Secrets of the Dead (2000–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - What Happened to the Hindenburg? - full transcript
A STORMY DAY...
A TERRIBLE EXPLOSION...
Reporter:
THE SMOKE AND THE FLAMES...!
THE TRAGEDY BECOMES A LEGEND
AND THE END OF AN ERA.
Reporter:
OH, THE HUMANITY! AND ALL...
EVERYBODY KNOWS
WHAT DOOMED THE HINDENBURG
BUT WHAT IF EVERYBODY'S WRONG?
UNCOVER
THE SECRETS OF THE DEAD.
[Captioning sponsored by
THIRTEEN/WNET NEW YORK
SECRETS OF THE DEAD
WAS MADE POSSIBLE
BY THE CORPORATION
FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS
TO YOUR PBS STATION FROM:
Narrator:
FOR A FULL DECADE
EARLY LAST CENTURY
ONE FORM OF TRANSPORTATION
WAS CONSIDERED THE FASTEST
MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED
AND MOST LUXURIOUS OF ITS DAY.
Reporter:
WE'RE GREETING YOU NOW
FROM THE NAVAL AIR BASE
AT LAKEHURST, NEW JERSEY
FROM WHICH POINT WE'RE
GOING TO BRING YOU
THE DESCRIPTION OF THE LANDING
OF THE MAMMOTH
AIRSHIP HINDENBURG.
IT BURST INTO FLAMES!
GET THIS SHOT IN,
GET THIS SHOT IN!
IT'S CRASHING
AND IT'S CRASHING!
IT'S CRASHING TERRIBLE!
AND ALL THE FOLKS AGREE
THAT THIS IS TERRIBLE!
THIS IS ONE OF THE WORST
CATASTROPHES IN THE WORLD...
OH, THE HUMANITY!
AND ALL THE PASSENGERS
SCREAMING AROUND ME!
I... I CAN'T TALK,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
Narrator:
IN JUST 34 SECONDS, THE GOLDEN
AGE OF AIRSHIP TRAVEL WAS ENDED
BY THE FIREBALL
THAT ENGULFED THE HINDENBURG
KILLING 35 PASSENGERS AND CREW.
THE HYDROGEN THAT GAVE
THE SHIP ITS LIFT
HAS ALWAYS BEEN BLAMED
FOR THE TRAGEDY.
BUT A STARTLING NEW THEORY
HAS EMERGED.
FORMER NASA HYDROGEN SPECIALIST
ADDISON BAIN
HAS BEEN INVESTIGATING
THE CAUSE OF THE DISASTER
USING MODERN TECHNIQUES
THAT WERE NOT AVAILABLE
DURING THE INITIAL INQUIRY.
AFTER NINE YEARS
HE IS CONFIDENT HE HAS THE HARD
EVIDENCE TO PROVE HIS THEORY.
Bain:
WELL, THE PREVAILING THEORY
FOR 60 YEARS
WAS FIRST THAT FREE HYDROGEN
GOT LOOSE AND MIXED WITH THE AIR
AND THEN THERE WAS
A SOURCE OF IGNITION
AND THAT'S THE THEORY
THAT'S PERSISTED.
BUT I THINK IT'S MUCH
MORE THAN THAT
MUCH MORE DEEPER THAN THAT
AND I DO BELIEVE
THAT THEY KNEW THAT
WITHIN A COUPLE OF MONTHS
AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
Scheider:
THE LARGEST AIRCRAFT EVER BUILT
THE LZ-129 HINDENBURG WAS
THE PRIDE OF NAZI GERMANY.
NEARLY 820 FEET LONG
SHE WAS JUST 82 FEET SHORTER
THAN THE TITANIC.
SHE WAS THE WORLD'S FIRST
INTERCONTINENTAL
PASSENGER AIRLINER
THE MOST SOPHISTICATED AIRSHIP
BUILT BY THE ZEPPELIN COMPANY.
Man:
THE HINDENBURG WAS THE EPITOME
OF GERMAN TECHNOLOGY
AT THAT TIME.
IT WAS AN AIRSHIP REALLY
DESIGNED TO CARRY PASSENGERS
WITH A CERTAIN AMOUNT
OF LUXURY AND COMFORT.
IT WAS THE CONCORDE
OF THE PERIOD, IF YOU WILL.
THAT IS, WHY DO PEOPLE SPEND
MONEY ON, YOU KNOW
FLYING THE CONCORDE...
IT'S TO GET SOMEWHERE FAST.
THAT'S WHAT THE HINDENBURG
WAS ALL ABOUT.
IT WAS THE FASTEST MEANS
OF SENDING PASSENGERS AND MAIL
TO THE UNITED STATES
OR TO SOUTH AMERICA.
Scheider:
IN NEW YORK CITY
THERE WERE EVEN PLANS
TO DOCK AIRSHIPS
TO THE TOP
OF THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING.
A GANGPLANK HUNDREDS
OF FEET UP IN THE AIR
COMBINED WITH UNPREDICTABLE
HIGH WINDS
MADE THE IDEA IMPRACTICAL
BUT SOME PRIMITIVE FLY-BY
MAIL PICKUPS WERE ATTEMPTED.
WITH THE JET AGE
STILL SOME YEARS AWAY
AIRSHIP TRAVEL WAS UNIQUE
IN ITS ABILITY TO COMBINE
SPEED AND COMFORT.
Man:
YOU TAKE OFF IN AN AIRSHIP,
YOU'RE JUST SITTING THERE
AND STANDING LOOKING
OUT THE WINDOWS
AND THE GROUND
JUST DROPS AWAY FROM YOU
COMPLETELY OPPOSED
TO AN AIRPLANE
WHERE YOU'RE GOING DOWN
THE RUNWAY WITH SEAT BELTS ON
AND GRIPPING YOUR SEAT.
IN AN AIRSHIP
YOU'RE COMPLETELY RELAXED.
PASSENGERS GOING TO EUROPE
A LOT OF TIMES THEY'D GO
DOWN TO THEIR CABIN
TO GET FRESHENED UP,
AND THEY'D ASK THE CABIN STEWARD
WHAT TIME THE AIRSHIP
WAS GOING TO TAKE OFF.
THEY'D SAY, "WELL,
WE'RE OVER NEW YORK.
WE TOOK OFF 20 MINUTES AGO."
Provan:
THE TYPE OF PEOPLE
WHO WOULD FLY ON THE HINDENBURG
WERE PROBABLY VERY MUCH
THE SAME TYPE OF PEOPLE
WHO WOULD TAKE A RIDE
ON THE TITANIC.
IT WAS THE WEALTHY,
THE WELL-TO-DO.
THE FLIGHT COST APPROXIMATELY...
I THINK IT WAS 1,400 REICHS MARK
WHICH WAS ABOUT THE PRICE
OF A VOLKSWAGEN AND A HALF
SO THAT GIVES YOU
A PRICE COMPARISON
IN TODAY'S TERMS, IF YOU WILL.
WE WERE VERY CONSCIOUS
THAT THIS WAS A UNIQUE
AND MAGNIFICENT EXPERIENCE
THAT MIGHT NEVER COME AGAIN.
Scheider:
THE HINDENBURG COULD CARRY
UP TO 72 PASSENGERS
ON HER LUXURIOUS LIVING DECKS.
FLYING AT SPEEDS
OF UP TO 84 MILES AN HOUR
SHE COULD COMPLETE THE TRIP FROM
GERMANY TO AMERICA IN 2½ DAYS
TWICE AS FAST AS BY BOAT.
Walker:
I WAS 18 WHEN I SAW
THE HINDENBURG.
I REMEMBER IT JUST
LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY.
AND SHE WAS FLYING AT ABOUT
A 300-, 400-FOOT ALTITUDE.
THE TRAFFIC WAS STOPPED
FOR A STOP LIGHT
AND I HAD MY CONVERTIBLE,
I HAD MY TOP DOWN.
THE STOPLIGHT WENT RED THREE
OR FOUR TIMES AND NOBODY MOVED.
THEY JUMPED OUT OF THEIR CARS
JUST STARING AT THIS.
YOU COULD SEE THE PASSENGERS
WAVING AND THE CREWMEN.
YOU SEE A BIG THING LIKE THAT
AND YOU THINK IT'S
HARDLY BELIEVABLE
IT COULD BE FLYING
JUST FLOATING IN THE AIR
JUST LIKE A CLOUD...
MAJESTIC AND BEAUTIFUL.
Woman:
THE HINDENBURG WAS GORGEOUS,
IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SHIP
SLEEK AND EVERYTHING, AND
THE PEOPLE AND EVERYTHING IN IT
WERE SO JUST BEAUTIFUL.
OF COURSE, IT WAS HITLER'S SHIP,
AND IT WAS OUTSTANDING.
Translator:
IF YOU WANT TO TRAVEL
IN A BEAUTIFUL, ELEGANT AND
THOROUGHLY PLEASURABLE WAY
YOUR FIRST CHOICE
HAS TO BE A ZEPPELIN.
WHEN IT COMES TO ELEGANCE
THE MOST LUXURIOUS CRUISE LINER
IS NO MATCH FOR THE ZEPPELIN.
Scheider:
OTHER AIRSHIP COMPANIES
WERE LESS SUCCESSFUL.
IN 1925, THE BRITISH R-33
WAS RIPPED FROM HER MOORINGS
BY GALE FORCE WINDS
AND FOUR YEARS EARLIER
THE R-38 BROKE APART DURING
A TEST FLIGHT, KILLING 44.
ACCIDENTS LIKE THESE HAD ALREADY
MARKED THE BEGINNING OF THE END
FOR THE BRITISH AND AMERICAN
AIRSHIP INITIATIVES.
DURING ONE NOTORIOUS
INCIDENT IN 1932
TWO MEMBERS OF THE GROUND CREW
FELL TO THEIR DEATHS
WHEN THE U.S.S. AKRON BROKE FREE
DURING A LANDING.
Provan:
THE GERMANS WERE FAR
MORE ADVANCED
THAN THE BRITISH
OR THE AMERICANS
IN THE SENSE
OF AIRSHIP TECHNOLOGY.
THE BRITISH, UNFORTUNATELY
HAD SOMEWHAT OF
A HAPHAZARD ARRANGEMENT
OF SIMPLY COPYING
CAPTURED GERMAN AIRSHIPS
DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR
SO THAT THEY REALLY DIDN'T
HAVE THAT TRADITION
AND THAT FUNDAMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
THAT YOU NEEDED
TO BUILD AIRSHIPS.
Scheider:
THE HINDENBURG'S VALUE
AS A PROPAGANDA TOOL
WAS QUICKLY RECOGNIZED
BY THE NAZIS.
BUT HUGO ECKENER, THE HEAD
OF THE ZEPPELIN COMPANY
WAS WELL KNOWN FOR HIS HOSTILITY
TOWARDS THE THIRD REICH.
Provan:
ECKENER WAS VERY OPEN AND BLUNT
ABOUT HIS DISTASTE
FOR THE NAZI PARTY.
IN FACT, IT'S PROBABLY A WONDER
THAT HE SURVIVED
THE SECOND WORLD WAR.
A GOOD EXAMPLE BEING...
IT WAS ANTICIPATED
BY THE NAZI PARTY
THAT THE HINDENBURG WOULD BE
CALLED THE ADOLF HITLER
AND ECKENER DID NOT LIKE
THE IDEA VERY MUCH
AND HAD, OF COURSE, THEN
THE LETTERING HINDENBURG
PUT ON VERY QUICKLY
TO ELIMINATE ANY TEMPTATION,
IF YOU WILL.
Scheider:
BUT DESPITE HIS EFFORTS
ECKENER WAS POWERLESS TO PREVENT
THE NAZIS FROM USING HIS SHIP.
HITLER REMORSELESSLY EXPLOITED
THE HINDENBURG'S IMAGE
COMMANDEERING HER
FOR LEAFLET DROPPING
DURING HIS POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.
Provan:
THE NAZI PARTY ORDERED
THAT THE SWASTIKA BE PUT ON
THE TAILS OF THE AIRSHIPS
AND WITH THAT THEN,
THE... HOW SHALL WE SAY...
THE PARTY LEADERS USED
THEN THE AIRSHIPS
AS A PROPAGANDA TOOL
AND YOU HAVE THIS AIRSHIP
FLYING OVERHEAD
AND HITLER STANDING THERE
WITH HIS CHEST OUT
YOU KNOW, THIS IS NAZI GERMANY.
Scheider:
THE NAZI'S CONFIDENCE
IN THE HINDENBURG
WAS MORE THAN JUSTIFIED.
BY THE 1930s,
THE ZEPPELIN COMPANY
HAD ACCUMULATED A HUGE
RESERVOIR OF EXPERTISE
IN BUILDING AND FLYING AIRSHIPS.
WHAT DISTINGUISHED
THE HINDENBURG
WAS THE SOPHISTICATION
OF HER CONSTRUCTION.
LIKE ALL ZEPPELINS,
SHE WAS A RIGID AIRSHIP
BUILT FROM AN INTRICATE
LIGHTWEIGHT ALUMINUM INNER CAGE
A CAGE THAT CONTAINED BOTH
THE LIFTING GAS, HYDROGEN
AND THE PASSENGER
AND CREW AREAS.
THE LIVING AREAS WERE
LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM
BUT THE CORE OF THE AIRSHIP
WAS FORMED BY THE AXIAL WALKWAY.
SURROUNDED BY
THE SEALED GAS CELLS
THE WALKWAY RAN
THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE SHIP.
UNDERNEATH THE CELLS,
ALONG THE BOTTOM
WAS THE MAIN WALKWAY.
ALMOST 800 FEET LONG
IT WAS USED BY THE CREW
AS THE PRINCIPAL ROUTE
FOR GETTING FROM ONE END
OF THE SHIP TO THE OTHER.
THE WALKWAY LINKED
THE CONTROL CAR
HANGING BENEATH THE FRONT
OF THE ZEPPELIN
TO THE PASSENGER DECKS
LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE.
THE PASSENGER DECKS WERE BUILT
WITHIN THE BODY OF THE SHIP
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HULL
AND HELD THE LOUNGE
WHERE PASSENGERS GATHERED
TO GAZE OUT THE LARGE
VIEWING WINDOWS.
THESE DECKS ALSO CONTAINED
THE DINING ROOM AND CABINS.
FURTHER BACK, ABOVE THE FREIGHT
AND MECHANICAL AREAS
TOWERED THE 16 ENORMOUS
GAS CELLS
CONTAINING SEVEN MILLION
CUBIC FEET OF HYDROGEN.
HYDROGEN IS HIGHLY FLAMMABLE
WHEN MIXED WITH AIR
BUT WITH ITS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
THE ZEPPELIN COMPANY
WAS CONFIDENT
THE GAS COULD BE CONTROLLED.
ELABORATE SAFETY FEATURES
WERE DESIGNED
TO MINIMIZE THE RISK OF FIRE
AND TO PREVENT
ANY ACCIDENTAL HYDROGEN LEAKS.
Provan:
THE GERMANS FELT PERFECTLY
SAFE WITH THEIR HYDROGEN.
IT WAS DEFINITELY CONSIDERED
SAFE BY ALL THE CREW MEMBERS
BECAUSE THEY HAD NEVER HAD
ANY REASON TO FEAR IT.
IT WAS AN EVIL THAT WAS
IN PANDORA'S BOX
THAT THEY KNEW HOW TO CONTROL.
IN THE SMOKING ROOM, FOR EXAMPLE
THE ROOM WAS ALWAYS
UNDER PRESSURE
TO KEEP AIR GOING
OUT OF THE ROOM
INSTEAD OF HYDROGEN
IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM
COMING INTO THE ROOM.
THERE WERE ANY NUMBER
OF SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
WHICH THEY HAD TAKEN.
Scheider:
THE SHIP'S CAPTAIN
CONTROLLED THE HYDROGEN
THROUGH A SOPHISTICATED
SYSTEM OF WIRES AND PULLEYS
ATTACHED TO VALVES
ON THE SIDES OF THE CELLS.
THESE ALLOWED HIM
TO RELEASE HYDROGEN
IN ORDER TO DECREASE
THE SHIP'S ALTITUDE.
