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NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images
The zeppelin Hindenburg flies over Manhattan, April 1, 1936, a year before its fiery demise.
NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images
The Hindenburg dirigible attempting to land at Lakehurst, N.J. May 9, 1936, a year before the disaster.
On May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg airship burst into flames while attempting to land in Lakehurst, N.J. Of the 97 people on board, 35 were killed, and one person on the ground died as well. According to the AP:
A look back at the historic airship and its demise.
The huge airship — more than three times longer than a Boeing 747 — was engulfed in flames and sank to the ground in less than a minute. Photographers and newsreel crews on hand for the landing captured the scene, and a shocked radio station broadcaster recorded the often replayed phrase “Oh, the humanity and all the passengers!”
The 804-foot-long Hindenburg was cutting-edge technology, with its fabric-covered, metal frame held aloft by more than 7 million cubic feet of lighter-than-air hydrogen. Flammable hydrogen had to be used because of a U.S. embargo on nonflammable helium.
It was “the Concorde of its day back in 1936 and ’37,” said Carl Jablonski, president of the Navy Lakehurst Historical Society. But after the fire, he said, it would be called the “Titanic of the sky.”
According to Asbury Park Press:
“The Hindenburg cut the time in half of the fastest ocean liner,” said Robert Buchanan of Waretown, the last known surviving member of the civilian landing crew that handled mooring lines for the airship.
“I find it hard to explain how horrible it was,” Buchanan told the audience. “The flames were entirely surrounding — you couldn’t see the sky, and you knew the ship was falling on you.”
Central Press/Getty Images
The Hindenburg in flames on its arrival at Lakehurst, New Jersey May 6, 1937.
The crash of the Hindenburg took only 34 seconds, but it changed lives forever as passengers and ground crew tried to escape its massive flames.
Leave a Comment:
The Hindenburg would have been twice as heavy with helium as opposed to hydrogen. I hear there are tours that the original Zepplin company is holding in Germany with much smaller versions.
The picture taken a year before the disaster, and shown here, seems not to have swastikas on the aft stabilizers. Is that true?
Whatever became of thos people who were arrested -- in Germany, following the disaster -- by the gestapo? Released? Executed? Sent to extermination camps?
Look at how small downtown Manhattan was in the picture! It sprawls Northwest well beyond this view now.
ercillor-2107261
Look again. Its there. Do you think the Nazis wouldn't put a @!$%#stika on anything they own?
Mr. Thanatos:
Actually, the Nazi's didn't own it; and Hugo Eckener - the creator of the airships and the owner of the Zeppelin Company - did NOT want the symbol on his ships. His Zeppelins flew the old Imperial German colours (the old red, white and black); he did not agree with the Nazi philosophy and was an opponent of their 'co-opting' everything to express their party might. He also intended to run against Hitler for the presidency. The agreement, before the Zeppelins were flown away, was that the old Imperial German colours would stay: but against the agreement they made, the Nazis installed their symbol anyway (thus 'co-opting' Eckener's creations for their own propaganda purposes). The odd thing most people don't know: Hitler didn't like the Zeppelins - he said they were 'slow, awkward and unsafe' and he refused to ever travel in one.
Some of the confusion in early photos of the Zeppelins comes from the fact that, at first the Nazis only had their symbol on ONE SIDE of the airships - like the Graf Zeppelin; the other side flew the Imperial German colours. AFTER Hitler had gained his presidency and the Nazis further cemented their power (and Eckener was silenced) they installed the dreaded emblem on BOTH sides of the ships.
In the irony department, Goebbels wanted LZ129 to be named the Adolf Hitler, not the Hindenburg. What a public relations disaster that would have been for the Nazis, having the namesake of Der Fuhrer go down in flames!
Often after a disaster, something good comes out of it.
The cover Led Zeppelin 1 is a classic!
Watch repubs wraps themselves in flags and the first responders of this terrible past event and want to attack Germany again. Any excuse to get more money for war profiteers buddies and the billionaires who own them. Romney will say he would have attacked the kaiser and Hitler sooner......then say he would not have.....then say he would have....then say he would not have...then say he would have....
What are you talking about starsailing? Seriously what is wrong with you? This is a history piece; don't be a tool.
JQ........ you would think it would not be a political piece...see below posts....andddddddddd........History is my passion, I even posted a historical note on this subject below in another post....!....."Oh the humanity!"
