European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 5, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Hay it 193t to e Majestic Hindenburg largest Airship Ever built bursts into flames on descending to its mooring Matt at the . Naval air station in Lakehurst . The Hindenburg disaster by Wendy Bourland staff writer he Hon Denburg was completing its first Ili Ghl rom Germany to North America 35 in descended Over the  naval air station Al Lakehurst n the evening of May 6, 1937 the Light was also its last at Aboul 7 25 p Man explosion in 1he fear of the ship released and ignited the flammable Hydrogen Gas keeping it aloft. The tire quickly consumed the ship s cloth Kin. In just Over Hall an hour the Hindenburg s Load of Hydrogen 7.5 million cubic feel had burned Itsell out but the aluminium irame of the Airship burned into the next Day the death toll 35 passengers and crewmen and one person on the ground. The Ston of the disaster has Long fascinated John Provan a University graduate student in history at the Tec Nische Hochschulz in Darmstadt Germany. Pro Van. 30. A self described army brat has lived in german/24 years and has been collecting Airship Memorabilia u years the american became interested in the ships particularly the a Ronburg while doing a in Dis on Lent Rimelen Stahl a German movie producer of the 1930s. Riefen Svihl shot the opening non Nnnie of the 1936 summer olympic games irom the Hindenburg for a major nazi propaganda film. I watched the Woolage. Saw the Hindenburg and said my god Haw big they Are " to said. After the Hindenburg disaster passenger travel aboard airships slopped publicity and mail flights on other airships  until 1940, when nazi gon Hermann Goerig ordered them scrapped for their aluminium. The Airship Sheds wore torn Down and Tho Airship Era came to a close the first Airship was Buill in 17s3, bul was i talc More than a hot air balloon the in Rel Molon Zed Airship holed off Tho ground in 1884 the germans got serious Aboul airships in the Early 1900s. Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin built the first rigid or non collapsible Airship in 1900. In 1906, an Airship named Lz-6 Aloiv to Berlin from Zeppelin Headquarters in Friench Stralen. Germany capturing the attention of government of facials by the end of world War i. 100 Ghods had been built to accommodate ships like the cacti san. Which could carry is to 22 passengers. During world War i zeppelins wore used in bombing a neg again Rel fru Lanci. Since they could carry a Many bombs As 52 air planes. Provan said Zeppelin la 36 tuesday. Way 5, 1987 also carried machine guns in four places. But As air planes evolved zeppelins became a liability incendiary bullets that could be fired irom enemy planes exploded upon Impact with Ine ships one Bultel could Send an Airship Down in flames the Graf Zeppelin i Hindenburg and Graf Zeppelin ii were built in the 1930s each had a one ton motor and was nearly Throe too Ball Fields Long Beefeater bags made of cows blog Sachs contained the dangerous Hydrogen Gas because rubber tags would have created Static elect Numy and added weight to the ship crewmen walked Maes of catwalks that ran inc length of the ship pal chm leaks in the bags. Life was easier or the passengers they could  in the luxurious dining room listening to the 48 Pound aluminium baby grand As inc ship soared towards South America Tokyo of Cairo they could take brandies and cigars in the smoking room passing an electric lighter among themselves no matches or other flame producing devices were allowed on Board Book lovers could unwind in the Reading room. Flight Schmo files for the 3 .1 Day flights to South America con in cd on Page 15 the stars and stripes Page 13