THE VENTED GAS WOULD
AUTOMATICALLY FLOW UPWARDS
THROUGH A SEALED SHAFT
TO A SERIES OF VENTS
ON THE SHIP'S UPPER COVER.
TO MINIMIZE THE RISK
OF A HYDROGEN FIRE
THE SYSTEM ALSO ENSURED
THAT ANY LEAKING HYDROGEN
WOULD MAKE ITS WAY
UP TO THE VENTS
AND THEN SAFELY DISSIPATE
INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.
Translator:
EVERYBODY WAS FULLY
AWARE AT THE TIME
THAT IF THERE WERE TO BE
A FIRE ON BOARD THE AIRSHIP
THAT THIS WOULD MEAN MORE
OR LESS THE END FOR ALL OF US.
Scheider:
BY 1937, THE HINDENBURG
HAD ALREADY LOGGED
TEN SUCCESSFUL ROUND TRIPS
FROM GERMANY
TO HER AMERICAN DESTINATION
THE NAVAL AIR STATION
AT LAKEHURST, NEW JERSEY.
DOCKING HAD BECOME
ALL BUT ROUTINE
ALTHOUGH LARGE LANDING CREWS
WERE REQUIRED
TO MANEUVER THE UNWIELDY SHIP
TO HER RESTING PLACE
ON THE MOORING MAST.
FOR HER FIRST FLIGHT
OF THE 1937 SEASON
SHE WAS CARRYING 97 PEOPLE...
36 PASSENGERS AND 61 CREW.
DELAYED BY PERSISTENT HEADWINDS
DURING THE TRANSATLANTIC
CROSSING
SHE WAS HOURS BEHIND SCHEDULE
WHEN SHE ARRIVED OVER LAKEHURST.
Thomas:
THAT PARTICULAR DAY,
THE SIXTH OF MAY IN 1937
IT WAS RAINING, VERY BAD RAIN,
ELECTRICAL STORM
AND THE SHIP WAS DUE IN
AND THE WORD GOT OUT...
ON THE RADIO...
WE DIDN'T HAVE TELEVISION...
THE RADIO STATED THAT IT HAD TO
DELAY ITS FLIGHT INTO LAKEHURST
UNTIL IT GOT CLEARED UP.
Man:
I WAS PART OF
THE MILITARY GROUND CREW
I MEAN... AND IF IT WAS DELAYED
I MEAN, WE WOULD HAVE TO STAY
HERE AND WAIT UNTIL IT GOT HERE
AND IT WAS 12 HOURS LATE.
Thomas:
WHEN THE WORD CAME THROUGH
THAT EVERYTHING WAS CLEAR
AND THAT THEY WERE GOING
TO LAND THE SHIP
MY HUSBAND ASKED ME
IF WE WOULD GO TO SEE IT...
TO SEE THE HINDENBURG
AND I SAID YES.
SO WE THEN...
MY SON WAS NOT QUITE FOUR...
AND WE WENT IN.
Translator:
I WAS KEEPING WATCH
IN THE FORWARD ENGINE CAR
ON THE SIDE OF THE AIRSHIP
WHEN WE FLEW IN OVER THE FIELD
TO CHECK THE GROUND CREW
HAD EVERYTHING READY
FOR THE LANDING.
Reporter
HOW DO YOU DO, EVERYONE?
WE'RE GREETING YOU NOW
FROM THE NAVAL AIR BASE
AT LAKEHURST, NEW JERSEY
FROM WHICH POINT WE'RE GOING
TO BRING YOU THE DESCRIPTION
OF THE LANDING OF
THE MAMMOTH AIRSHIP HINDENBURG.
WELL, HERE IT COMES,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
AND WHAT A GREAT SIGHT IT IS.
A THRILLING ONE...
IT IS A MARVELOUS SIGHT...
IT IS COMING DOWN OUT OF THE SKY
POINTED DIRECTLY TOWARD US
AND TOWARD THE MOORING MAST.
Thomas:
IT WAS FABULOUS,
IT WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SIGHT
YOU WOULD EVER WANT TO SEE.
THE PEOPLE IN IT
AND EVERYTHING WERE SO HAPPY
COMING IN THAT PARTICULAR DAY.
BECAUSE I HAD SEEN IT COME IN
EVERY TIME
BUT NOT AS CLOSE
AS I WAS THIS DAY.
Morrison:
IT IS PRACTICALLY
STANDING STILL.
NOW THEY'VE DROPPED ROPES
OUT OF THE NOSE OF THE SHIP.
IT HAS BEEN TAKEN A HOLD OF DOWN
ON THE FIELD BY A NUMBER OF MEN.
Translator:
I COULD SEE THE LANDING ROPES
BEING FASTENED ON A WINCH BELOW
WHEN SUDDENLY THERE WAS
A MASSIVE JOLT THROUGH THE SHIP
AND I THOUGHT,
"OH, GOD, SOMETHING'S HAPPENED."
Translator:
MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS
THAT THE LANDING CREW
HAD PULLED TOO HARD
AND SOMETHING HAD BROKEN,
BUT THAT WASN'T IT.
WHEN I LOOKED OUT
I SAW FLAMES SHOOTING FORWARD
FROM THE REAR OF THE HINDENBURG
TOWARD MY ENGINE CAR.
Morrison:
IT BURST INTO FLAMES!
GET THIS SHOT IN,
GET THIS SHOT IN!
AND IT'S CRASHING,
IT'S CRASHING TERRIBLE!
OH, MY, GET OUT OF THE WAY
PLEASE...
Translator:
EVERYTHING WENT SO QUICKLY
THE WAY THE SHIP SEEMED
TO RISE IN THE AIR.
I PLANNED TO HOLD ONTO THE FRAME
UNTIL THE SHIP HIT THE GROUND
AND THEN JUMP.
ALL I REMEMBER
IS FEELING A SHOCK IN MY HANDS
AND THEN I FELL.
Translator:
I REMEMBER MY HEAVY ENGINE CAR
CRASHING TO THE GROUND
AND THEN I PASSED OUT
FOR PERHAPS A FEW SECONDS.
Morrison:
IT'S A TERRIFIC CRASH,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!
THE SMOKE AND THE FLAMES NOW...
AND THE FRAME IS CRASHING
TO THE GROUND...
NOT QUITE TO THE MOORING MAST.
OH, THE HUMANITY!
AND ALL THE PASSENGERS
SCREAMING AROUND ME.
I CAN'T TALK,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
I'M SORRY.
I'M GOING TO STEP INSIDE,
FOR I CANNOT SEE IT.
Thomas:
EVERYBODY...
EVERYBODY KEPT
RUNNING AWAY FROM IT
AND THEN AFTERWARDS
RUNNING BACK TOWARDS
TO SEE WHAT THEY COULD DO
TRYING TO HELP EVERYBODY OUT
AND PULLING THIS AND PULLING
THAT... THAT'S ABOUT...
AND THEN THE SIRENS WERE BLOWING
AND THE AMBULANCES.
THE FIRE WENT SO FAST
THROUGH THERE
THAT BY THE TIME
IT GO TO THE NOSE, I MEAN
IT CAME OUT OF THERE
LIKE A BLOWTORCH.
Thomas:
THE SMELL...
THE SMELL OF THE HYDROGEN
AND THE BLOOD... THE RUBBER
WAS TERRIBLE.
AND, OF COURSE, THERE MUST
HAVE BEEN HUMAN FLESH IN THAT
BECAUSE YOU COULD SMELL IT
AND IT'S LIKE, I ALWAYS SAID
YOU NEVER FORGET IT, YOU WOULD
NEVER FORGET THE SMELL.
Scheider:
IT TOOK LESS THAN ONE MINUTE
FOR THE FIRE TO COMPLETELY
CONSUME THE HINDENBURG.
THE DISASTER CLAIMED THE LIVES
OF 36 PEOPLE...
13 PASSENGERS AND
22 CREW MEMBERS ABOARD THE SHIP
AND ONE CIVILIAN CREW MEMBER
ON THE GROUND.
Translator:
I THOUGHT MY END HAD COME
BUT SUDDENLY
THERE WAS THE GROUND.
LUCKILY IT WAS SANDY AND SOFT
AND I HAD MORE OR LESS
FALLEN ON MY FEET.
IMMEDIATELY I PICKED MYSELF UP
AND RAN AWAY.
Iannaccone:
AS WE GOT CLOSER TO THE SHIP
THERE WAS A MAN STILL IN THERE
AND HE WALKED OUT OF THE SHIP
AFTER THE NOSE WAS ON THE GROUND
HE DIDN'T HAVE
A STITCH OF CLOTHES ON HIM.
AND EVERYTHING WAS BURNED ON HIM
AND THE ONLY THING HE HAD ON HIM
WAS HIS SHOES.
EVERYTHING, SKIN, HAIR,
EVERYTHING WAS BURNT.
AND HE DIDN'T...
HE DIED RIGHT THERE.
Thomas:
IT WAS LIKE A FIRE OF HELL.
EVERYBODY... "OH, GOD, OH, GOD"
THAT'S ALL THEY WERE SAYING
BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T
HELP IT, THAT'S...
AND THERE WAS NOTHING
YOU COULD DO.
ALL I COULD DO WAS...
JUST LOOK AND CRY.
Scheider:
A FLEET OF AMBULANCES FERRIED
THE INJURED TO NEARBY HOSPITALS
WHILE FIRE FIGHTERS WORKED
THROUGH THE NIGHT
TO DOUSE THE FLAMES.
THE SHOCKED TOWNSHIP
OF LAKEHURST, NEW JERSEY
STRUGGLED TO COME TO TERMS
WITH THE SCALE OF THE TRAGEDY.
Newsreel announcer:
A TWISTED, TANGLED MASS
OF SEARED GIRDERS
AND BITS OF BLACKENED FABRIC
ARE ALL THAT REMAINS
OF THE PROUD LUXURY AIRLINER
HINDENBURG
THAT LIES
AT THE LAKEHURST NAVAL STATION.
THE DEATH LIST IS NOW 35, WITH
TEN, INCLUDING CAPTAIN PRUSS
STILL ON THE CRITICAL LIST.
Scheider:
IN MANHATTAN, AN EXTRAORDINARY
MEMORIAL SERVICE
WAS HELD FOR
THE HINDENBURG'S GERMAN VICTIMS.
THEY WERE PAID FULL NAZI HONORS
AS THEY LAY IN STATE
READY FOR THEIR FINAL VOYAGE
HOME TO GERMANY.
QUICKLY, ATTENTION TURNED
TO WHAT COULD HAVE GONE WRONG.
Provan:
THERE WERE NUMEROUS THEORIES
AS TO WHAT CAUSED THE CRASH
UM... TURKEY FARMER
TAKING A POT SHOT AT THE...
THERE WAS EVERY CONCEIVABLE
THEORY THAT YOU COULD IMAGINE.
THE PROBLEM BEING PROOF...
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.
IT WAS SIMPLY VERY,
VERY DIFFICULT TO DISCERN
WHEN THE AIRSHIP
IS LOST, BASICALLY.
Scheider:
AT LAKEHURST,
INVESTIGATORS BEGAN PORING OVER
THE WRECKAGE TO LOOK FOR CLUES.
ONE PROBE WAS LED
BY AMERICAN OFFICIALS
WHILE DR. ECKENER
AND HIS SENIOR COLLEAGUES
FROM THE ZEPPELIN COMPANY
SUPERVISED
THEIR OWN PARALLEL INQUIRY.
IN THE FACE OF INTENSE
MEDIA SPECULATION
REGARDING THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH
DR ECKENER
REMAINED TIGHT-LIPPED.
AS LONG AS THE INVESTIGATION
IS PENDING
IT IS IMPOSSIBLY...
IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME
TO GIVE YOU ANY STATEMENT
OR ANY IDEAS REGARDING
THE CAUSES OF THE DISASTER.
Scheider:
THE VERY FIRST SUSPICION
WAS OF SABOTAGE.
BY 1937, THE WORLD WAS WAKING UP
TO THE EVILS OF THE NAZI REGIME
SO THE MOTIVATION FOR DESTROYING
SUCH A POWERFUL NAZI SYMBOL
WAS OBVIOUS.
Provan:
THE HINDENBURG WAS A VULNERABLE
TARGET FOR AN ACT OF SABOTAGE.
IT WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN
A VERY BIG EXPLOSIVE DEVICE
TO DESTROY THAT AIRSHIP.
Scheider:
THE F.B.I. WAS CALLED IN
TO INVESTIGATE
AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN
BACKGROUND CHECKS
ON THE PASSENGERS AND CREW.
EVERYONE HAD BEEN SUBJECTED
TO A THOROUGH SEARCH
PRIOR TO EMBARKING, SO THE
INVESTIGATORS WERE LOOKING
FOR SOMEONE DETERMINED ENOUGH TO
SMUGGLE AN EXPLOSIVE ON BOARD.
ATTENTION QUICKLY FOCUSED
ON A PASSENGER NAMED JOSEPH SPAH
WHO HAD SURVIVED THE CRASH.
SPAH WAS AN ODD CHARACTER.
A GERMAN ACROBAT,
HE LIVED IN AMERICA
WHICH PUT HIM UNDER SUSPICION
AS A POSSIBLE SPY.
HE WAS ALSO THOUGHT TO BE
SUPPLE AND STRONG ENOUGH TO
CLIMB INTO THE SHIP'S STRUCTURE
TO PLANT A DEVICE.
SPAH WAS ALSO FOUND TO HAVE
HAD WITH HIM A CAMERA AND FLASH
THAT COULD HAVE EASILY
BEEN RIGGED TO START A BLAZE.
BUT THE THEORY DID NOT PAN OUT.
NO HARD EVIDENCE AGAINST SPAH
COULD BE FOUND
AND THE F.B.I.
EVENTUALLY REPORTED
THAT THE SABOTAGE THEORY
WAS A RED HERRING.
WITH SABOTAGE RULED OUT,
THE INVESTIGATORS TURNED
TO THE ONLY OTHER EXPLANATION
THEY COULD THINK OF...
MECHANICAL FAILURE.
IN THE DAYS BEFORE BLACK BOXES
AND FLIGHT RECORDERS
THEY HAD TO GLEAN ALL THEIR
CLUES FROM EYEWITNESSES.
DESPITE 55 PRIOR SAFE FLIGHTS
THE SEARCH WAS ON FOR A DESIGN
DEFECT IN THE HINDENBURG
THAT COULD HAVE
CAUSED THE DISASTER.
THE OBVIOUS WEAK POINT
IN THE DESIGN
WAS THE USE OF THE HIGHLY
FLAMMABLE LIFTING GAS, HYDROGEN
AND THE INVESTIGATION SHIFTED
TO WAYS LEAKING HYDROGEN
COULD HAVE TRIGGERED THE FIRE.
THE HINDENBURG'S ARRIVAL
AT LAKEHURST THAT MAY 6
HAD ALREADY BEEN DELAYED
DUE TO BAD WEATHER
AND WHEN SHE CAME IN TO LAND
THERE WERE STILL STORMS
IN THE AREA.
AS THE SHIP FLEW IN FOR HER
FINAL APPROACH, JUST AFTER 7:00
HYDROGEN WAS VENTED
FROM THE CONTROL CAR
TO BRING HER BACK TO EARTH.
SHE BEGAN HER FINAL, TIGHT TURN
ANGLING INTO THE WIND
IN FRONT OF THE MOORING MAST.
THE FINAL MANEUVER WAS THE
RELEASE OF THE LANDING LINES.
ONLY MINUTES LATER,
THE SPECTATORS AND GROUND CREW
SAW THE FIRST SIGNS OF FIRE
AT THE TOP OF THE SHIP
JUST IN FRONT OF THE FIN.
BASED ON THE TESTIMONIES
OF THE 97 EYEWITNESSES
THE INVESTIGATORS WERE CONFIDENT
THAT THEY KNEW
WHERE THE FIRE HAD STARTED.
ALL THEY NEEDED NOW
WAS TO EXPLAIN WHY.
IMMEDIATELY, SUSPICION FOCUSED
ON THE HIGHLY FLAMMABLE
HYDROGEN GAS.
