Writing Through Clouds

The principal was short, but he stood straight as if he were at attention. He clasped his hands in front of his frock coat and vest. “Young men and women of the Reich, I have some very grave news,” the principal said, nodding his head for emphasis. “Today is a sad day for our country. Our Zeppelin Hindenburg, the largest aircraft in the world, crashed very early this morning as it was landing in America. Many people have died, and many more have been injured.”

As the words echoed through Erich’s mind, he became dizzy. But that’s impossible, he thought. I was just talking about it in history class! Erich saw a number of students glance in his direction. They wanted to see how the flyboy was reacting to the news. He avoided their hungry gazes but could still feel his face flush with the unwanted attention.

“We will now have a moment of silence for the fallen heroes of the Reich,” Direktor Kreidler said, gesturing for the students to stand.

Seventy years ago today, during the evening of May 6, 1937, the passenger airship Hindenburg caught fire and crashed while landing after a trip across the Atlantic from Germany. Thirteen of the 36 passengers, plus 22 crew members and one member of the landing party were killed in the disaster. Some of the people who witnessed the crash are still alive, and remember the events of that day vividly all these years later . . .

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Super-sleuthing special-effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, hosts of the popular TV show MythBusters, recently took on a challenge of Zeppelin-like proportions — to identify what caused the Hindenburg disaster!

On May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg was coming in for a landing after its first transatlantic trip of the year when it suddenly burst into flame. 35 passengers and crewmen, and one sailor on the ground, were killed in the crash. The source of the fire has remained a hotly-debated mystery for 70 years. The most popular theory claims that the ship’s flammable hydrogen lifting gas started the fire. But a more recent theory claims that the fire actually started on the ship’s fabric skin.

So did Adam and Jamie bust the myth that the hydrogen caused the fire?

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“We’ll never be able to turn a profit with helium,” said a navigator sitting across from Erich.

“Why not?” asked Beate. “I mean, forgive me if this is a silly question, but what’s the difference between hydrogen and helium? Aside from the threat of fire, that is.”

“It’s not a silly question at all,” said Willi, leaning forward. “Basically, helium has less lifting ability than hydrogen. Say that my mug here is filled with enough hydrogen to lift it.” Willi floated his mug above the table. “Now, if my mug was filled with helium instead,” said Willi, “it wouldn’t be able to carry the same weight.” Down floated the mug.

“I think I understand,” Beate said.

How about you? Do you understand how it works?

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