Then there is the other Humanity cry..... Les Nesman version of "Oh the Humanity" where turkeys were dropped from the helicopter on WKRP in Cincinnatti show. " I swear as god is my witnewss I thought turkeys could fly."
You say you love history but I bet you stick with the liberal slant everytime by the way you have posted on here.
While it's true that helium is twice as heavy (per unit volume) as hydrogen, the difference in buoyancy when placed in air is less than 10%, since air is 7 times heavier even than helium.
Dougy...I consider myself middle of the road politics wise. I like Ike...Eisenhower...great president. warned us about the present day type of republicans, military war mongers for war profit corporations...wrapped up in a flag and carrying a bible. Don't say he didn't warn us. 30 yrs of trickle on economics...you would think teabaggers would learn...like that other great saying...teabaggers voted republicans was like hitting themselves in the head with a hammer, because it feels so good when the Dems always fix the problems...!
Obama/Biden 2012
Dougy...I created a National Park 2 yrs ago with my discovery of the first pioneer village in Mn. Filing correct documentation for 26 yrs. I created another Park at Traverse Des Sioux Mn. and my lectures led to an Interpretive center with trails and over 9000 yr old native artifact(big time for Mn) Dicovered Dakota village sites from 1689 and up to 1850's on Mn River, protected Numerous Indian mounds, programs for other Historical sites...etc...all for free....Thousands of hrs and thousands of dollars....Yep..I said I like history and can back it up.....Imagine all that despite as you say...a liberal slant disability....AAAAhhhhahahahahahahaha Obama /Biden.....yep 2012
Yes, starsailing, I am a republican and ....No, I do not want to attack Germany. The Hindenburg was a tragedy that is long in the past. No, I have no wealthy friends to make war with...in fact I am middle class and currently unemployed trying to find a job. If you want to turn a historical even that took place 75 years ago into a slogan moment for Obama, be my guest. Just don't expect those with good taste to join you. As for the rest of your ranting I will not respond, I do not argue with fools.
Yeah, so there!
I had some first-hand accounts, about 20 years after the accident, while working with retired Navy Captain, George W. Watson, who was the Information Officer at Lakehurst Naval Air Station at that Time.
As did I, My grandfather was there as a reporter. It was a chilling story for me to hear at such a young age.
You with information from your old time friends and such, please consider writing your own memories down to share with the rest of us. Commence homework!
And.............go on..................
This is definitely one of several historical disasters that will never be forgotten. That said though, it is the only disaster/accident that I know that we never went forward with. After the titanic we didn't stop making cruise ships, with all of the plane disasters through out history we haven't stopped flying, same with any other form of transportation, we learned from the mistakes and make them better. I am curious as to why this form of luxury transportation never continued. I can easily see these being the cruise ships of the skies. I could see the activities ranging from sky high bungee jumping, to parachuting into a destination, or how about a mile high version of rock climbing on the outside skin? So many possibilities that could only be enjoyed high up. Just curious.
sgbear: We did learn. We learned that Hydrogen gas, used as a lifting medium for airships, is inherently unsafe. It is simply too flammable (spelling?). The Germans took extraordinary measures to minimize the risk of fire on their dirigibles: electric stoves (no flames), diesel engines (no sparky ignition source), etc. But still, a random spark did the trick. Helium would help. But it's twice as heavy as Hydrogen. Thus, to get equivalent lifting, a Helium-lifted machine would be considerably different - and less capable. Our blimps (Goodyear, etc) are smaller, have considerably less lifting capacity, and have a hard time flying into very strong winds (They're largely limp, with surface struts on the noses to help them keep their shapes when moving forward.). I believe it is simply that Helium, while inherently safe as a lifting medium, was heavy enough to make airships impractical and economically unattractive.
I could, however, be wrong. Any commnts for discussion?
I think you nailed it, Fred. I would also add that one thing we learned from our own dirigible programs (the USS Akron, the USS Macon, and the USS Shennandoah) is that rigid airships are extremely susceptible to damage from turbulence. In contrast, by the late thirties there were pressurized airplanes on the drawing board (DC-4, Constellation) that could fly faster and higher (above most turbulence).