Man:
THE INVESTIGATORS AT THE TIME
UNEQUIVOCALLY JUST ASSUMED
THAT SINCE HYDROGEN
WAS USED AS A BUOYANT GAS
THAT SOMEHOW IT GOT LOOSE
BECAUSE IT WAS FLAMMABLE.
OKAY, WHERE'S
THE HYDROGEN COMING FROM?
IT'S GOT TO COME
FROM A GAS CELL.
WELL, WAS IT A NATURAL THING?
WAS A VALVE STUCK
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
THEY KIND OF RULED THAT OUT.
SO THE NEXT... WHAT APPEARED TO
BE LOGICAL WAS THAT A GAS CELL
WAS BREACHED BY SOME TECHNIQUE.
IN OTHER WORDS, IT WAS TORN
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
Scheider:
BUT THE HYDROGEN BREACH
HYPOTHESIS
WAS LITTLE MORE
THAN SPECULATION.
USING THE INVESTIGATIVE TOOLS
AVAILABLE AT THE TIME
THE INQUIRY FOUND NO EVIDENCE
TO BACK THE IDEA
THAT A CELL HAD LEAKED.
NEVERTHELESS, SINCE NO OTHER
EXPLANATION WAS AVAILABLE
THE INVESTIGATORS PUT FORTH
WHAT SEEMED LIKE
AN ENTIRELY LOGICAL THEORY...
WITH HYDROGEN AT ITS CENTER.
THEY CONCLUDED
THAT HYDROGEN HAD LEAKED
COMBINED WITH AIR
TO FORM A LETHAL MIX
AND WAS THEN IGNITED BY A SPARK
FROM A BUILDUP
OF STATIC ELECTRICITY.
HYDROGEN WAS THE WEAK POINT
IN THE CONCEPT, IF YOU WILL.
IT WAS FLAMMABLE, VERY FLAMMABLE
WHEN MIXED WITH AIR, UM...
AND IT IGNITED, SIMPLE AS THAT.
Scheider:
THE 63-PAGE
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
ACCIDENT REPORT CONCLUDED:
"BASED UPON THE EVIDENCE, A LEAK
CAUSED A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE
"OF HYDROGEN AND AIR TO FORM IN
THE UPPER STERN PART OF THE SHIP
IN CONSIDERABLE QUANTITY."
TODAY, VAST HANGAR ONE
AT LAKEHURST LIES EMPTY.
BECAUSE OF THE OFFICIAL VERDICT
BLAMING HYDROGEN
THE GREAT ZEPPELIN PASSENGER
AIRSHIPS NEVER FLEW AGAIN
AND HYDROGEN
WAS PERMANENTLY TARNISHED
AS AN UNSAFE, EXPLOSIVE GAS.
Thomas:
AFTER THE HINDENBURG
I WOULD SAY THERE WAS A DECLINE
IN ALL AIRSHIPS IN LAKEHURST
AND NO MATTER HOW WE FOUGHT WE
JUST COULDN'T GET THEM BACK IN.
THE DECLINE WAS VERY BAD
AFTER THE HINDENBURG.
Walker:
NOBODY WOULD OPERATE WITH
HYDROGEN, THAT WAS THE THING
AND DR. ECKENER AND GERMANY
FORBID ANY MORE
PASSENGER FLIGHTS WITH HYDROGEN.
HYDROGEN WAS A NO-NO.
Scheider:
AS THE RUSTY DOORS
OF THE HANGAR AT LAKEHURST
ROLL GRUDGINGLY BACK
60 YEARS LATER
THE HINDENBURG DOSSIER
IS ONCE AGAIN BEING OPENED.
FOR THE FIRST TIME
SINCE THE ACCIDENT
THE UNCHALLENGED ASSUMPTIONS
ABOUT THE ROLE OF HYDROGEN
ARE BEING QUESTIONED
AND SUBJECTED
TO MODERN FORENSIC TECHNIQUES.
Bain:
THE COURSE OF THE INVESTIGATION
JUST ASSUMED FREE HYDROGEN
AND THEN THEY BACKED UP
TO TRY TO FIND AN EXCUSE
FOR THE FREE HYDROGEN.
THAT'S PRETTY BAD SCIENCE.
Mission control:
FIVE, FOUR...
THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO
AND LIFTOFF
OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOR
TO DEVELOP THE PRACTICAL
AND THE BENEFICIAL
ASPECTS OF SPACE.
Scheider:
THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
IN FLORIDA
IS THE HUB OF NASA'S
LAUNCH OPERATIONS
AND IT IS HERE
THAT RETIRED ENGINEER
ADDISON BAIN HAS SPENT HIS
CAREER WORKING WITH HYDROGEN
USED IN ROCKET FUEL BECAUSE
OF ITS EXTREME FLAMMABILITY.
IT WAS BAIN'S
NASA EXPERIENCE WITH HYDROGEN
THAT FIRST SPARKED HIS INTEREST
IN THE HINDENBURG MYSTERY.
Bain:
I WAS ON A ONE-YEAR ASSIGNMENT
IN WASHINGTON D.C.,
AT THE NASA HEADQUARTERS
WHICH IS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET
FROM THE NATIONAL AIR
AND SPACE MUSEUM.
SO I USED TO GO OVER THERE
AND VISIT QUITE OFTEN
PARTICULARLY GOING OVER
AND HAVING LUNCH.
BUT THERE'S A MODEL
OF THE HINDENBURG IN THERE
A 25-FOOT-LONG MODEL USED IN THE
1975 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS MOVIE.
THERE'S A PLAQUE ON THE WALL
AND IT SAYS, ESSENTIALLY,
THE HYDROGEN EXPLODED.
WELL, THAT BOTHERED ME
A LITTLE BIT.
Scheider:
AS A SPECIALIST WHO PASSIONATELY
BELIEVED IN HYDROGEN'S POTENTIAL
AS A CLEAN FUEL OF THE FUTURE
BAIN WONDERED WHETHER THE GAS
HAD UNFAIRLY TAKEN THE BLAME
FOR THE HINDENBURG CATASTROPHE.
HE BEGAN TO INVESTIGATE,
AND HAS NOW SPENT NINE YEARS
METHODICALLY REEXAMINING
THE OFFICIAL ACCOUNT
OF WHAT HAPPENED
AT LAKEHURST THAT DAY.
Bain:
THE INVESTIGATORS AT THE TIME
UNEQUIVOCALLY JUST ASSUMED
THAT SINCE HYDROGEN WAS USED
AS A BUOYANT GAS
THAT SOMEHOW IT GOT LOOSE
BECAUSE IT WAS FLAMMABLE.
AS YOU READ THROUGH THE REPORTS
AND YOU LOOK AT HOW
IT WAS BUILT UP
THERE WAS NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE
BUILDING TO THE CONCLUSION.
THERE WAS NO TESTING DONE
TO ALSO SUPPORT THAT EVIDENCE.
SO THAT MADE THE STORY
MORE SUSPICIOUS.
Scheider:
BAIN'S FIRST STEP WAS
TO TEST THE FEASIBILITY
OF SOME OF THE ORIGINAL
INQUIRY'S ASSUMPTIONS.
IN THE WORKSHOP OF
HYDROGEN SPECIALIST FRANK LYNCH
HE BUILT A SCALE MODEL
OF THE SHIP'S TAIL SECTION
WHERE THE REPORT HAD CONCLUDED
THE FIRE BEGAN.
THE MODEL ALLOWED HIM
TO PROBE THE HYDROGEN THEORY
BY OBSERVING PRECISELY
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN
IF A HYDROGEN CELL HAD RIPPED
AND DEVELOPED A LEAK.
WHAT I'VE DONE, FRANK
ON THE MODEL IS TO RUN
A PIECE OF TUBING
UP AND THROUGH
AND TO THE OUTSIDE
OF CELL FOUR HERE
TO REPRESENT A LEAK
IN CELL FOUR.
ESTIMATING PROBABLY
A GASH OF MAYBE ABOUT
ALMOST A METER WIDE.
AT 80 TO ONE,
THAT'S A HUGE HOLE.
YEAH, OH, YEAH...
YOU BET!
AND THEN I WOULD
SUSPECT THEN
THE HYDROGEN GAS
WILL COME ON UP
AND GO OUT
THE VENT HERE
OR OUT THE VENT
IN THE TAIL THERE.
Scheider:
THE FLOW OF HYDROGEN
THROUGH THE MODEL
SIMULATES THE FLOW RATE
FROM A GOOD-SIZED LEAK
IN ONE OF THE HUGE GAS CELLS
OF THE HINDENBURG.
A HYDROGEN DETECTOR IS USED THEN
TO SEE WHICH WAY THE GAS FLOWS.
LET'S TRY THE FORWARD VENT HERE.
IT'S COMING
OUT OF THERE ALREADY.
OKAY, WE'VE GOT STUFF
COMING OUT OF THERE.
LET'S TRY BACK HERE,
AT THE VENT BACK HERE...
SEE IF YOU GOT
ANYTHING COMING.
YEAH... YEAH!
Scheider:
THE MODEL SUGGESTED
THAT ANY LEAKING HYDROGEN
WOULD HAVE
QUICKLY FLOWED UPWARDS
TOWARDS THE VENTS, EXACTLY
AS THE DESIGNERS HAD INTENDED.
AND NEAR THE VENTS
IS EXACTLY WHERE
THE EYEWITNESSES
HAD SEEN THE FIRE BEGIN.
THE LOGIC BEHIND
THE HYDROGEN THEORY
APPEARED TO BE IMPECCABLE.
Bain:
WHAT THE MODEL SHOWS IS
IF YOU HAD A HYDROGEN LEAK
IN A GAS CELL
WHERE IS THE HYDROGEN
GOING TO GO
AND BASICALLY OUT
UP THROUGH THE VENT STACK
AND THAT'S WHERE
YOU WOULD SUSPECT
THE LOGICAL FIRE TO START,
BUT IT DIDN'T.
Scheider:
BAIN HAD MADE
A STARTLING DISCOVERY.
REVIEWING
THE EYEWITNESS STATEMENTS
HE REALIZED THAT
THE OFFICIAL REPORT
CONTAINED A GLARING OMISSION.
THE INVESTIGATORS
HAD COMPLETELY DISREGARDED
THE TESTIMONIES
OF TWO KEY OBSERVERS
WHO SAW SOMETHING
OTHERS HAD NOT.
THEIR PERSPECTIVE WAS CRUCIAL
BECAUSE THEY HAD A VIEW OF THIS:
THE STARBOARD SIDE OF THE SHIP.
Bain:
MOST OF THE WITNESSES
WERE ON THE PORT SIDE
UP NEAR THE NOSE
OR THE BOW OF THE AIRSHIP.
THEN THERE WERE WITNESSES ON THE
PORT SIDE SOME DISTANCE AWAY.
THERE WERE VERY FEW WITNESSES
TO OBSERVE ANYTHING
ON THE STARBOARD SIDE.
IN TESTIMONY,
THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE
WHO DISCUSS EVENTS OCCURRING
RIGHT ALONG IN HERE FIRST
BEFORE THE FIRE SPREAD.
Announcer:
A ROAR AND A BURST OF FLAME
NEAR THE BIG TAIL FINS TURN THE
SHIP INTO A FLAMING INFERNO.
Scheider:
THE HYDROGEN THEORY
ONLY MADE SENSE
IF THE FIRE HAD STARTED
AT THE VENT.
BAIN'S DISCOVERY,
THAT IT HAD BEGUN ELSEWHERE
WAS THE FIRST INDICATION
THAT THE INITIAL CONCLUSION
WAS FLAWED.
BUT TO HIS EXPERT EYE
THERE WAS AN EVEN
MORE GLARING CONTRADICTION.
WELL, I'VE PLAYED AROUND
WITH HYDROGEN
AND CREATED FIRES
MYSELF WITH HYDROGEN...
SOME BY ACCIDENT
AND SOME ON PURPOSE...
BUT IN THE CASE
OF THE HINDENBURG
THE ACTION THERE SIMPLY JUST
WAS NOT FAMILIAR
WITH MY EXPERIENCE
WITH HANDLING HYDROGEN.
SOMETHING ELSE WAS
TAKING PLACE THERE.
Scheider:
THOUGH HYDROGEN IS CHEMICALLY
UNSTABLE AND HIGHLY FLAMMABLE
HYDROGEN FIRES ARE VERY
DIFFICULT TO SEE
WITH THE NAKED EYE,
RADIATING A COLD, BLUE FLAME.
BECAUSE IT IS LIGHTER THAN AIR
HYDROGEN ALSO TENDS
TO BURN UPWARDS VERY QUICKLY.
YET THE EYEWITNESSES
WERE REMARKABLY CONSISTENT
WHEN DESCRIBING
THE COLORS OF THE FIRE.
Thomas:
IT WAS LIKE A FIRE OF HELL.
IT WAS SO INTENSE AND SO RED
VERY RED
WITH THE ORANGE FLAMES IN IT.
I COULD SEE THE WHOLE AIRSHIP
FROM THE NOSE TO THE TAIL
FROM WHERE I WAS STANDING
AND I SAW THAT
BIG RED-ORANGE GLOW
AND IT CAME OUT
THROUGH THE COVER.
Scheider:
THOSE DESCRIPTIONS
OF THE COLORS OF THE FIRE
WERE IMPORTANT CLUES
BUT BAIN HAD ONLY BLACK
AND WHITE PHOTOS TO WORK WITH.
BY CAREFULLY SIFTING THROUGH
ALL THE DESCRIPTIONS
HE CREATED A COLOR IMAGE
OF WHAT WITNESSES SAID
THE FIRE ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE.
Bain:
THIS IS A CONSENSUS...
A CUMULATION OF EYEWITNESS
ACCOUNTS AS THEY DESCRIBED IT
AND I SORT OF JUST
BUILT A SPECTRUM
OF WHAT THEY TALKED ABOUT
AND THEN RECOLORIZED THIS
ON THE COMPUTER TO SHOW THAT.
TYPICALLY, YELLOW-ORANGE-REDDISH
TYPE FLAME WAS OBSERVED
AND OF COURSE, AS WE ALL KNOW
HYDROGEN IS BASICALLY INVISIBLE
IN DAYLIGHT.
WELL, THAT'S FINE.
I REALIZED AT SOME POINT IN TIME
HYDROGEN WAS PART OF THE FIRE.
THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT
BUT IT'S BEING MASKED
BY THIS INTENSE FLAME.
Scheider:
THE COLORIZED PHOTOGRAPH SHOWED
THAT THE CAUSE OF
THE HINDENBURG ACCIDENT
WAS FAR MORE COMPLEX
THAN THE STRAIGHT HYDROGEN FIRE
ASSUMED BY THE OFFICIAL REPORT.
AND THE PHOTOGRAPH
HAD FURTHER SIGNIFICANCE.
IT SHOWED THAT THE AIRSHIP
REMAINED BUOYANT
MANY SECONDS
AFTER THE FIRE BEGAN.
Bain:
THE AIRSHIP IS STILL IN TRIM
WHICH MEANS THAT
A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF HYDROGEN
IS STILL IN THESE CELLS
BACK HERE.
IF THERE'D BEEN
A LOT OF HYDROGEN LOSS
BACK HERE IN THE STERN AREA
IT SHOULD HAVE STARTED
DESCENDING IMMEDIATELY.
Scheider:
THE FACT THAT THE HINDENBURG
DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY PLUMMET
WHEN THE FIRE STARTED
WAS FURTHER EVIDENCE OF
A FLAW IN THE HYDROGEN THEORY.
AND BAIN NOTICED
ANOTHER INCONSISTENCY
WHEN REVIEWING FILM FOOTAGE.
Announcer:
36 persons died in the flaming
wreckage of the proud airship.
To this day the exact cause of
the explosion remains a mystery
though static electricity...
Bain:
THE FIRE WAS SO RAPID AND IT
ACTUALLY ENGULFED THE AIRSHIP
AND THAT'S NOT CHARACTERISTIC
OF A STRAIGHT HYDROGEN FIRE
WHICH WOULD BURN UPWARD.
Reduced the proud ship
to a tangled mass of...
