AIRSHIP ON LIVE WIRE
One Killed, Two Hurt Trying to Disengage Dirigible.
Special to The Washington Post.
Ottawa, Ontario, Sept. 16.–Edward Keating, of Belleville, Ontario, was instantly killed by electricity, and two other men were badly hurt today, while attempting to rescue the Nazer dirigible airship, which had become entangled in the electric wires at the Ottawa exhibition. The injured men are Malcom MacCampbell, of Ottowa, and Carl E. Wingerter, of Wingerter, one of Nazer’s assistants.
Anthony Nazer, of Toledo, Ohio, who was operating the airship, was about to make an ascent, when the framework of the machine caught in the wires. The ground being wet, when Keating and others attempted to free the dirigible a short circuit was made, sending 2,200 volts through their bodies. Three men fell over, apparently dead. Keating was dead when he was pulled out of the electrified area, but the other two were unhurt. The airship was undamaged.
Tonight, about 7 o’clock, when bringing it back to the grounds, it again came in contact with a live war. It caught fire, and getting away from those trying to control it, was destroyed by fire, only the iron work remaining.
Source: Airship on Live Wire, The Washington Post, Washington, District of Columbia, 17 September 1909, p. 17.