Germany's experience with Zeppilins during WWI was, apparently, terrible. They proved to be extremely vulnerable so that the army finally abandoned them altogether. The German navy struggled on under the ommand of Strasser who finally died in a flaming shootdown over England. That spelled the end for the navy too. At one point they had investigated the possibility that Zeppilin fires -- on the ground -- were being caused by their own crew members who did not wish to go up in the things. The German military turned to large bombing aircraft such as Gothas for their attacks upon England. It was believed that such bombers could easily protect themselves against fighter plane attacks [during WWII we proved that this was not true].
After Versailles several Zeppelins were built for the US -- and others -- as part of war reparations; Shenandoah was one of them --- a disaster! Macon was built under the direction of German designers and technicians --- another disaster!
Post war Zeppelin production started out well -- Graf Zeppelin made world tours without incident -- with Hindenburg promising great things as well. Of course that didn't happen. Britain too had their major 'dirigible' disasters such as R101 which crashed in France. Total disaster!
Chris: I had completely forgotten about turbulence. You're right. Even moderate turbulence could have done fatal damage to the frames inside a dirigible, whereas extreme turbulence is needed to bring down an airliner. And pressurization makes it a lot more comfortable to fly above weather than through/around it. Been there, done that, but didn't get a tee shirt (they didn't give any out) in a C-124.
While it is commonly believed that it was the hydrogen which caused the fire and explosion, and that if the zeppelin had been filled with helium instead, (assuming it could have lifted off and flown), then the terrible accident might not have occurred. However, there is strong evidence that it was the aluminized paint that was used to coat the exterior surface which burned with such intensity as is seen in the footage.
The case for this is two fold, first, actual remaning scraps of the fabric have been fire tested and apparently they ignite and burn extremely rapidly in a bright flash, and second, hydrogen itself burns with an almost invisible blue flame. If you look at the newsreel footage carefully, it can be clearly seen that it is the skin of the dirigible which is burning with sparkilng bright incendiary heat.
Now then, with all that said, did the hydrogen contents contribute to the fire? Quite likely. But even it had been filled with helium, the fire, whatever it's initial cause, might still have happened.
Mr Zepplin was in Minnesota around the Civil war times watching Spy ballons practices by the soldiers at Ft. Snelling.
At the time the Hindenburg was conceived, aluminium had just come into being, and the Hindenburg was the first air ship whose frame was made of this material. The germans had to fill it with hydrogen. At that point in time the US had the only know Helium supplies in the world. If there have been helium discoveries any where else in the world since WWII I have no knowlage of it. The US was aware of the Nazies and would not sell them any helium. Also at this time single wing, full metal airplanes were just coming into being.
Again, the difference is buoyancy is only about 10%, and most of the weight of the ship wouldn't be the gas. I think airships became unattractive simply because they are too slow; airplanes quickly took over as speeds and reliability improved.
If I remember right, I heard that the reporter lost his job after filing his report because he lost his objectivity and showed emotion rather than just reporting the "facts". Can you imagine what his boss would be doing to the broadcasters of today?
You heard wrong. Herb Morrison was not fired for his reporting of the disaster. At that time he worked for WLS, Chicago, but about a year later he left on good terms to work for WOR in New York.
But it gave Wolfman an excuse to bad mouth the media
As horrible as the Hindenberg disaster may seem I can't help but feel a real sense of justice watching the Nazi symbol burn to the ground. There is an interesting poetic justice to the whole thing.
It was a bit of a public relations disaster for the Nazis. They were in something of a pickle. If the disaster was an accident, it would reveal German technical incompetence. If the disaster was sabotage, it would reveal that the Nazi's had opposition in the reich.
CJP, Funny you should mention that. In all of the photos I've seen of the Hindenberg, I don't ever recall seeing the swastikas on it until today and it made me sick to see them on the doomed airship.
I had no idea it has swastikas on it, guess I learned something today. Makes you think, this disaster was premonition of what was to come for the nazis!
Well back then we were still trying to get on the good side of Nazi Germany thinking that we could curb their invading of other countries. Before the war even started, they had invaded several foreign cities and countries.
Correct, Chris. There were a lot of delusional pacifists in the second half of the '30s in Washington. In fact, when we did get into the wars on both fronts, we were behind Germany and Japan in ships, aircraft, and tank production. By the time it was realized that we needed to develop and build new military hardware asap, we had lost the first two year's worth of battles on both fronts, and were desperate enough to have housewives and single young women come in and build said hardware because the men were needed on both battlefronts.
