MAY 6

On this date in 1937, the Hindenburg airship exploded and burned at Lakehurst, New Jersey.  The German Zeppelin had left it's home in Frankfort, Germany on May 3rd with 36 passengers and 61 crew. 

The airship arrived in the U.S. several hours behind schedule because of headwinds while crossing the Atlantic.  The captain of the ship took it's passengers on an unscheduled tour of America's east coast while waiting for bad weather to clear in New Jersey. 

The Hindenburg was built utilizing an aluminum frame enclosing gas bags for air lift and then covered with a cotton skin.  The frame held a lavish passenger compartment.  The gas bags were filled with the flammable gas hydrogen.  The far safer gas to use was helium but it was only manufactured in the U.S. and we had a ban on it's export.  The cause of the explosion is assumed to be static electricity igniting the hydrogen in the gas bags. 

The tragedy occurred while the Hindenburg was trying to dock to a mooring mast about 200 feet above ground - 13 passengers, 22 crew and 1 ground crew were killed.  It effectively marked the end of passenger travel by 'blimp' forever - on this date in 1937. 

'o.o'