NOW, THERE WAS A SLIGHT WIND
THAT YOU COULD PROBABLY SAY
IT WOULD ANGLE OFF TO ONE SIDE
BUT, NEVERTHELESS, JUST
THE WHOLE ACTION OF THE FIRE
WAS ALMOST LIKE BEING
IN A FOREST FIRE
WHERE YOU HAVE THE FUEL
ALL AROUND YOU.
From her ashes
will arise the knowledge;
from her fate, the lessons...
OKAY, SURE...
THE AIRSHIP WAS BURNING...
WAS IT BEING FUELED
BY THE HYDROGEN
OR WAS IT BEING FUELED
BY SOMETHING ELSE?
Scheider:
TO BAIN, THE SPEED OF THE FIRE
AND ITS DISTINCTIVE ORANGE COLOR
WERE CLUES
THAT THE HINDENBURG CONTAINED
SOMETHING FLAMMABLE
BESIDES HYDROGEN.
AROUND THE ALUMINUM FRAME
THE AIRSHIP WAS BUILT
OF WOOD, COTTON FIBER
AND OTHER COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS
THAT COULD HAVE GIVEN THE FIRE
ITS ORANGE APPEARANCE.
BUT WHAT MOST INTRIGUED BAIN
WAS THE INCREDIBLE SPEED
WITH WHICH THE SHIP'S
OUTER COVER HAD BURNED.
HE CALCULATED THAT THE FLAME
FRONT ALONG THE OUTSIDE
HAD ADVANCED AS FAST
AS 49 FEET PER SECOND.
Man:
THE FIRE WENT SO FAST
THROUGH THERE
IT CAME OUT OF THERE
LIKE A BLOWTORCH.
Woman:
WITHIN FIVE SECONDS,
THE WHOLE TOP WAS GONE.
IT WAS SO FAST.
Man 2:
IT ONLY TOOK 34 SECONDS TO BURN.
I MEAN, IT JUST BLEW
RIGHT OUT OF THERE.
Scheider:
THE HINDENBURG'S OUTER COVER
WAS A KEY FEATURE
OF ZEPPELIN'S TECHNOLOGY.
DESIGNED TO GIVE THE SHIP
AN AERODYNAMIC PROFILE
IT ALSO HAD TO BE WATERPROOF
AND HEAT REFLECTIVE
TO PREVENT THE HYDROGEN
FROM EXPANDING.
ZEPPELIN'S ENGINEERS
ACHIEVED THIS RESULT
BY PAINTING THE COVER
WITH A DOPING COMPOUND
CONTAINING A COCKTAIL
OF CHEMICALS.
WERE THE CHEMICALS
TO BLAME FOR THE FIRE?
SEARCHING THROUGH THE ARCHIVES
BAIN FOUND HINTS
THAT A NEW DOPING COMPOUND
HAD BEEN USED ON THE HINDENBURG
BUT HE STRUGGLED TO FIND DETAILS
OF THE CHANGE.
Bain:
WELL, IT WAS A MYSTERY
IN ITSELF.
I HAD GONE THROUGH
FIVE DIFFERENT ARCHIVES;
THOUSANDS OF PAGES
OF INFORMATION.
I ACCUMULATED LIBRARIES
FROM OTHER PEOPLE...
EXPERTS ON AIRSHIPS, COLLECTORS;
PURCHASED MANY, MANY BOOKS
ON AIRSHIPS
AND READ THROUGH THEM
AND FRANKLY COULD NOT FIND
SPECIFICALLY WHAT WAS USED
TO COAT THE HINDENBURG.
Scheider:
DESPITE THE LACK OF INFORMATION
ABOUT THE DOPING COMPOUND
BAIN FELT SURE THERE WAS A FATAL
FLAW IN THE OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
BLAMING HYDROGEN FOR THE CRASH.
HE BELIEVED THE TRUTH LAY
IN THE AIRSHIP'S OUTER COVER
BUT HE NEEDED HARD EVIDENCE
TO PROVE IT.
THE BREAKTHROUGH CAME WHEN I WAS
ATTENDING A HYDROGEN CONFERENCE
IN COCOA BEACH, AND I SAW
THIS GENTLEMAN WALKING AROUND
WITH AN AIRSHIP BOOK UNDER HIS
ARM AND I WALKED OVER TO HIM...
I SAYS, "MAY I SEE
THAT AIRSHIP BOOK."
AND HE INTRODUCED HIMSELF
AS RICHARD VAN TREUREN.
HE SAYS HE WAS LOOKING FOR
ADDISON BAIN
TO TALK ABOUT HYDROGEN.
I SAID, "WELL, I'M HIM."
Scheider:
RICHARD VAN TREUREN
IS A DIRIGIBLE ENTHUSIAST
WITH A MULTITUDE OF CONTACTS
IN THE AIRSHIP COMMUNITY.
HE WAS FASCINATED TO LEARN
ABOUT BAIN'S NEW THEORY.
WELL, UP UNTIL THE POINT
OF OUR MEETING
DR. BAIN HAD NOT BEEN ABLE
TO FIND SPECIFIC INFORMATION
ABOUT THE ZEPPELIN'S
OUTER COVERING.
NOTHING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED
ABOUT IT.
SO I WAS ABLE TO INTRODUCE HIM
TO A MR. HEPBURN WALKER
A WORLD WAR II AIRSHIPMAN,
WHO HAD SAVED ACTUAL SAMPLES
OF THE HINDENBURG FABRIC
FROM WHERE SHE FELL.
Walker:
WELL, I TRY TO GET SAMPLES
OF ANY AIRSHIP THAT'S...
PARTICULARLY RIGID AIRSHIPS.
I GOT SAMPLES OF THE GIRDERS
OF THE LOS ANGELES
THE ZMC2 METALCLAD AIRSHIP.
THE HINDENBURG, OF COURSE
IS THE MOST FAMOUS AIRSHIP
IN HISTORY
AND I FIGURED I'D WANT
A FEW SAMPLES
OF THE GIRDER WORK
AND THE FABRIC WORK
AND I WENT OUT THERE
AND SCUFFED MY FOOT
AND DUG UP PIECES OF FABRIC
AND SO ON.
Scheider:
REMARKABLY,
FRAGMENTS OF THE OUTER COVER
HAD SURVIVED THE BLAZE
AND WERE STREWN ACROSS
THE LANDING SITE AT LAKEHURST.
OH, WHEN I FOUND THAT THERE WERE
SOME FABRIC SAMPLES...
REMNANTS OF THE HINDENBURG...
I WAS ECSTATIC.
I SAYS, "I KNOW
HOW TO GO FIND OUT
WHAT'S IN THOSE MATERIALS,
YOU KNOW."
Scheider:
THE EXISTENCE OF
GENUINE HINDENBURG SAMPLES
PROVED TO BE A KEY BREAKTHROUGH.
IT MEANT THAT
FOR THE FIRST TIME
BAIN COULD STUDY THE CHEMICAL
MAKEUP OF THE OUTER COVER
AND SEE WHY IT HAD BURNED
SO QUICKLY.
EXAMINING THE FABRIC
UNDER AN ELECTRON MICROSCOPE
AND THEN USING
INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY
HE WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE
THE PRECISE MIX OF CHEMICALS
USED IN THE DOPING COMPOUND.
Bain:
THERE WE GO.
Scientist:
THIS IS THE BAND
WE WERE LOOKING FOR.
THAT'S THE IMPORTANT PART.
YES.
WAS THAT SHOWING THERE?
Scheider:
HE FOUND THAT THE DOPING MIXTURE
CONTAINED IRON OXIDE
AND POWDERED ALUMINUM.
BEING ASSOCIATED WITH
THE SPACE SHUTTLE ACTIVITY
I KNEW THAT POWDERED ALUMINUM
WAS THE FUEL USED
ON THE BOOSTERS
AND I THOUGHT,
"BOY, WHAT A BAD COMBINATION."
Scheider:
THE EXTERNAL BOOSTERS
ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE
ARE POWERED BY
A SOLID ROCKET PROPELLANT
CONTAINING BOTH ALUMINUM POWDER
AND IRON OXIDE.
BAIN'S EXPERIMENTS HAD CONFIRMED
THAT THOSE SAME CHEMICALS
WERE PRESENT
IN EVEN GREATER PROPORTIONS
IN THE DOPING COMPOUND
USED TO PROTECT
THE HINDENBURG'S OUTER COVER.
THE HINDENBURG HAD BEEN PAINTED
IN THE INGREDIENTS
FOR ROCKET FUEL.
TO PROVE THAT
THE FLAMMABLE CHEMICAL COCKTAIL
HAD ALLOWED THE COVER
TO BURN SO QUICKLY
BAIN STILL HAD TO FIT
ONE FINAL PIECE INTO THE PUZZLE.
HE NEEDED TO DETERMINE
HOW THE FIRE HAD STARTED.
HE TURNED TO THE AIR FORCE
RESEARCH LABORATORIES IN OHIO...
THE UNITED STATES'
LEADING CENTER
FOR THE STUDY OF THE PHYSICAL
FORCES THAT AFFECT AIRCRAFT.
ONE KEY TEAM AT THE CENTER
SPECIALIZES IN THE DANGERS
ASSOCIATED WITH SPARKS
CAUSED BY ELECTROSTATIC CHARGES
IN THE ATMOSPHERE.
Scientist:
OKAY, WE GOT 45 TORR, GO AHEAD
AND BRING THE VOLTAGE UP...
AS AN AIRCRAFT FLIES
THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE
IT ACTUALLY CAN BUILD UP
A STATIC CHARGE
ON THE SURFACE OF THE AIRCRAFT
FROM WHAT WE CALL "P-STATIC"
OR PRECIPITATION STATIC
AND THAT'S JUST FLOWING
THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE.
Scheider:
PRECIPITATION STATIC
CAN BUILD UP ON ANY AIRCRAFT...
INCLUDING AN AIRSHIP.
MORE IMPORTANTLY,
THE HINDENBURG'S LANDING
AT LAKEHURST THAT FATEFUL DAY
HAD BEEN DELAYED BY BAD WEATHER
SO, THE PILOT WAS TRYING
TO SQUEEZE THE LANDING
IN BETWEEN TWO LARGE
ELECTRICAL STORM FRONTS.
THERE WERE THUNDERSTORMS
IN THE VICINITY
WHICH MEANT THAT THE ATMOSPHERE
PROBABLY WAS
INCREASINGLY CHARGED.
THIS COULD BE A FACTOR IN
PUTTING A SUBSTANTIAL CHARGE
ON THE SURFACE OF THE HINDENBURG
MORE SO THAN ON A REGULAR DAY.
Scheider:
YET THIS HAD ALL
BEEN ANTICIPATED
BY ZEPPELIN'S ENGINEERS.
THE INTERNAL FRAME
OF THE AIRSHIP WAS DESIGNED
TO BE ELECTRICALLY BONDED
SO THAT ANY CHARGE IT CARRIED
WOULD FLOW HARMLESSLY
TO EARTH WITHOUT A SPARK
THE MOMENT THE LANDING LINES
TOUCHED THE GROUND.
Walko:
YOU HAVE TO HAVE
ELECTRICALLY,
A GOOD CONDUCTIVE PATH
SO IF YOU GET CHARGING
ON AN AIRCRAFT
OR IF AN AIRCRAFT GETS STRUCK
BY LIGHTNING
THAT THE HIGH CURRENTS
OR THE HIGH-VOLTAGE BUILDUP
WILL HAVE A GOOD ELECTRICAL,
LOW-RESISTIVE PATH
TO FLOW ON AND OFF THE AIRCRAFT.
Scheider:
WHILE INVESTIGATING THE
SHIP'S DESIGN, BAIN DISCOVERED
THAT THE HINDENBURG WOULD NOT
HAVE BEEN PROPERLY BONDED.
THE OUTER COVER WAS MADE UP OF
INDIVIDUAL PANELS OF DOPED CLOTH
ATTACHED TO THE AIRSHIP'S
MAIN FRAME BY LIGHT CORDS.
THESE CORDS WERE POOR CONDUCTORS
AND WOULD HAVE MADE IT DIFFICULT
FOR ANY CHARGE CARRIED
ON THE PANELS TO RUN TO EARTH.
BECAUSE OF THE HIGH HUMIDITY
AND RAIN THAT DAY
SOME CORDS WOULD HAVE BEEN
MORE CONDUCTIVE THAN OTHERS
BETTER BONDING THEIR PANELS
TO THE REST OF THE AIRSHIP.
ANY ELECTRICITY
ON THE BONDED PANELS
WOULD SAFELY HAVE
RUN OFF THE SHIP
WHEN THE LANDING LINES
WERE RELEASED.
BUT SOME PANELS WOULD HAVE
REMAINED ELECTRICALLY ISOLATED
RETAINING A HUGE VOLTAGE
THAT WOULD SEEK THE EASIEST
POSSIBLE ROUTE TO EARTH.
EVENTUALLY,
THE VOLTAGE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THOSE PANELS
AND THE GROUNDED FRAME
WOULD BE SO GREAT THAT A SPARK
COULD LEAP ACROSS THE GAP
ALLOWING THE ELECTRICITY
TO DISCHARGE.
CLEARLY VISIBLE UNDER
AN ELECTRON MICROSCOPE
THE ALUMINUM PARTICLES
IN THE DOPING COMPOUND
WOULD BE A GOOD CONDUCTOR FOR
THAT DISCHARGING ELECTRICITY.
Bain:
ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE HAS
AN AFFINITY
OR AN ATTRACTION
TO POWDERED ALUMINUM
SO ONCE THAT REACTION STARTS
THEN THE ALUMINUM GETS
EXTREMELY HOT, OF COURSE
AND IT'S IN A VERY
FLAMMABLE ENVIRONMENT...
NAMELY THE CLOTH AND THE DOPE
THAT'S USED ON THE COVER.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT THERE IS THE
COMBINATION OF THOSE INGREDIENTS
CAN BE ALMOST EXPLOSIVE.
Scheider:
THAT ELECTRICAL CURRENT
DISCHARGING THROUGH THE COVER
WOULD ALSO GENERATE HEAT
ENOUGH TO SET THE HIGHLY-
FLAMMABLE ALUMINUM ALIGHT
TRIGGERING THE ENSUING BLAZE.
THE ZEPPELIN ENGINEERS
WOULD NOT HAVE REALIZED
THEY WERE PLAYING WITH FIRE.
THEY PICKED THE ALUMINUM POWDER
BECAUSE OF
ITS REFLECTIVE PROPERTIES
BUT AT THAT TIME
WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN
ABOUT ITS EXTREME FLAMMABILITY.
WITH HIS LAST QUESTION ANSWERED
BAIN IS NOW READY
TO PRESENT HIS THEORY
ABOUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED
TO THE HINDENBURG.
THE LANDING THAT DAY HAD BEEN
POSTPONED BY BAD WEATHER.
WHEN THE HINDENBURG
FINALLY ARRIVED AT LAKEHURST
SHORTLY AFTER 7:00,
THE RAIN HAD JUST STOPPED
AND THERE WERE STILL
THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA
MEANING THAT THE ATMOSPHERE
WAS MORE CHARGED THAN USUAL.
THE CAPTAIN PREPARED TO MAKE HIS
FINAL TURN INTO THE LANDING MAST
GENTLY SLOWING THE AIRSHIP DOWN
WHILE VENTING HYDROGEN
FROM THE GAS CELLS.
AS THE SHIP APPROACHED THE MAST
AND THE LANDING LINES
WERE DROPPED
MOST OF THE ELECTRICITY
ON THE SHIP DISCHARGED TO EARTH
BUT, CRUCIALLY,
SOME OF THE OUTER COVER PANELS
WERE INSULATED
FROM THE MAIN FRAME
AND RETAINED THEIR
ELECTRICAL CHARGE:
THE TRIGGER FOR THE FATAL
SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
THAT FOLLOWED.
I BELIEVE THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
FIRST STARTED BACK HERE
NEAR CELL ONE AND TWO
WHERE THERE WAS AN ELECTROSTATIC
DISCHARGE OCCURRING
ACROSS THE FABRIC TO THE FRAME.
