SUCCESSFUL AIRSHIP.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13666, 7 August 1908, Page 5

SUCCESSFUL AIRSHIP.

Associatiori-Bv Telegraph-Copyright DISASTROUS. ENJ). ■ BERLIN, Aug. 5. Count Zeppelin's airship •'storied , from Friedrielishaven: yesterday; morning, passed Basle in "'Switzerland, - . Strasburg, Darmstadt, ancl Mayence in 'Germany, <tnd des'cencfed- into the Rhine'at Oppetahieni after 12 hours travelling owing to a/dtefeet; '"When tlip. ■ defect: was-remedied the; aiiiship. pro- •; ceeded'at. night to-Stuttgart/and again descended. . ■ Count. Zeppelin - i-esum.es : his journey to Lake Constance to-night. I , THE AIRSHIP . [DESTROYED. A MECHANIC KILLED. Received 11.45 p.m. August 6th. .BERLIN, August;' 6. • • While -the airship was • undergoing • - «f | pairs iit Eehterdinjer on Wednesday afterliotfn, a sudden - and, violent thlnidefstorm. Btrucfc the. airship blowing one of the cars into the air. When it fell-to: the. ground its • motor -exploded, igniting 1 the >rest of the' airship. Several isoldieiw whowere holding ' the car were severely : ' injured. The storm blew the blazing airship. away, completing its destruction. .A crowd of' 50,000 witnessed the incident. - ' -i ' The blading airship rose in the : air and" one mechanic :wlio was in the car jumped from a, considerable height and was mortally .injured, oilier persons were badly burnt: When informed-of the: destruction of tlie airship,'-Zeppelin burst., into tears. Profound • sympathy was shown him and' ii movement; has: been-. started to orgaaiise a, great, national: gift. The Federal Governs ent. decided to pay Zeppelin £25,000 compensation. ■ - :

TRIAL TRIP THIS WEEK

For about a. year .Sergeant Matthews, of the .-Fifth Australian Regiment-, has been at ; work on a military airship. The Minister for Defence gave permission to use j the Departmental workshops , at Victoria i and ' interested -hitn- » self in, the -.indention. iSergeant Matthews chine, and. he intends to make a trial flight with, a- large model, whioh is' now .being* constructed-. at" Abe- Melbourne San--. cep; Track. This is to take, place^inthe first week of August. • A. roost',, successful trial was carried out by Sergeant Matthew with ia 5ft..-, 6in.v model.. The airship resembles an inverted' boat id appearance.-. In vthe upper portion of it are two gas-bags,- each ' 40ft-. longby. 12ft in diameter. Below it are suspended- :a . carriage and machinery. The carriage is ; l7ft,by,sft. The airship will be capable of carrying a load of 611b. 1 This includes the weight of • the ship and machinery. < The, following statement has been made hy Sergeant; Matthews- in ■ regard to the matter : —" The . gas -bags ■ are -. for buoyancy purposesonly.in; case anything should go wrongvwith/the- machinery. The main feature of the airship is the- fact -that it can; be-.manipulated---without loss of gas. She rises from the ground either-straight up. or at an angle of.. 45deg., by machinery • only, and jshe.; can-'be -lowered in the same way, without releasing any r gas from the • gas. bags; The ship ?. will be- fitted with two .motors, one. of which .operates the lifting,. lowering,, and.-front. steering - propellers, and the other the driving and stem steering -.1f,-, however, the front propellers, are not needed, then they can be switched : round to the rear, - and become driving f.prapellers on the .turbine principle. • A number of-nnlitaiy- authorities •■andi-pro-minenfc-engineers, ha,Ve examined- both the drawings: and the small .-model*'- and have all : .expressed :..themselvefe-; >as-' "satisfied with the invention.-- It Eas been jjrotectedi, throughout t-lie v worjd,' ;■ and -«arrangements are:: now on thfe; point-of conelusion f6r • a .fcerieiv of -public exhibitions; nexf. month. A powerful syndicate of in-/ flnential men has takeji'tKis in hand."