I've got a strange feeling history is going to repeat itself within the next 25 years, albeit this time we will be dealing with Russia and China.
The problem with American/German relations in the 1930's had less to do with "delusional pacifists" and more to do with the fact that there were nearly as many registered National Socialists in the US as there were in Nazi Germany! There were more people wanting to join them than there were wanting to appease them. And not much has changed (accept that there are probably more nazis in the US now than in all of Germany).
Swastikas, 'Suptymoney?' Talk to the Finns! They fought for Hitler during WWII and they STILL use the swastika in their flag and on miltary vehicles. In all fairness it should be noted that they protected their Jewish population and that -- ironically -- Jews served in the Finnish military during the war.
What has this to do with Zeppelins? Nothing, I'm afraid... I just couldn't resist... There's a little bit of 'Cliff' -- from 'Cheers' -- in me I fear.
The Big Irony is the main designer and trainer of Zeppelins was Hugo Eckner - who was a big-time opponent of Hitler, and Nazism altogether.
Eckner had running Feud with Ernst Lehmann who was a Nazi.
Eckner often blamed Lehmann for causing the Hindenburg to crash (It is believed Lehmann pressured Max Preuss, the actual skipper, to rush the landing, despite the electrical storm)
Lehmann died of burn injuries from the crash the following day.
jhawke, your history is a bit flawed. We were preparing quite some time before WWII at Roosevelt's insistence, it was the republicans who wanted us to be isolationists. Pilot training appeared before Pearl Harbor day as did the development of almost all our eventual airplanes in the war. The vast majority flew in 1941. (P-47, P-51) and some much earlier (B-26 in 1940 and the B-24 in 1939). Also, we did not lose battles for two years. Midway was the turning point in the Pacific and we did that one in June 1942 and just after that was Guadalcalan on the ground. In the European theater, it was a bit more difficult, but keep in mind that we were fighting on two fronts (although about 80% of our effort was against Germany) and Stalingrad, the turning point in that war was in late 1942/early 1943, also l;ess than two years from our involvement.
We were well along in our preparations for war when it finally happened to us, thanks to Roosevelt' wisdom.
@Jhawke . . . . . Your post is not quite correct. First, the battle of Midway was the turning point in the Pacific war, it was a huge win for the Americans and it was only six months after the start of WWII. Japan was never able to recover. Second, 54% of those building & manufacturing war products at home were men.
My grandmother was just a small child living in Lakehurst when this happened. The stories she told about it were both amazing and horrific. She had a front row seat to a historic, albeit tragic, event.
Everyone remembers the Hindenberg that happened 75 years ago, yet few people even know a third buildng, a 47 story building also collapsed to the ground on 911 that wasn't even hit by a plane. I find that amazing.
so, the Hindenburg crash was Bush's fault?
Actually, you'd be surprised how many people don't know about historical events like this. There are many people out there that didn't know the Titanic was a real ship that sank, and that it's not just a movie with Leonard DiCaprio.
But I fail to see what WTC 7 has to do with the Hindenburg.
No, but if it was, you'd say anyone saying different would be wearing a tin foil hat.
huh? Who said anything about Bush?
I watched everything beginning at 2:00 PM and ending at 5:20 PM with the news reporting on the bringing down of WTC7. I switched channels frequently throughout the reporting, watching Dan Rather, Peter Jennings and Tom Brokaw. Anybody else here besides me actually watch it?
radar:
Yes, I watched the coverage that day. Again, I fail to see what WTC 7 has to do with the Hindenburg. They were two totally separate events that happened 64 years apart.
Do you actually buy into the conspiracy theories of both WTC 7 and the Hindenburg? I've heard of both theories, but I don't see how they relate. Yes, there were theories about taking down the Hindenburg because they were the propaganda machines of Germany at the time, but there wasn't any evidence to support the theory.
So again, I'm still not seeing how WTC 7 has anything to do with the Hindenburg, other than they both have conspiracy theories that have very little evidence to support them.
There were many, many buildings that were brought down on 9-11. The WTC was an entire complex, not just two towers. There are quite a few people who know about the other buildings. Believe it or not, it's not just you Radar. Why are you trying to make people feel bad or stupid about 9-11 on a comment thread about The Hindenburg?