THAT ESSENTIALLY IGNITED
THE HIGHLY-FLAMMABLE
OUTER COVERING MATERIAL
WHICH THEN BURNED QUITE RAPIDLY.
BUT THAT INTENSE HEAT
FROM THAT FIRE
THEN EXPANDED THE GAS BACK HERE
IN CELL ONE
TO A POINT WHERE IT ACTUALLY
EXPLODED BACK HERE
AND CAUSED A FORWARD JERK
INTO THE AIRSHIP.
THE HYDROGEN THEN FROM THAT CELL
OBVIOUSLY CAME OUT
AND STARTED BURNING
ABOVE THE AIRSHIP
BUT IN THE MEANTIME...
VERY RAPIDLY,
ALL THIS WAS OCCURRING...
THE FIRE MOVED
VERY RAPIDLY FORWARD
UP OVER CELL FOUR WHICH
WAS OBSERVED ON THIS SIDE
AND THEN RAPIDLY CAME ACROSS
AND THEN FORWARD.
Scheider:
IT WAS ONLY AT THIS POINT THAT
THE FILM CAMERAS BEGAN ROLLING.
NEWLY COLORIZED FOOTAGE SHOWS
THE TRUE APPEARANCE OF THE FIRE.
AS THE FLAME FRONT
ADVANCED DOWN THE SHIP
BURSTING THE GAS CELLS BELOW
HYDROGEN BEGAN
TO FUEL THE BLAZE...
ITS BLUE COLOR MASKED
BY THE BRIGHT ORANGE
OF OTHER BURNING MATERIALS.
BAIN IS CONFIDENT
HIS IS THE TRUE EXPLANATION
FOR THE HINDENBURG DISASTER.
BUT HIS THEORY IS CONTROVERSIAL
UPSETTING 60 YEARS
OF PERCEIVED WISDOM
ABOUT THE ROLE OF HYDROGEN.
YOU CAN'T TELL ME
THAT THE HYDROGEN
WASN'T BURNING
IN THAT THING...
ONCE THE
REAR CELLS WENT
THE HYDROGEN
STARTED CONTRIBUTING
TO THE FIRE.
THERE IS NO QUESTION
ABOUT THAT.
BUT THE GLOW
WAS IN THERE
BEFORE THE FIRE BROKE
THROUGH THE FABRIC.
I SAW THE BIG RED
GLOW IN THAT CELL.
YEAH, FROM YOUR POSITION
THAT'S WHAT YOU
WOULD'VE SEEN.
YEAH, I SAW
THAT BIG RED GLOW...
SURE YOU DID, BUT THAT'S
NOT HYDROGEN GOING, JOHN.
WELL, SOMETHING
WAS BURNING.
YOU BET IT IS.
BUT IT WASN'T THE FABRIC
AND I COULD SEE FROM
WHERE I WAS STANDING
THE WHOLE TOP OF IT.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT
YOU SAW WAS RIGHT.
BUT WHAT YOU DIDN'T SEE
WAS A FEW SECONDS
AHEAD OF THAT.
Scheider:
THE SKEPTICISM WOULD CONTINUE
AS LONG AS BAIN'S ACCOUNT
REMAINED JUST A THEORY.
TO PROVE IT CONCLUSIVELY
HE DECIDED TO CONDUCT
ONE MORE VITAL EXPERIMENT.
HE WOULD NEED TO SACRIFICE
A VALUABLE ORIGINAL PIECE
OF THE HINDENBURG'S OUTER COVER
AND SUBJECT IT
TO THE KIND OF EXTREME VOLTAGES
SEEN THAT NIGHT.
UNLIKE ORDINARY FABRIC, WOULD
THE HINDENBURG'S DOPED COVER
CATCH FIRE AS HE PREDICTED?
THIS CAME FROM THE TOP PART
OF THE AIRSHIP.
I KNOW THAT BECAUSE
OF THE IRON OXIDE COATING
AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE
IT WAS BURNED AROUND THE EDGES.
THERE'S TWO RIP MARKS HERE
WHERE, OBVIOUSLY,
IT CAME OFF THE COVER
AND FELL TO THE GROUND AND
PROBABLY SELF-EXTINGUISHED
WITH THE WATER
ON THE WET GROUND THAT DAY.
WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS CUT
A SMALL SAMPLE OFF OF HERE
AND PUT IT
IN AN ELECTRICAL MACHINE
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TURN
IT ON AND SEE IF IT IGNITES.
RECALL NOW THAT THIS SAMPLE
IS OVER 60 YEARS OLD.
THE COLLECTORS CLUBS
AROUND THE WORLD
ARE GOING TO KILL ME
FOR DOING THIS...
DESTROYING AN ARTIFACT.
Scheider:
COMBUSTION IS VIRTUALLY
INSTANTANEOUS.
THE HINDENBURG DISASTER
WOULD HAVE HAPPENED
WHETHER OR NOT THE SHIP
WAS FILLED WITH HYDROGEN.
AS WITH THE TITANIC AND SPACE
SHUTTLE CHALLENGER DISASTERS
A VITAL BUT OVERLOOKED
TECHNOLOGICAL FLAW
HAD PROVED FATAL.
ALTHOUGH 60 YEARS OLD
THE SAMPLE STILL SHOWS ALL
THE SIGNS OF HIGH FLAMMABILITY.
WORKED.
Scheider:
BUT THERE WAS
ONE LAST TWIST TO COME.
DEEP IN THE ARCHIVES OF
THE ZEPPELIN MUSEUM IN GERMANY
THE HINDENBURG HAD
ONE FINAL SECRET TO REVEAL.
Bain:
ONE OF THE CROWNING EXPERIENCES
IN MY INVESTIGATION WAS THE
OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO GERMANY
AND VISIT THE ZEPPELIN MUSEUM
AND GO THROUGH THEIR ARCHIVES.
AND FRANKLY, BY ACCIDENT
I CAME ACROSS SOME VERY
INTERESTING INFORMATION
THAT'S BEEN THERE
FOR A LONG TIME.
Scheider:
WITHIN THE MUSEUM'S ARCHIVES
LAY THE UNPUBLISHED RECORDS
FROM THE GERMAN INQUIRY
INTO THE DISASTER.
SCIENTISTS WORKING
FOR THE ZEPPELIN COMPANY
HAD SECRETLY CONDUCTED
THEIR OWN EXPERIMENTS
ON THE HINDENBURG'S OUTER COVER.
THE CONCLUSION THEY HAD REACHED
WAS REMARKABLE.
WITH THE RIGHT CONDITIONS,
THE COVER WOULD CATCH FIRE
WHETHER OR NOT
THE AIRSHIP WAS FILLED
WITH A FLAMMABLE GAS
LIKE HYDROGEN.
DR. MAX DIEKMANN WAS A MEMBER
OF THAT SCIENTIFIC TEAM.
Translator:
WHEN MY HUSBAND GOT BACK
FROM LAKEHURST
Bain:
IT'S IRONIC THAT THE TESTS THAT
WERE DONE TWO MONTHS AFTERWARDS
ARE THE SAME TESTS THAT
I HAVE RUN 60 YEARS LATER.
FROM WHAT I CAN TELL
THAT SPECIFIC FINDING WAS
NEVER MADE PUBLIC
AND I'VE LEARNED THAT THAT'S
PROBABLY FOR INSURANCE REASONS
THE POLITICS AT THE TIME.
OBVIOUSLY, THE THIRD REICH
DIDN'T WANT TO BE EMBARRASSED
BECAUSE OF SOME BAD ENGINEERING.
I REALLY THINK IT WAS NOTHING
BUT A COVER-UP.
Scheider:
ZEPPELIN QUIETLY MADE A NUMBER
OF DESIGN ALTERATIONS
TO THE HINDENBURG'S SUCCESSOR,
THE LZ-130.
BRONZE WAS ADDED
TO THE DOPING COMPOUND
TO MAKE IT LESS FLAMMABLE
AND THE ELECTRICAL BONDING
WAS IMPROVED
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF SPARKS.
THE CHANGES CAME TOO LATE.
AT THE OUTBREAK OF WAR
THE NAZIS DESTROYED
ALL THE REMAINING ZEPPELINS.
WITH THE ADVENT
OF FAST, RELIABLE AIRPLANES
THE FATE OF THE AIRSHIP
WAS SEALED.
THE ZEPPELIN COMPANY
NEVER REVEALED
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DISASTER.
THE VIEW OF HYDROGEN
AS A DANGEROUS AND EXPLOSIVE GAS
BECAME THE ACCEPTED ONE
MUCH TO THE FRUSTRATION OF
SPECIALISTS LIKE ADDISON BAIN
WHO SEE IT AS
THE FUEL OF THE FUTURE.
Bain:
EVEN WHEN I WAS INVOLVED
IN WRITING SAFETY MANUALS
ON HYDROGEN FOR NASA
INVARIABLY, THE TOPIC
OF THE HINDENBURG CAME UP
AND IT'S LEFT A VERY BAD STIGMA.
THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION IS THAT
HYDROGEN IS VERY DANGEROUS
BECAUSE OF THAT INCIDENT.
BUT I THINK NOW THAT
THE REAL STORY HAS COME OUT
IT MAY BE ABLE TO MITIGATE
AND DISPEL THAT MYTH.
ONCE WE REALIZED
THAT THE HINDENBURG FIRE
WAS NOT A HYDROGEN FIRE
WE CAN ONCE AGAIN LOOK
AT BUOYANT FLIGHT
AND ITS ASSOCIATED EFFICIENCY,
ITS ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLINESS
AND THE OTHER
TRADITIONAL ADVANTAGES
THAT WE'VE MISSED
FOR THESE PAST 60 YEARS.
WE CAN BRING AIRSHIPS BACK
TO THE MAINSTAY
AND HAVE THEM FILL THE ROLE
THAT THEY ARE GOOD AT.
Scheider:
WHILE IT IS UNLIKELY
THAT AIRSHIPS WILL ONCE AGAIN
RULE THE SKIES
BAIN'S WORK SEEMS TO HAVE
FINALLY LAID TO REST
THE MYSTERY OF WHAT HAPPENED
TO THE HINDENBURG.
THEY WERE VIEWED
AS A MODEL SOCIETY
BUT DID THEY HIDE
A DARK SECRET?
Man:
PEOPLE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM
WATCHING OUR EVIDENCE SAY
THAT SOMEONE WAS BEING EATEN.
UNCOVER THE CONTROVERSY
OF AN ANCIENT SOCIETY.
"CANNIBALISM IN THE CANYON"
NEXT TIME
ON SECRETS OF THE DEAD.
WITH ONLINE EXPERIMENTS
AND NEW FORENSIC EVIDENCE
SECRETS OF THE DEAD
WAS MADE POSSIBLE
BY THE CORPORATION
FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS
TO YOUR PBS STATION FROM:
SECRETS OF THE DEAD IS AVAILABLE
AS A FOUR-VOLUME HOM
A TERRIBLE EXPLOSION...
Reporter:
THE SMOKE AND THE FLAMES...!
THE TRAGEDY BECOMES A LEGEND
AND THE END OF AN ERA.
Reporter:
OH, THE HUMANITY! AND ALL...
EVERYBODY KNOWS
WHAT DOOMED THE HINDENBURG
BUT WHAT IF EVERYBODY'S WRONG?
UNCOVER
THE SECRETS OF THE DEAD.
[Captioning sponsored by
THIRTEEN/WNET NEW YORK
SECRETS OF THE DEAD
WAS MADE POSSIBLE
BY THE CORPORATION
FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS
TO YOUR PBS STATION FROM:
Narrator:
FOR A FULL DECADE
EARLY LAST CENTURY
ONE FORM OF TRANSPORTATION
WAS CONSIDERED THE FASTEST
MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED
AND MOST LUXURIOUS OF ITS DAY.
Reporter:
WE'RE GREETING YOU NOW
FROM THE NAVAL AIR BASE
AT LAKEHURST, NEW JERSEY
FROM WHICH POINT WE'RE
GOING TO BRING YOU
THE DESCRIPTION OF THE LANDING
OF THE MAMMOTH
AIRSHIP HINDENBURG.
IT BURST INTO FLAMES!
GET THIS SHOT IN,
GET THIS SHOT IN!
IT'S CRASHING
AND IT'S CRASHING!
IT'S CRASHING TERRIBLE!
AND ALL THE FOLKS AGREE
THAT THIS IS TERRIBLE!
THIS IS ONE OF THE WORST
CATASTROPHES IN THE WORLD...
OH, THE HUMANITY!
AND ALL THE PASSENGERS
SCREAMING AROUND ME!
I... I CAN'T TALK,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
Narrator:
IN JUST 34 SECONDS, THE GOLDEN
AGE OF AIRSHIP TRAVEL WAS ENDED
BY THE FIREBALL
THAT ENGULFED THE HINDENBURG
KILLING 35 PASSENGERS AND CREW.
THE HYDROGEN THAT GAVE
THE SHIP ITS LIFT
HAS ALWAYS BEEN BLAMED
FOR THE TRAGEDY.
BUT A STARTLING NEW THEORY
HAS EMERGED.
FORMER NASA HYDROGEN SPECIALIST
ADDISON BAIN
HAS BEEN INVESTIGATING
THE CAUSE OF THE DISASTER
USING MODERN TECHNIQUES
THAT WERE NOT AVAILABLE
DURING THE INITIAL INQUIRY.
AFTER NINE YEARS
HE IS CONFIDENT HE HAS THE HARD
EVIDENCE TO PROVE HIS THEORY.
Bain:
WELL, THE PREVAILING THEORY
FOR 60 YEARS
WAS FIRST THAT FREE HYDROGEN
GOT LOOSE AND MIXED WITH THE AIR
AND THEN THERE WAS
A SOURCE OF IGNITION
AND THAT'S THE THEORY
THAT'S PERSISTED.
BUT I THINK IT'S MUCH
MORE THAN THAT
MUCH MORE DEEPER THAN THAT
AND I DO BELIEVE
THAT THEY KNEW THAT
WITHIN A COUPLE OF MONTHS
AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
Scheider:
THE LARGEST AIRCRAFT EVER BUILT
THE LZ-129 HINDENBURG WAS
THE PRIDE OF NAZI GERMANY.
NEARLY 820 FEET LONG
SHE WAS JUST 82 FEET SHORTER
THAN THE TITANIC.
SHE WAS THE WORLD'S FIRST
INTERCONTINENTAL
PASSENGER AIRLINER
THE MOST SOPHISTICATED AIRSHIP
BUILT BY THE ZEPPELIN COMPANY.
Man:
THE HINDENBURG WAS THE EPITOME
OF GERMAN TECHNOLOGY
AT THAT TIME.
IT WAS AN AIRSHIP REALLY
DESIGNED TO CARRY PASSENGERS
WITH A CERTAIN AMOUNT
OF LUXURY AND COMFORT.
IT WAS THE CONCORDE
OF THE PERIOD, IF YOU WILL.
THAT IS, WHY DO PEOPLE SPEND
MONEY ON, YOU KNOW
FLYING THE CONCORDE...
IT'S TO GET SOMEWHERE FAST.
THAT'S WHAT THE HINDENBURG
WAS ALL ABOUT.
IT WAS THE FASTEST MEANS
OF SENDING PASSENGERS AND MAIL
TO THE UNITED STATES
OR TO SOUTH AMERICA.
Scheider:
IN NEW YORK CITY
THERE WERE EVEN PLANS
TO DOCK AIRSHIPS
TO THE TOP
OF THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING.
A GANGPLANK HUNDREDS
OF FEET UP IN THE AIR
COMBINED WITH UNPREDICTABLE
HIGH WINDS
MADE THE IDEA IMPRACTICAL
BUT SOME PRIMITIVE FLY-BY
MAIL PICKUPS WERE ATTEMPTED.
WITH THE JET AGE
STILL SOME YEARS AWAY
AIRSHIP TRAVEL WAS UNIQUE
IN ITS ABILITY TO COMBINE
SPEED AND COMFORT.
