster has not diminished in any degree tho fighting value of the Zeppelin. ANOTHER ZEPPELIN MISHAP. TWO SOLDIERS KILLED. (Rec. September 12, 0.10 a.m.) Berlin, September 11. Tho military airship Zeppelin No. 5, coming to tho manoeuvres, was unablo to enter tho shed at Leipzig, owing to a strong wind. One hundred and fifty persons wero holding it down, when a • sudden gust carried tho airship upwards, ' and it was only saved by promptly re-starting tho motors. Four soldiers, who did not relinquish their ropes in time, wore up into tho air. One jumped, another entered the car, but the other two werekilled, falling 450 feet., A SENSATIONAL FLIGHT. (Rec. September 12, 0.10 a.m.) St. Petersburg, Septemßer 11. Lioutenant Kesteroff, while aeroplaning, described a complete vertical circle at a height of 1900 ft., and then volplaned to earth.