WTC7 wasn't hit by a plane. I was, however, hit by something much bigger - the North Tower..
Magnolia and Daisy, ignore Radar. He is a troll. The other day, he was carrying on about how WTC 7 should not have fallen down hours later.
You must be a conspiracy theorist. Your theory is in conflict with the other five theories, only one of which can be valid. All theories are in conflict, but it's my theory which is labeled by all the others as the conspiracy theory, something which all the other theorists agree with. There are five theories, one of which is yours that one of the twin towers fell on it, but examination of the facts rejected that theory and it was replaced with another, the diesel fuel theory. Very little of the Twin Towers fell on Buidling 7, primarily dust and little else. You see, the towers, both of them came straight down. Maybe most of you might remember that. The diesel fuel theory was that there was a lot of diesel fuel in the building and somehow the closest tower to the building falling somehow ingited the diesel fuel stored deep within Bldg 7. Not only is that impossible, but it takes a lot to ignite diesel fuel and doesn't burn hot enough to melt steel. They actually use diesel fuel in space heaters made of sheet steel for that reason. Anyone who was ever in the army in Korea can tell you about the diesel fuel space heaters used in all the old quonset huts. To get the fire started, you would throw a piece of lit newspaper into the puddled diesel at the bottom of the heater and cross your fingers it would light. Then there was the cantilever truss theory and that was rejected. That one was put out by Popular Mechanics, but that two was abandoned and the government finally went to the NIST to finally settle the matter, paying them 16 million dollars to find for the country what nobody else could. The NIST came up with their own theory, rejecting all the others including the North Tower falling on it which by then everyone knew wasn't true. After all when watching the bldg fall, you could actually see the roof of the building fully intact, including the elevator room! Nothing fell on the building, but it doesn't stop people from recommending the claim or any others that try to dispute the final theory which is that of over 1,600 engineering professionals of Architects and Engineers for Truth of which I am one of the over 1,600. This isn't a theory: The only thing that could have brought that building straight down in the manner it did at free fall speed - is controlled demolition. I'll leave it up to you to consider the implications of that.
radar:
No, that's not the definition of a conspiracy theorist. A conspiracy theorist thinks that there is a covert plot or government secret behind something that can be explained by a much more reasonable explanation. You're a conspiracy theorist. I find that the North Tower hitting WTC 7 on its way down is a much more valid explanation than the government doing a controlled demolition of a building for no apparent reason.
I'd answer the rest of it, but honestly, I don't have the time or the energy, and you've already made up your mind.
But you still haven't answered me. What does any of this have to do with the Hindenburg?
Which of those buildings was hit by the Hindenberg? Guess I've missed something in this discussion.
But you are a conspiracy theorist and you don't even know it. A conspiracy doesn't have to involve the government! A conspiracy can involve any group of people. I can plot to commit a crime with a group of people who have no connection to the government and those people including myself would be conspirators. You are a conspiracy theorist along with the other people who have their own varied preferred explanation as to what brought down Building 7. Some claim it was brought down by diesel fuel, some say it was brought down by a certain type of cantilever truss, some say it was brought down by fire and some like you say it was brought down by the North Tower falling on it and finally some put credence in the NIST report that it was brought down by thermal expansion causing a critical joint in the steel girders to expand and break its bond. All these people have their own theory, yet they are united in who the conspirators were - Arab Muslim fundamenalists led by Osama Bin Laden from a cave in Afghanistan. You now understand that you are also a conspiracy theorist. And do you understand that your theory as to why the building fell differs from the other four theories of your fellow conspiracy theorists? My theory is the only plasible theory and you would accept it to except it would eliminate the people who you believe are the conspirators. The building came down in a manner only consistent with controlled demoltion. It is impossible any other way for the reasons I explained in my previous post.
You asked me what this has to do with the Hindenburg? I brought this up as I explained in my very first post to show the contrast between how these two tragedies are treated by the media and though I didn't say it at the time, people like you who won't and can't face the truth. I think Jack Nicholson said it best: You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!
Apparently you didn't read. I said "A conspiracy theorist thinks that there is a covert plot or government secret behind something that can be explained by a much more reasonable explanation."
I put the emphasis in there so you don't miss it this time. Of course the government doesn't have to be involved for it to be a conspiracy theory.