Man:
YOU TAKE OFF IN AN AIRSHIP,
YOU'RE JUST SITTING THERE
AND STANDING LOOKING
OUT THE WINDOWS
AND THE GROUND
JUST DROPS AWAY FROM YOU
COMPLETELY OPPOSED
TO AN AIRPLANE
WHERE YOU'RE GOING DOWN
THE RUNWAY WITH SEAT BELTS ON
AND GRIPPING YOUR SEAT.
IN AN AIRSHIP
YOU'RE COMPLETELY RELAXED.
PASSENGERS GOING TO EUROPE
A LOT OF TIMES THEY'D GO
DOWN TO THEIR CABIN
TO GET FRESHENED UP,
AND THEY'D ASK THE CABIN STEWARD
WHAT TIME THE AIRSHIP
WAS GOING TO TAKE OFF.
THEY'D SAY, "WELL,
WE'RE OVER NEW YORK.
WE TOOK OFF 20 MINUTES AGO."
Provan:
THE TYPE OF PEOPLE
WHO WOULD FLY ON THE HINDENBURG
WERE PROBABLY VERY MUCH
THE SAME TYPE OF PEOPLE
WHO WOULD TAKE A RIDE
ON THE TITANIC.
IT WAS THE WEALTHY,
THE WELL-TO-DO.
THE FLIGHT COST APPROXIMATELY...
I THINK IT WAS 1,400 REICHS MARK
WHICH WAS ABOUT THE PRICE
OF A VOLKSWAGEN AND A HALF
SO THAT GIVES YOU
A PRICE COMPARISON
IN TODAY'S TERMS, IF YOU WILL.
WE WERE VERY CONSCIOUS
THAT THIS WAS A UNIQUE
AND MAGNIFICENT EXPERIENCE
THAT MIGHT NEVER COME AGAIN.
Scheider:
THE HINDENBURG COULD CARRY
UP TO 72 PASSENGERS
ON HER LUXURIOUS LIVING DECKS.
FLYING AT SPEEDS
OF UP TO 84 MILES AN HOUR
SHE COULD COMPLETE THE TRIP FROM
GERMANY TO AMERICA IN 2½ DAYS
TWICE AS FAST AS BY BOAT.
Walker:
I WAS 18 WHEN I SAW
THE HINDENBURG.
I REMEMBER IT JUST
LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY.
AND SHE WAS FLYING AT ABOUT
A 300-, 400-FOOT ALTITUDE.
THE TRAFFIC WAS STOPPED
FOR A STOP LIGHT
AND I HAD MY CONVERTIBLE,
I HAD MY TOP DOWN.
THE STOPLIGHT WENT RED THREE
OR FOUR TIMES AND NOBODY MOVED.
THEY JUMPED OUT OF THEIR CARS
JUST STARING AT THIS.
YOU COULD SEE THE PASSENGERS
WAVING AND THE CREWMEN.
YOU SEE A BIG THING LIKE THAT
AND YOU THINK IT'S
HARDLY BELIEVABLE
IT COULD BE FLYING
JUST FLOATING IN THE AIR
JUST LIKE A CLOUD...
MAJESTIC AND BEAUTIFUL.
Woman:
THE HINDENBURG WAS GORGEOUS,
IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SHIP
SLEEK AND EVERYTHING, AND
THE PEOPLE AND EVERYTHING IN IT
WERE SO JUST BEAUTIFUL.
OF COURSE, IT WAS HITLER'S SHIP,
AND IT WAS OUTSTANDING.
Translator:
IF YOU WANT TO TRAVEL
IN A BEAUTIFUL, ELEGANT AND
THOROUGHLY PLEASURABLE WAY
YOUR FIRST CHOICE
HAS TO BE A ZEPPELIN.
WHEN IT COMES TO ELEGANCE
THE MOST LUXURIOUS CRUISE LINER
IS NO MATCH FOR THE ZEPPELIN.
Scheider:
OTHER AIRSHIP COMPANIES
WERE LESS SUCCESSFUL.
IN 1925, THE BRITISH R-33
WAS RIPPED FROM HER MOORINGS
BY GALE FORCE WINDS
AND FOUR YEARS EARLIER
THE R-38 BROKE APART DURING
A TEST FLIGHT, KILLING 44.
ACCIDENTS LIKE THESE HAD ALREADY
MARKED THE BEGINNING OF THE END
FOR THE BRITISH AND AMERICAN
AIRSHIP INITIATIVES.
DURING ONE NOTORIOUS
INCIDENT IN 1932
TWO MEMBERS OF THE GROUND CREW
FELL TO THEIR DEATHS
WHEN THE U.S.S. AKRON BROKE FREE
DURING A LANDING.
Provan:
THE GERMANS WERE FAR
MORE ADVANCED
THAN THE BRITISH
OR THE AMERICANS
IN THE SENSE
OF AIRSHIP TECHNOLOGY.
THE BRITISH, UNFORTUNATELY
HAD SOMEWHAT OF
A HAPHAZARD ARRANGEMENT
OF SIMPLY COPYING
CAPTURED GERMAN AIRSHIPS
DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR
SO THAT THEY REALLY DIDN'T
HAVE THAT TRADITION
AND THAT FUNDAMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
THAT YOU NEEDED
TO BUILD AIRSHIPS.
Scheider:
THE HINDENBURG'S VALUE
AS A PROPAGANDA TOOL
WAS QUICKLY RECOGNIZED
BY THE NAZIS.
BUT HUGO ECKENER, THE HEAD
OF THE ZEPPELIN COMPANY
WAS WELL KNOWN FOR HIS HOSTILITY
TOWARDS THE THIRD REICH.
Provan:
ECKENER WAS VERY OPEN AND BLUNT
ABOUT HIS DISTASTE
FOR THE NAZI PARTY.
IN FACT, IT'S PROBABLY A WONDER
THAT HE SURVIVED
THE SECOND WORLD WAR.
A GOOD EXAMPLE BEING...
IT WAS ANTICIPATED
BY THE NAZI PARTY
THAT THE HINDENBURG WOULD BE
CALLED THE ADOLF HITLER
AND ECKENER DID NOT LIKE
THE IDEA VERY MUCH
AND HAD, OF COURSE, THEN
THE LETTERING HINDENBURG
PUT ON VERY QUICKLY
TO ELIMINATE ANY TEMPTATION,
IF YOU WILL.
Scheider:
BUT DESPITE HIS EFFORTS
ECKENER WAS POWERLESS TO PREVENT
THE NAZIS FROM USING HIS SHIP.
HITLER REMORSELESSLY EXPLOITED
THE HINDENBURG'S IMAGE
COMMANDEERING HER
FOR LEAFLET DROPPING
DURING HIS POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.
Provan:
THE NAZI PARTY ORDERED
THAT THE SWASTIKA BE PUT ON
THE TAILS OF THE AIRSHIPS
AND WITH THAT THEN,
THE... HOW SHALL WE SAY...
THE PARTY LEADERS USED
THEN THE AIRSHIPS
AS A PROPAGANDA TOOL
AND YOU HAVE THIS AIRSHIP
FLYING OVERHEAD
AND HITLER STANDING THERE
WITH HIS CHEST OUT
YOU KNOW, THIS IS NAZI GERMANY.
Scheider:
THE NAZI'S CONFIDENCE
IN THE HINDENBURG
WAS MORE THAN JUSTIFIED.
BY THE 1930s,
THE ZEPPELIN COMPANY
HAD ACCUMULATED A HUGE
RESERVOIR OF EXPERTISE
IN BUILDING AND FLYING AIRSHIPS.
WHAT DISTINGUISHED
THE HINDENBURG
WAS THE SOPHISTICATION
OF HER CONSTRUCTION.
LIKE ALL ZEPPELINS,
SHE WAS A RIGID AIRSHIP
BUILT FROM AN INTRICATE
LIGHTWEIGHT ALUMINUM INNER CAGE
A CAGE THAT CONTAINED BOTH
THE LIFTING GAS, HYDROGEN
AND THE PASSENGER
AND CREW AREAS.
THE LIVING AREAS WERE
LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM
BUT THE CORE OF THE AIRSHIP
WAS FORMED BY THE AXIAL WALKWAY.
SURROUNDED BY
THE SEALED GAS CELLS
THE WALKWAY RAN
THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE SHIP.
UNDERNEATH THE CELLS,
ALONG THE BOTTOM
WAS THE MAIN WALKWAY.
ALMOST 800 FEET LONG
IT WAS USED BY THE CREW
AS THE PRINCIPAL ROUTE
FOR GETTING FROM ONE END
OF THE SHIP TO THE OTHER.
THE WALKWAY LINKED
THE CONTROL CAR
HANGING BENEATH THE FRONT
OF THE ZEPPELIN
TO THE PASSENGER DECKS
LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE.
THE PASSENGER DECKS WERE BUILT
WITHIN THE BODY OF THE SHIP
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HULL
AND HELD THE LOUNGE
WHERE PASSENGERS GATHERED
TO GAZE OUT THE LARGE
VIEWING WINDOWS.
THESE DECKS ALSO CONTAINED
THE DINING ROOM AND CABINS.
FURTHER BACK, ABOVE THE FREIGHT
AND MECHANICAL AREAS
TOWERED THE 16 ENORMOUS
GAS CELLS
CONTAINING SEVEN MILLION
CUBIC FEET OF HYDROGEN.
HYDROGEN IS HIGHLY FLAMMABLE
WHEN MIXED WITH AIR
BUT WITH ITS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
THE ZEPPELIN COMPANY
WAS CONFIDENT
THE GAS COULD BE CONTROLLED.
ELABORATE SAFETY FEATURES
WERE DESIGNED
TO MINIMIZE THE RISK OF FIRE
AND TO PREVENT
ANY ACCIDENTAL HYDROGEN LEAKS.
Provan:
THE GERMANS FELT PERFECTLY
SAFE WITH THEIR HYDROGEN.
IT WAS DEFINITELY CONSIDERED
SAFE BY ALL THE CREW MEMBERS
BECAUSE THEY HAD NEVER HAD
ANY REASON TO FEAR IT.
IT WAS AN EVIL THAT WAS
IN PANDORA'S BOX
THAT THEY KNEW HOW TO CONTROL.
IN THE SMOKING ROOM, FOR EXAMPLE
THE ROOM WAS ALWAYS
UNDER PRESSURE
TO KEEP AIR GOING
OUT OF THE ROOM
INSTEAD OF HYDROGEN
IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM
COMING INTO THE ROOM.
THERE WERE ANY NUMBER
OF SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
WHICH THEY HAD TAKEN.
Scheider:
THE SHIP'S CAPTAIN
CONTROLLED THE HYDROGEN
THROUGH A SOPHISTICATED
SYSTEM OF WIRES AND PULLEYS
ATTACHED TO VALVES
ON THE SIDES OF THE CELLS.
THESE ALLOWED HIM
TO RELEASE HYDROGEN
IN ORDER TO DECREASE
THE SHIP'S ALTITUDE.
THE VENTED GAS WOULD
AUTOMATICALLY FLOW UPWARDS
THROUGH A SEALED SHAFT
TO A SERIES OF VENTS
ON THE SHIP'S UPPER COVER.
TO MINIMIZE THE RISK
OF A HYDROGEN FIRE
THE SYSTEM ALSO ENSURED
THAT ANY LEAKING HYDROGEN
WOULD MAKE ITS WAY
UP TO THE VENTS
AND THEN SAFELY DISSIPATE
INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.
Translator:
EVERYBODY WAS FULLY
AWARE AT THE TIME
THAT IF THERE WERE TO BE
A FIRE ON BOARD THE AIRSHIP
THAT THIS WOULD MEAN MORE
OR LESS THE END FOR ALL OF US.
Scheider:
BY 1937, THE HINDENBURG
HAD ALREADY LOGGED
TEN SUCCESSFUL ROUND TRIPS
FROM GERMANY
TO HER AMERICAN DESTINATION
THE NAVAL AIR STATION
AT LAKEHURST, NEW JERSEY.
DOCKING HAD BECOME
ALL BUT ROUTINE
ALTHOUGH LARGE LANDING CREWS
WERE REQUIRED
TO MANEUVER THE UNWIELDY SHIP
TO HER RESTING PLACE
ON THE MOORING MAST.
FOR HER FIRST FLIGHT
OF THE 1937 SEASON
SHE WAS CARRYING 97 PEOPLE...
36 PASSENGERS AND 61 CREW.
DELAYED BY PERSISTENT HEADWINDS
DURING THE TRANSATLANTIC
CROSSING
SHE WAS HOURS BEHIND SCHEDULE
WHEN SHE ARRIVED OVER LAKEHURST.
Thomas:
THAT PARTICULAR DAY,
THE SIXTH OF MAY IN 1937
IT WAS RAINING, VERY BAD RAIN,
ELECTRICAL STORM
AND THE SHIP WAS DUE IN
AND THE WORD GOT OUT...
ON THE RADIO...
WE DIDN'T HAVE TELEVISION...
THE RADIO STATED THAT IT HAD TO
DELAY ITS FLIGHT INTO LAKEHURST
UNTIL IT GOT CLEARED UP.
Man:
I WAS PART OF
THE MILITARY GROUND CREW
I MEAN... AND IF IT WAS DELAYED
I MEAN, WE WOULD HAVE TO STAY
HERE AND WAIT UNTIL IT GOT HERE
AND IT WAS 12 HOURS LATE.
Thomas:
WHEN THE WORD CAME THROUGH
THAT EVERYTHING WAS CLEAR
AND THAT THEY WERE GOING
TO LAND THE SHIP
MY HUSBAND ASKED ME
IF WE WOULD GO TO SEE IT...
TO SEE THE HINDENBURG
AND I SAID YES.
SO WE THEN...
MY SON WAS NOT QUITE FOUR...
AND WE WENT IN.
Translator:
I WAS KEEPING WATCH
IN THE FORWARD ENGINE CAR
ON THE SIDE OF THE AIRSHIP
WHEN WE FLEW IN OVER THE FIELD
TO CHECK THE GROUND CREW
HAD EVERYTHING READY
FOR THE LANDING.
Reporter
HOW DO YOU DO, EVERYONE?
WE'RE GREETING YOU NOW
FROM THE NAVAL AIR BASE
AT LAKEHURST, NEW JERSEY
FROM WHICH POINT WE'RE GOING
TO BRING YOU THE DESCRIPTION
OF THE LANDING OF
THE MAMMOTH AIRSHIP HINDENBURG.
WELL, HERE IT COMES,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
AND WHAT A GREAT SIGHT IT IS.
A THRILLING ONE...
IT IS A MARVELOUS SIGHT...
IT IS COMING DOWN OUT OF THE SKY
POINTED DIRECTLY TOWARD US
AND TOWARD THE MOORING MAST.
Thomas:
IT WAS FABULOUS,
IT WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SIGHT
YOU WOULD EVER WANT TO SEE.
THE PEOPLE IN IT
AND EVERYTHING WERE SO HAPPY
COMING IN THAT PARTICULAR DAY.
BECAUSE I HAD SEEN IT COME IN
EVERY TIME
BUT NOT AS CLOSE
AS I WAS THIS DAY.
Morrison:
IT IS PRACTICALLY
STANDING STILL.
NOW THEY'VE DROPPED ROPES
OUT OF THE NOSE OF THE SHIP.
IT HAS BEEN TAKEN A HOLD OF DOWN
ON THE FIELD BY A NUMBER OF MEN.
Translator:
I COULD SEE THE LANDING ROPES
BEING FASTENED ON A WINCH BELOW
WHEN SUDDENLY THERE WAS
A MASSIVE JOLT THROUGH THE SHIP
AND I THOUGHT,
"OH, GOD, SOMETHING'S HAPPENED."
Translator:
MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS
THAT THE LANDING CREW
HAD PULLED TOO HARD
AND SOMETHING HAD BROKEN,
BUT THAT WASN'T IT.
WHEN I LOOKED OUT
I SAW FLAMES SHOOTING FORWARD
FROM THE REAR OF THE HINDENBURG
TOWARD MY ENGINE CAR.
Morrison:
IT BURST INTO FLAMES!
GET THIS SHOT IN,
GET THIS SHOT IN!
AND IT'S CRASHING,
IT'S CRASHING TERRIBLE!
OH, MY, GET OUT OF THE WAY
PLEASE...
