AN ÆRIAL DISASTER

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 88, 30 August 1912, Page 8

AN ÆRIAL DISASTER

EXPLOSION OF AN AIRSHIP. Mr. Melvin Vaniman met disaster 'u his new airship, the Akron, in which \w hoped to cross the Atlantic this year, and lost his life as well, when KHKIft in the air. On the morning of July 2 the great airship suddenly exploded, and Mr. Melvin, Vaniman, with his crew of four, were dashed to the earth and killed. In addition to his Scotch engineer, there were present as his assistants in the car of the great dirigible his brother (Mr. Calvin Vaniman), a French mechanician named G. Bourtillion, and Messrs Felmer and William Guest (assistants). Everybody aboard the ill-fated airship was killed. The. accident took place in the | presence of 3000 spectators, who at the early hour of six had gathered at Atlantic City, New Jersey, to witness the trial of the famous dirigible. Mr. Vaniman had kept the Akron at the New Jersey seaside resort all the winter, and this was one of her first trials. It was known that the inventor , intended to set out on his voyage across i the Atlantic this summer if tho tests [were satisfactory. The dirigible was taken from its hangar at daybreak, and several hours were spent in "tuning it up." Mr. Vaniman then declared that he was satisfied with the vessel, and that everything was in readiness for the trial. The dirigible rose from the inlet, where it was towed, amid cheers of the spectators, and everything augured well for the success of the trial. When the dirigible reached an altitude of a little over 1000 ft the people saw a spurt of flame burst from the side of tho gas bag. Tliis was immediately followed by an explosion of such force that tho whole structure was blown to atoms. A TERRIBLE SCENE. The car, containing the crew, fell heavily, and plunged into the -water about 15ft deep in the Absecon inlet. I In its flight to earth it turned over, and 'Mr. Calvin Vaniman was thrown out. His body was afterwards found minus its head. The bodies of the rest of the occupants of the car are deeply buried in the mud of the inlet and have not yet been recovered. The horror of the scene was added to by the circumstance that Mrs. Melvin Vaniman and the wives of some of the members of the crew occupied a prominent place among the spectators when the disaster occurred. The women shrieked with horror when the Uames burst from the airship, and two of them fainted. Hundreds of boats searched tho waters of the inlet for the •bodies, but it is believed that tkey are buried deeply below the steel car. Scarcely any remnants of the ill-fated airship have been found, although portions of it dropped into the inlet. The dirigible was smashed into such fine pieces that nothing will be recoverable. The disaster occurred) WITH SUCH .SUDDENNESS that it was impossible to determine the cause, but it is believed that it resulted either from electric sparks or the expansion of the gas in the enevelope under the heat of the sun's rays. The Akron was similar in size to the America, with 1 which Mr. Wellman and Mr. Vaniman tried to cros the Atlantic two years ago, but it was a more powerful machine, having four large engines and six pro'pellers. Mr. Vaniman made successful trials in the machine last October, and had the season not been so far advanced he would have made the Atlantic attempt at that time. Since theu he had made several improvements in the airship, and he had every hope of success. One alteration* in the Akron from the America was a series of aeroplanes fore ', and aft. With these Mr. Vaniman expected to drive his ship upwards and downwards without the necessity of interfering with the gas capacity. The disaster caused great gloom in Atlantic City, where much was expected from] the machine, and where Mr. Vaniman was held in the highest regard both as a competent engineer and an intrepid airman.