I'm not a conspiracy theorist. I don't think there's any conspiracy behind what happened to WTC 7. The North Tower fell, took out part of the bottom 18 floors of WTC 7, fires weakened the building, the building fell. The end. No conspiracy, no controlled demolition.
And I see... you're just using the Hindenburg to spout off about the conspiracy theory you want to talk about, and it really has nothing to do with the Hindenburg at all. There's no connection between the two, it could have been any historical event, and you would have latched onto it and brought WTC 7 into the conversation no matter what.
Got it. Well, carry on. Have fun spouting off on other random threads about your conspiracy theory. You haven't convinced me of the validity of your theory, but good luck convincing others.
Hitler was already in power, exterminating Germans and Jews. He was pushing further into Europe and amassing a huge military as well as economic support; yet, here we allow use of our airspace. Why?
We were, at the time, "neutral." In addition, a lot (most?) of Hitler's "pogroms" were unknown to the outside world until the end of the war. Try to imagine how GIs felt when they got to their first death camps and openned theit gates.
re 8.1, I have read many times that the allies knew about the extermination camps and decided not to alter their plans to pursue a quicker release of the camps.
The war hadn't started when the Hindenburg crashed. Hitler was very popular at the time and still is in many places. The war wasn't about the Jews who were and are a problem.
Rowboat3: I read that too (your post #8.2), but the GIs I know had no knowledge ot it. Friends of mine still have unspeakable anger at what they saw and felt when they got to the death camps. So what the prople in the head sheds were aware of apparently didn't filter down. But something like that would have probably been kept Top Secret.
Please read a book - any book - about nazi Germany, Hitler, the Holocaust, and/or WWII before making comments about this subject. You might learn some interesting details and it may keep you from looking so foolish.
P.S. Declassified US Army Air Corps aerial photographs of various death/concentration camps in Germany and Poland show that the US High Command and the US Government knew exactly what was going on as early as Spring 1943, even if the average GI did not. And they did NOTHING to end it sooner - no aerial bombing, no special ops, no propaganda campaign - nothing.
I was just a child during the war years -- born in 1936 -- but I can remember my parents talking about what "those Germans are doing to the Jews." I can assure you that if my very un-cosmopolitan parents knew about it, EVERYONE knew.
After the war there wasn't ANYONE who 'was willing to have known.' This was -- and still is -- especially true amongst the Germans and certain eastern Europeans. My German brother-in-law who lived in wartime Germany once told me that "Vee never knew anyzing about zat... Oh yeah, vunz zey vas pulling ze Jews out of a hotel in Garmisch. Zere vas gunfire but zose people brought it on zemselves... Ze vomen vore jewelry and expenziv clothes."
These days, if you travel through Europe and ask about 'Nazis' you will receive the impression that there never WERE any. And my 'bruzzer-in-law' will tell you that "Vee all HATED Hitler!"
Mr. Thanatos: Yes, we had some knowledge of the death camps, although how extensive is subject to debate even today. However, saying that "they did NOTHING to end it sooner" is unfair. The best way to help the European Jews was to win the war, which was done. Further, the Allies did not want WW2 to become "about the Jews." That could just have easily played into the hands of Nazi propagandists. FDR had already vowed to win through to "absolute victory" and accept only "unconditional surrender." The campaign was to free Europe, not just the Jews.
Willy-3200138, you are suspended for a week for violating rule # 5 of the Code of Honor.
Willy-3200138, you are suspended for a week for violating rule # 5 of the Code of Honor.
A week? Only a week? Really?
Do you have any idea what it means when people say the "Jewish problem", Sally? This racist should be banned for good and you should do a bit more homework before making a judgement.
Well we see willy's true stripes. So now I know how much credibility I attach to anything he/she says in the future.
You cana't ban him/her for life. Just come back under another name!
Chris -
Does that cop-out help you sleep at night? So, all the righteous indignation shown by the world after the Holocaust came to light would have been a boon for Hitler if it was common knowledge DURING the war? Yeah, right. Nighty night and sleep tight. Bah!
I know, I also feel the same way when people say the same kind of thing about homosexuals here. I find it strange that they tolerate this sort of @!$%# here. Just ban them.