Translator:
EVERYTHING WENT SO QUICKLY
THE WAY THE SHIP SEEMED
TO RISE IN THE AIR.
I PLANNED TO HOLD ONTO THE FRAME
UNTIL THE SHIP HIT THE GROUND
AND THEN JUMP.
ALL I REMEMBER
IS FEELING A SHOCK IN MY HANDS
AND THEN I FELL.
Translator:
I REMEMBER MY HEAVY ENGINE CAR
CRASHING TO THE GROUND
AND THEN I PASSED OUT
FOR PERHAPS A FEW SECONDS.
Morrison:
IT'S A TERRIFIC CRASH,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!
THE SMOKE AND THE FLAMES NOW...
AND THE FRAME IS CRASHING
TO THE GROUND...
NOT QUITE TO THE MOORING MAST.
OH, THE HUMANITY!
AND ALL THE PASSENGERS
SCREAMING AROUND ME.
I CAN'T TALK,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
I'M SORRY.
I'M GOING TO STEP INSIDE,
FOR I CANNOT SEE IT.
Thomas:
EVERYBODY...
EVERYBODY KEPT
RUNNING AWAY FROM IT
AND THEN AFTERWARDS
RUNNING BACK TOWARDS
TO SEE WHAT THEY COULD DO
TRYING TO HELP EVERYBODY OUT
AND PULLING THIS AND PULLING
THAT... THAT'S ABOUT...
AND THEN THE SIRENS WERE BLOWING
AND THE AMBULANCES.
THE FIRE WENT SO FAST
THROUGH THERE
THAT BY THE TIME
IT GO TO THE NOSE, I MEAN
IT CAME OUT OF THERE
LIKE A BLOWTORCH.
Thomas:
THE SMELL...
THE SMELL OF THE HYDROGEN
AND THE BLOOD... THE RUBBER
WAS TERRIBLE.
AND, OF COURSE, THERE MUST
HAVE BEEN HUMAN FLESH IN THAT
BECAUSE YOU COULD SMELL IT
AND IT'S LIKE, I ALWAYS SAID
YOU NEVER FORGET IT, YOU WOULD
NEVER FORGET THE SMELL.
Scheider:
IT TOOK LESS THAN ONE MINUTE
FOR THE FIRE TO COMPLETELY
CONSUME THE HINDENBURG.
THE DISASTER CLAIMED THE LIVES
OF 36 PEOPLE...
13 PASSENGERS AND
22 CREW MEMBERS ABOARD THE SHIP
AND ONE CIVILIAN CREW MEMBER
ON THE GROUND.
Translator:
I THOUGHT MY END HAD COME
BUT SUDDENLY
THERE WAS THE GROUND.
LUCKILY IT WAS SANDY AND SOFT
AND I HAD MORE OR LESS
FALLEN ON MY FEET.
IMMEDIATELY I PICKED MYSELF UP
AND RAN AWAY.
Iannaccone:
AS WE GOT CLOSER TO THE SHIP
THERE WAS A MAN STILL IN THERE
AND HE WALKED OUT OF THE SHIP
AFTER THE NOSE WAS ON THE GROUND
HE DIDN'T HAVE
A STITCH OF CLOTHES ON HIM.
AND EVERYTHING WAS BURNED ON HIM
AND THE ONLY THING HE HAD ON HIM
WAS HIS SHOES.
EVERYTHING, SKIN, HAIR,
EVERYTHING WAS BURNT.
AND HE DIDN'T...
HE DIED RIGHT THERE.
Thomas:
IT WAS LIKE A FIRE OF HELL.
EVERYBODY... "OH, GOD, OH, GOD"
THAT'S ALL THEY WERE SAYING
BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T
HELP IT, THAT'S...
AND THERE WAS NOTHING
YOU COULD DO.
ALL I COULD DO WAS...
JUST LOOK AND CRY.
Scheider:
A FLEET OF AMBULANCES FERRIED
THE INJURED TO NEARBY HOSPITALS
WHILE FIRE FIGHTERS WORKED
THROUGH THE NIGHT
TO DOUSE THE FLAMES.
THE SHOCKED TOWNSHIP
OF LAKEHURST, NEW JERSEY
STRUGGLED TO COME TO TERMS
WITH THE SCALE OF THE TRAGEDY.
Newsreel announcer:
A TWISTED, TANGLED MASS
OF SEARED GIRDERS
AND BITS OF BLACKENED FABRIC
ARE ALL THAT REMAINS
OF THE PROUD LUXURY AIRLINER
HINDENBURG
THAT LIES
AT THE LAKEHURST NAVAL STATION.
THE DEATH LIST IS NOW 35, WITH
TEN, INCLUDING CAPTAIN PRUSS
STILL ON THE CRITICAL LIST.
Scheider:
IN MANHATTAN, AN EXTRAORDINARY
MEMORIAL SERVICE
WAS HELD FOR
THE HINDENBURG'S GERMAN VICTIMS.
THEY WERE PAID FULL NAZI HONORS
AS THEY LAY IN STATE
READY FOR THEIR FINAL VOYAGE
HOME TO GERMANY.
QUICKLY, ATTENTION TURNED
TO WHAT COULD HAVE GONE WRONG.
Provan:
THERE WERE NUMEROUS THEORIES
AS TO WHAT CAUSED THE CRASH
UM... TURKEY FARMER
TAKING A POT SHOT AT THE...
THERE WAS EVERY CONCEIVABLE
THEORY THAT YOU COULD IMAGINE.
THE PROBLEM BEING PROOF...
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.
IT WAS SIMPLY VERY,
VERY DIFFICULT TO DISCERN
WHEN THE AIRSHIP
IS LOST, BASICALLY.
Scheider:
AT LAKEHURST,
INVESTIGATORS BEGAN PORING OVER
THE WRECKAGE TO LOOK FOR CLUES.
ONE PROBE WAS LED
BY AMERICAN OFFICIALS
WHILE DR. ECKENER
AND HIS SENIOR COLLEAGUES
FROM THE ZEPPELIN COMPANY
SUPERVISED
THEIR OWN PARALLEL INQUIRY.
IN THE FACE OF INTENSE
MEDIA SPECULATION
REGARDING THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH
DR ECKENER
REMAINED TIGHT-LIPPED.
AS LONG AS THE INVESTIGATION
IS PENDING
IT IS IMPOSSIBLY...
IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME
TO GIVE YOU ANY STATEMENT
OR ANY IDEAS REGARDING
THE CAUSES OF THE DISASTER.
Scheider:
THE VERY FIRST SUSPICION
WAS OF SABOTAGE.
BY 1937, THE WORLD WAS WAKING UP
TO THE EVILS OF THE NAZI REGIME
SO THE MOTIVATION FOR DESTROYING
SUCH A POWERFUL NAZI SYMBOL
WAS OBVIOUS.
Provan:
THE HINDENBURG WAS A VULNERABLE
TARGET FOR AN ACT OF SABOTAGE.
IT WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN
A VERY BIG EXPLOSIVE DEVICE
TO DESTROY THAT AIRSHIP.
Scheider:
THE F.B.I. WAS CALLED IN
TO INVESTIGATE
AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN
BACKGROUND CHECKS
ON THE PASSENGERS AND CREW.
EVERYONE HAD BEEN SUBJECTED
TO A THOROUGH SEARCH
PRIOR TO EMBARKING, SO THE
INVESTIGATORS WERE LOOKING
FOR SOMEONE DETERMINED ENOUGH TO
SMUGGLE AN EXPLOSIVE ON BOARD.
ATTENTION QUICKLY FOCUSED
ON A PASSENGER NAMED JOSEPH SPAH
WHO HAD SURVIVED THE CRASH.
SPAH WAS AN ODD CHARACTER.
A GERMAN ACROBAT,
HE LIVED IN AMERICA
WHICH PUT HIM UNDER SUSPICION
AS A POSSIBLE SPY.
HE WAS ALSO THOUGHT TO BE
SUPPLE AND STRONG ENOUGH TO
CLIMB INTO THE SHIP'S STRUCTURE
TO PLANT A DEVICE.
SPAH WAS ALSO FOUND TO HAVE
HAD WITH HIM A CAMERA AND FLASH
THAT COULD HAVE EASILY
BEEN RIGGED TO START A BLAZE.
BUT THE THEORY DID NOT PAN OUT.
NO HARD EVIDENCE AGAINST SPAH
COULD BE FOUND
AND THE F.B.I.
EVENTUALLY REPORTED
THAT THE SABOTAGE THEORY
WAS A RED HERRING.
WITH SABOTAGE RULED OUT,
THE INVESTIGATORS TURNED
TO THE ONLY OTHER EXPLANATION
THEY COULD THINK OF...
MECHANICAL FAILURE.
IN THE DAYS BEFORE BLACK BOXES
AND FLIGHT RECORDERS
THEY HAD TO GLEAN ALL THEIR
CLUES FROM EYEWITNESSES.
DESPITE 55 PRIOR SAFE FLIGHTS
THE SEARCH WAS ON FOR A DESIGN
DEFECT IN THE HINDENBURG
THAT COULD HAVE
CAUSED THE DISASTER.
THE OBVIOUS WEAK POINT
IN THE DESIGN
WAS THE USE OF THE HIGHLY
FLAMMABLE LIFTING GAS, HYDROGEN
AND THE INVESTIGATION SHIFTED
TO WAYS LEAKING HYDROGEN
COULD HAVE TRIGGERED THE FIRE.
THE HINDENBURG'S ARRIVAL
AT LAKEHURST THAT MAY 6
HAD ALREADY BEEN DELAYED
DUE TO BAD WEATHER
AND WHEN SHE CAME IN TO LAND
THERE WERE STILL STORMS
IN THE AREA.
AS THE SHIP FLEW IN FOR HER
FINAL APPROACH, JUST AFTER 7:00
HYDROGEN WAS VENTED
FROM THE CONTROL CAR
TO BRING HER BACK TO EARTH.
SHE BEGAN HER FINAL, TIGHT TURN
ANGLING INTO THE WIND
IN FRONT OF THE MOORING MAST.
THE FINAL MANEUVER WAS THE
RELEASE OF THE LANDING LINES.
ONLY MINUTES LATER,
THE SPECTATORS AND GROUND CREW
SAW THE FIRST SIGNS OF FIRE
AT THE TOP OF THE SHIP
JUST IN FRONT OF THE FIN.
BASED ON THE TESTIMONIES
OF THE 97 EYEWITNESSES
THE INVESTIGATORS WERE CONFIDENT
THAT THEY KNEW
WHERE THE FIRE HAD STARTED.
ALL THEY NEEDED NOW
WAS TO EXPLAIN WHY.
IMMEDIATELY, SUSPICION FOCUSED
ON THE HIGHLY FLAMMABLE
HYDROGEN GAS.
Man:
THE INVESTIGATORS AT THE TIME
UNEQUIVOCALLY JUST ASSUMED
THAT SINCE HYDROGEN
WAS USED AS A BUOYANT GAS
THAT SOMEHOW IT GOT LOOSE
BECAUSE IT WAS FLAMMABLE.
OKAY, WHERE'S
THE HYDROGEN COMING FROM?
IT'S GOT TO COME
FROM A GAS CELL.
WELL, WAS IT A NATURAL THING?
WAS A VALVE STUCK
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
THEY KIND OF RULED THAT OUT.
SO THE NEXT... WHAT APPEARED TO
BE LOGICAL WAS THAT A GAS CELL
WAS BREACHED BY SOME TECHNIQUE.
IN OTHER WORDS, IT WAS TORN
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
Scheider:
BUT THE HYDROGEN BREACH
HYPOTHESIS
WAS LITTLE MORE
THAN SPECULATION.
USING THE INVESTIGATIVE TOOLS
AVAILABLE AT THE TIME
THE INQUIRY FOUND NO EVIDENCE
TO BACK THE IDEA
THAT A CELL HAD LEAKED.
NEVERTHELESS, SINCE NO OTHER
EXPLANATION WAS AVAILABLE
THE INVESTIGATORS PUT FORTH
WHAT SEEMED LIKE
AN ENTIRELY LOGICAL THEORY...
WITH HYDROGEN AT ITS CENTER.
THEY CONCLUDED
THAT HYDROGEN HAD LEAKED
COMBINED WITH AIR
TO FORM A LETHAL MIX
AND WAS THEN IGNITED BY A SPARK
FROM A BUILDUP
OF STATIC ELECTRICITY.
HYDROGEN WAS THE WEAK POINT
IN THE CONCEPT, IF YOU WILL.
IT WAS FLAMMABLE, VERY FLAMMABLE
WHEN MIXED WITH AIR, UM...
AND IT IGNITED, SIMPLE AS THAT.
Scheider:
THE 63-PAGE
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
ACCIDENT REPORT CONCLUDED:
"BASED UPON THE EVIDENCE, A LEAK
CAUSED A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE
"OF HYDROGEN AND AIR TO FORM IN
THE UPPER STERN PART OF THE SHIP
IN CONSIDERABLE QUANTITY."
TODAY, VAST HANGAR ONE
AT LAKEHURST LIES EMPTY.
BECAUSE OF THE OFFICIAL VERDICT
BLAMING HYDROGEN
THE GREAT ZEPPELIN PASSENGER
AIRSHIPS NEVER FLEW AGAIN
AND HYDROGEN
WAS PERMANENTLY TARNISHED
AS AN UNSAFE, EXPLOSIVE GAS.
Thomas:
AFTER THE HINDENBURG
I WOULD SAY THERE WAS A DECLINE
IN ALL AIRSHIPS IN LAKEHURST
AND NO MATTER HOW WE FOUGHT WE
JUST COULDN'T GET THEM BACK IN.
THE DECLINE WAS VERY BAD
AFTER THE HINDENBURG.
Walker:
NOBODY WOULD OPERATE WITH
HYDROGEN, THAT WAS THE THING
AND DR. ECKENER AND GERMANY
FORBID ANY MORE
PASSENGER FLIGHTS WITH HYDROGEN.
HYDROGEN WAS A NO-NO.
Scheider:
AS THE RUSTY DOORS
OF THE HANGAR AT LAKEHURST
ROLL GRUDGINGLY BACK
60 YEARS LATER
THE HINDENBURG DOSSIER
IS ONCE AGAIN BEING OPENED.
FOR THE FIRST TIME
SINCE THE ACCIDENT
THE UNCHALLENGED ASSUMPTIONS
ABOUT THE ROLE OF HYDROGEN
ARE BEING QUESTIONED
AND SUBJECTED
TO MODERN FORENSIC TECHNIQUES.
Bain:
THE COURSE OF THE INVESTIGATION
JUST ASSUMED FREE HYDROGEN
AND THEN THEY BACKED UP
TO TRY TO FIND AN EXCUSE
FOR THE FREE HYDROGEN.
THAT'S PRETTY BAD SCIENCE.
Mission control:
FIVE, FOUR...
THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO
AND LIFTOFF
OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOR
TO DEVELOP THE PRACTICAL
AND THE BENEFICIAL
ASPECTS OF SPACE.
Scheider:
THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
IN FLORIDA
IS THE HUB OF NASA'S
LAUNCH OPERATIONS
AND IT IS HERE
THAT RETIRED ENGINEER
ADDISON BAIN HAS SPENT HIS
CAREER WORKING WITH HYDROGEN
USED IN ROCKET FUEL BECAUSE
OF ITS EXTREME FLAMMABILITY.
IT WAS BAIN'S
NASA EXPERIENCE WITH HYDROGEN
THAT FIRST SPARKED HIS INTEREST
IN THE HINDENBURG MYSTERY.
Bain:
I WAS ON A ONE-YEAR ASSIGNMENT
IN WASHINGTON D.C.,
AT THE NASA HEADQUARTERS
WHICH IS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET
FROM THE NATIONAL AIR
AND SPACE MUSEUM.
SO I USED TO GO OVER THERE
AND VISIT QUITE OFTEN
PARTICULARLY GOING OVER
AND HAVING LUNCH.
BUT THERE'S A MODEL
OF THE HINDENBURG IN THERE
A 25-FOOT-LONG MODEL USED IN THE
1975 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS MOVIE.