And no one seems to recall the (largest?) maritime disaster in the US, with over 800 US citizens dead (far more than on the Titanic) - the sinking of the Eastland in the Chicago River. Men, women, children, all families working for Western Electric. Bet you never heard of it, right? Poor ship design, but also top heavy due to lifeboat rules put in place after Titanic.
In viewing these photo's, I find it amazing that people on board actually lived through that.
Ironically, even though the Hindenburg disaster marked the end of commercial dirigible flight, it was not the deadliest or most tragic airship disaster. There were others preceding it that were worse, including in death toll, but various nations, especially Germany, continued to construct larger, faster and more comfortable passenger airships. At the time of the destruction of the Hindenburg, Germany was already constructing an even larger airship, the Graf Zepplin II that was even more luxurious. So why did the Hindenburg mark the end of dirigible airship service? Because the crash was caught on film and the disaster was radio broadcast to millions which terrified them enough to forgo ever using a hydrogen-filled airship for travel. Shortly after the Hindenburg was turned into a twisted, burned hulk of metal, the completed Graf Zepplin II went through her air trials, her luxurious public rooms and staterooms completely furnished, but other than a few propoganda flights over Germany with only crewmembers, she never flew with one passenger. Towed back into her hanger, the hydrogen was drained from the cells, the furnishings removed and she languished a bit longer until she was scrapped and her metal framework melted down to make munitions for the Nazi military.
@sgbear you think so? Go ask a class of high school seniors if they have ever heard of it you might be surprised that maybe one or two know about it.
There is always a chilling feeling in watching that old footage of this tremedous ship finding her death: something very beautiful and totally horrifying. Eckener must have been sick....
Born and raised in NJ, I passed this place many times on my way to vacation. My Dad always pointed it out and recounted the horror of that day.
Still, one must stop and think. When a modern jet goes down, how many survivors are there? Sometimes you must stop and think, maybe slower is better?
I live near Lakehurst and when you see the area where it crashed very creepy negative vibe and allot of people get that vibe that live around Lakehurst Air Base. Something still lingers .
I've flown over Lakehurst many times in my plane....sobering
This was caused by an American Regulation and that problem exists today and is dragging our economy down the tubes.
Government has caused most of our problems
Get a life!
OOOOHHHH!!! The Humanity!!! The Humannnnitttyyy....
Ercillor is actually correct! I am in my mid 40's from german immigrant grand parents on both sides. Ive been to Germany, beautiful county, but if you ask, no one will talk about Nazi's and such, it was a shame then and now. My great grandparents left germany *both sides of my family* when according to my great grandmother she saw jew skin lamps! Horrifice & Terrible! I was shocked to see however the swastikas on the hindenburg, very shocked esp. considering it was war time when this monster flew to its death and those aboard.
Check your History Books, 1937 was two years BEFORE the invasion of Poland which is considered the START of WW 2.
My mom was only about a mile from there and said that was the worst disaster she ever saw. Sad so very sad.
FYI there was a great study done about the big H on a cable station, I think it was Nat. Geog. sometime ago which pinpointed the quick spreading fire not to Hydrogen, but rather to the coating used over the canvas. The coating was (I am not a chemist) very close to the old airplane glue used years ago to assemble plastic models. The study went into minute detail to show the burning of the gas with and without the glue and how much faster it went up with the glue. Perhaps the station will rerun the show. It's really well done.
I know they did something on Mythbusters, too. They were trying to recreate it on a smaller scale.
Terrible.
you mean watching the nazis burn--the symbol existed long before the nazis and is sacred to many in asia and elsewhere
Unfortunately, after 9/11, the site of the disaster, which was previously open to the public, was closed off because it is a military base. People, after being questioned by guards wanting to see it, were allowed after passing muster to go into the reception building and see the small museum in there, but not to the actual site. Things have lightened up a bit now, and groups (such as consisting of school children), are permitted to go to the site after clearing security protocal with advanced permission.
6Dog says: "aluminium had just come into being, and the Hindenburg was the first air ship whose frame was made of this material."
Actually all of the Zeppelins built for the German Navy during WWI utilized aluminum skeletons. There existed another German firm -- other than the Zeppelin Company -- which built 'dirigibles' [not Zeppelins] with wooden frames. Theses were built for the German Army
The Graf Zeppelin, Hindenberg's immediate predecessor was also built with an aluminum skeleton..