THERE'S A PLAQUE ON THE WALL
AND IT SAYS, ESSENTIALLY,
THE HYDROGEN EXPLODED.
WELL, THAT BOTHERED ME
A LITTLE BIT.
Scheider:
AS A SPECIALIST WHO PASSIONATELY
BELIEVED IN HYDROGEN'S POTENTIAL
AS A CLEAN FUEL OF THE FUTURE
BAIN WONDERED WHETHER THE GAS
HAD UNFAIRLY TAKEN THE BLAME
FOR THE HINDENBURG CATASTROPHE.
HE BEGAN TO INVESTIGATE,
AND HAS NOW SPENT NINE YEARS
METHODICALLY REEXAMINING
THE OFFICIAL ACCOUNT
OF WHAT HAPPENED
AT LAKEHURST THAT DAY.
Bain:
THE INVESTIGATORS AT THE TIME
UNEQUIVOCALLY JUST ASSUMED
THAT SINCE HYDROGEN WAS USED
AS A BUOYANT GAS
THAT SOMEHOW IT GOT LOOSE
BECAUSE IT WAS FLAMMABLE.
AS YOU READ THROUGH THE REPORTS
AND YOU LOOK AT HOW
IT WAS BUILT UP
THERE WAS NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE
BUILDING TO THE CONCLUSION.
THERE WAS NO TESTING DONE
TO ALSO SUPPORT THAT EVIDENCE.
SO THAT MADE THE STORY
MORE SUSPICIOUS.
Scheider:
BAIN'S FIRST STEP WAS
TO TEST THE FEASIBILITY
OF SOME OF THE ORIGINAL
INQUIRY'S ASSUMPTIONS.
IN THE WORKSHOP OF
HYDROGEN SPECIALIST FRANK LYNCH
HE BUILT A SCALE MODEL
OF THE SHIP'S TAIL SECTION
WHERE THE REPORT HAD CONCLUDED
THE FIRE BEGAN.
THE MODEL ALLOWED HIM
TO PROBE THE HYDROGEN THEORY
BY OBSERVING PRECISELY
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN
IF A HYDROGEN CELL HAD RIPPED
AND DEVELOPED A LEAK.
WHAT I'VE DONE, FRANK
ON THE MODEL IS TO RUN
A PIECE OF TUBING
UP AND THROUGH
AND TO THE OUTSIDE
OF CELL FOUR HERE
TO REPRESENT A LEAK
IN CELL FOUR.
ESTIMATING PROBABLY
A GASH OF MAYBE ABOUT
ALMOST A METER WIDE.
AT 80 TO ONE,
THAT'S A HUGE HOLE.
YEAH, OH, YEAH...
YOU BET!
AND THEN I WOULD
SUSPECT THEN
THE HYDROGEN GAS
WILL COME ON UP
AND GO OUT
THE VENT HERE
OR OUT THE VENT
IN THE TAIL THERE.
Scheider:
THE FLOW OF HYDROGEN
THROUGH THE MODEL
SIMULATES THE FLOW RATE
FROM A GOOD-SIZED LEAK
IN ONE OF THE HUGE GAS CELLS
OF THE HINDENBURG.
A HYDROGEN DETECTOR IS USED THEN
TO SEE WHICH WAY THE GAS FLOWS.
LET'S TRY THE FORWARD VENT HERE.
IT'S COMING
OUT OF THERE ALREADY.
OKAY, WE'VE GOT STUFF
COMING OUT OF THERE.
LET'S TRY BACK HERE,
AT THE VENT BACK HERE...
SEE IF YOU GOT
ANYTHING COMING.
YEAH... YEAH!
Scheider:
THE MODEL SUGGESTED
THAT ANY LEAKING HYDROGEN
WOULD HAVE
QUICKLY FLOWED UPWARDS
TOWARDS THE VENTS, EXACTLY
AS THE DESIGNERS HAD INTENDED.
AND NEAR THE VENTS
IS EXACTLY WHERE
THE EYEWITNESSES
HAD SEEN THE FIRE BEGIN.
THE LOGIC BEHIND
THE HYDROGEN THEORY
APPEARED TO BE IMPECCABLE.
Bain:
WHAT THE MODEL SHOWS IS
IF YOU HAD A HYDROGEN LEAK
IN A GAS CELL
WHERE IS THE HYDROGEN
GOING TO GO
AND BASICALLY OUT
UP THROUGH THE VENT STACK
AND THAT'S WHERE
YOU WOULD SUSPECT
THE LOGICAL FIRE TO START,
BUT IT DIDN'T.
Scheider:
BAIN HAD MADE
A STARTLING DISCOVERY.
REVIEWING
THE EYEWITNESS STATEMENTS
HE REALIZED THAT
THE OFFICIAL REPORT
CONTAINED A GLARING OMISSION.
THE INVESTIGATORS
HAD COMPLETELY DISREGARDED
THE TESTIMONIES
OF TWO KEY OBSERVERS
WHO SAW SOMETHING
OTHERS HAD NOT.
THEIR PERSPECTIVE WAS CRUCIAL
BECAUSE THEY HAD A VIEW OF THIS:
THE STARBOARD SIDE OF THE SHIP.
Bain:
MOST OF THE WITNESSES
WERE ON THE PORT SIDE
UP NEAR THE NOSE
OR THE BOW OF THE AIRSHIP.
THEN THERE WERE WITNESSES ON THE
PORT SIDE SOME DISTANCE AWAY.
THERE WERE VERY FEW WITNESSES
TO OBSERVE ANYTHING
ON THE STARBOARD SIDE.
IN TESTIMONY,
THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE
WHO DISCUSS EVENTS OCCURRING
RIGHT ALONG IN HERE FIRST
BEFORE THE FIRE SPREAD.
Announcer:
A ROAR AND A BURST OF FLAME
NEAR THE BIG TAIL FINS TURN THE
SHIP INTO A FLAMING INFERNO.
Scheider:
THE HYDROGEN THEORY
ONLY MADE SENSE
IF THE FIRE HAD STARTED
AT THE VENT.
BAIN'S DISCOVERY,
THAT IT HAD BEGUN ELSEWHERE
WAS THE FIRST INDICATION
THAT THE INITIAL CONCLUSION
WAS FLAWED.
BUT TO HIS EXPERT EYE
THERE WAS AN EVEN
MORE GLARING CONTRADICTION.
WELL, I'VE PLAYED AROUND
WITH HYDROGEN
AND CREATED FIRES
MYSELF WITH HYDROGEN...
SOME BY ACCIDENT
AND SOME ON PURPOSE...
BUT IN THE CASE
OF THE HINDENBURG
THE ACTION THERE SIMPLY JUST
WAS NOT FAMILIAR
WITH MY EXPERIENCE
WITH HANDLING HYDROGEN.
SOMETHING ELSE WAS
TAKING PLACE THERE.
Scheider:
THOUGH HYDROGEN IS CHEMICALLY
UNSTABLE AND HIGHLY FLAMMABLE
HYDROGEN FIRES ARE VERY
DIFFICULT TO SEE
WITH THE NAKED EYE,
RADIATING A COLD, BLUE FLAME.
BECAUSE IT IS LIGHTER THAN AIR
HYDROGEN ALSO TENDS
TO BURN UPWARDS VERY QUICKLY.
YET THE EYEWITNESSES
WERE REMARKABLY CONSISTENT
WHEN DESCRIBING
THE COLORS OF THE FIRE.
Thomas:
IT WAS LIKE A FIRE OF HELL.
IT WAS SO INTENSE AND SO RED
VERY RED
WITH THE ORANGE FLAMES IN IT.
I COULD SEE THE WHOLE AIRSHIP
FROM THE NOSE TO THE TAIL
FROM WHERE I WAS STANDING
AND I SAW THAT
BIG RED-ORANGE GLOW
AND IT CAME OUT
THROUGH THE COVER.
Scheider:
THOSE DESCRIPTIONS
OF THE COLORS OF THE FIRE
WERE IMPORTANT CLUES
BUT BAIN HAD ONLY BLACK
AND WHITE PHOTOS TO WORK WITH.
BY CAREFULLY SIFTING THROUGH
ALL THE DESCRIPTIONS
HE CREATED A COLOR IMAGE
OF WHAT WITNESSES SAID
THE FIRE ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE.
Bain:
THIS IS A CONSENSUS...
A CUMULATION OF EYEWITNESS
ACCOUNTS AS THEY DESCRIBED IT
AND I SORT OF JUST
BUILT A SPECTRUM
OF WHAT THEY TALKED ABOUT
AND THEN RECOLORIZED THIS
ON THE COMPUTER TO SHOW THAT.
TYPICALLY, YELLOW-ORANGE-REDDISH
TYPE FLAME WAS OBSERVED
AND OF COURSE, AS WE ALL KNOW
HYDROGEN IS BASICALLY INVISIBLE
IN DAYLIGHT.
WELL, THAT'S FINE.
I REALIZED AT SOME POINT IN TIME
HYDROGEN WAS PART OF THE FIRE.
THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT
BUT IT'S BEING MASKED
BY THIS INTENSE FLAME.
Scheider:
THE COLORIZED PHOTOGRAPH SHOWED
THAT THE CAUSE OF
THE HINDENBURG ACCIDENT
WAS FAR MORE COMPLEX
THAN THE STRAIGHT HYDROGEN FIRE
ASSUMED BY THE OFFICIAL REPORT.
AND THE PHOTOGRAPH
HAD FURTHER SIGNIFICANCE.
IT SHOWED THAT THE AIRSHIP
REMAINED BUOYANT
MANY SECONDS
AFTER THE FIRE BEGAN.
Bain:
THE AIRSHIP IS STILL IN TRIM
WHICH MEANS THAT
A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF HYDROGEN
IS STILL IN THESE CELLS
BACK HERE.
IF THERE'D BEEN
A LOT OF HYDROGEN LOSS
BACK HERE IN THE STERN AREA
IT SHOULD HAVE STARTED
DESCENDING IMMEDIATELY.
Scheider:
THE FACT THAT THE HINDENBURG
DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY PLUMMET
WHEN THE FIRE STARTED
WAS FURTHER EVIDENCE OF
A FLAW IN THE HYDROGEN THEORY.
AND BAIN NOTICED
ANOTHER INCONSISTENCY
WHEN REVIEWING FILM FOOTAGE.
Announcer:
36 persons died in the flaming
wreckage of the proud airship.
To this day the exact cause of
the explosion remains a mystery
though static electricity...
Bain:
THE FIRE WAS SO RAPID AND IT
ACTUALLY ENGULFED THE AIRSHIP
AND THAT'S NOT CHARACTERISTIC
OF A STRAIGHT HYDROGEN FIRE
WHICH WOULD BURN UPWARD.
Reduced the proud ship
to a tangled mass of...
NOW, THERE WAS A SLIGHT WIND
THAT YOU COULD PROBABLY SAY
IT WOULD ANGLE OFF TO ONE SIDE
BUT, NEVERTHELESS, JUST
THE WHOLE ACTION OF THE FIRE
WAS ALMOST LIKE BEING
IN A FOREST FIRE
WHERE YOU HAVE THE FUEL
ALL AROUND YOU.
From her ashes
will arise the knowledge;
from her fate, the lessons...
OKAY, SURE...
THE AIRSHIP WAS BURNING...
WAS IT BEING FUELED
BY THE HYDROGEN
OR WAS IT BEING FUELED
BY SOMETHING ELSE?
Scheider:
TO BAIN, THE SPEED OF THE FIRE
AND ITS DISTINCTIVE ORANGE COLOR
WERE CLUES
THAT THE HINDENBURG CONTAINED
SOMETHING FLAMMABLE
BESIDES HYDROGEN.
AROUND THE ALUMINUM FRAME
THE AIRSHIP WAS BUILT
OF WOOD, COTTON FIBER
AND OTHER COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS
THAT COULD HAVE GIVEN THE FIRE
ITS ORANGE APPEARANCE.
BUT WHAT MOST INTRIGUED BAIN
WAS THE INCREDIBLE SPEED
WITH WHICH THE SHIP'S
OUTER COVER HAD BURNED.
HE CALCULATED THAT THE FLAME
FRONT ALONG THE OUTSIDE
HAD ADVANCED AS FAST
AS 49 FEET PER SECOND.
Man:
THE FIRE WENT SO FAST
THROUGH THERE
IT CAME OUT OF THERE
LIKE A BLOWTORCH.
Woman:
WITHIN FIVE SECONDS,
THE WHOLE TOP WAS GONE.
IT WAS SO FAST.
Man 2:
IT ONLY TOOK 34 SECONDS TO BURN.
I MEAN, IT JUST BLEW
RIGHT OUT OF THERE.
Scheider:
THE HINDENBURG'S OUTER COVER
WAS A KEY FEATURE
OF ZEPPELIN'S TECHNOLOGY.
DESIGNED TO GIVE THE SHIP
AN AERODYNAMIC PROFILE
IT ALSO HAD TO BE WATERPROOF
AND HEAT REFLECTIVE
TO PREVENT THE HYDROGEN
FROM EXPANDING.
ZEPPELIN'S ENGINEERS
ACHIEVED THIS RESULT
BY PAINTING THE COVER
WITH A DOPING COMPOUND
CONTAINING A COCKTAIL
OF CHEMICALS.
WERE THE CHEMICALS
TO BLAME FOR THE FIRE?
SEARCHING THROUGH THE ARCHIVES
BAIN FOUND HINTS
THAT A NEW DOPING COMPOUND
HAD BEEN USED ON THE HINDENBURG
BUT HE STRUGGLED TO FIND DETAILS
OF THE CHANGE.
Bain:
WELL, IT WAS A MYSTERY
IN ITSELF.
I HAD GONE THROUGH
FIVE DIFFERENT ARCHIVES;
THOUSANDS OF PAGES
OF INFORMATION.
I ACCUMULATED LIBRARIES
FROM OTHER PEOPLE...
EXPERTS ON AIRSHIPS, COLLECTORS;
PURCHASED MANY, MANY BOOKS
ON AIRSHIPS
AND READ THROUGH THEM
AND FRANKLY COULD NOT FIND
SPECIFICALLY WHAT WAS USED
TO COAT THE HINDENBURG.
Scheider:
DESPITE THE LACK OF INFORMATION
ABOUT THE DOPING COMPOUND
BAIN FELT SURE THERE WAS A FATAL
FLAW IN THE OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
BLAMING HYDROGEN FOR THE CRASH.
HE BELIEVED THE TRUTH LAY
IN THE AIRSHIP'S OUTER COVER
BUT HE NEEDED HARD EVIDENCE
TO PROVE IT.
THE BREAKTHROUGH CAME WHEN I WAS
ATTENDING A HYDROGEN CONFERENCE
IN COCOA BEACH, AND I SAW
THIS GENTLEMAN WALKING AROUND
WITH AN AIRSHIP BOOK UNDER HIS
ARM AND I WALKED OVER TO HIM...
I SAYS, "MAY I SEE
THAT AIRSHIP BOOK."
AND HE INTRODUCED HIMSELF
AS RICHARD VAN TREUREN.
HE SAYS HE WAS LOOKING FOR
ADDISON BAIN
TO TALK ABOUT HYDROGEN.
I SAID, "WELL, I'M HIM."
Scheider:
RICHARD VAN TREUREN
IS A DIRIGIBLE ENTHUSIAST
WITH A MULTITUDE OF CONTACTS
IN THE AIRSHIP COMMUNITY.
HE WAS FASCINATED TO LEARN
ABOUT BAIN'S NEW THEORY.
WELL, UP UNTIL THE POINT
OF OUR MEETING
DR. BAIN HAD NOT BEEN ABLE
TO FIND SPECIFIC INFORMATION
ABOUT THE ZEPPELIN'S
OUTER COVERING.
NOTHING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED
ABOUT IT.
SO I WAS ABLE TO INTRODUCE HIM
TO A MR. HEPBURN WALKER
A WORLD WAR II AIRSHIPMAN,
WHO HAD SAVED ACTUAL SAMPLES
OF THE HINDENBURG FABRIC
FROM WHERE SHE FELL.
Walker:
WELL, I TRY TO GET SAMPLES
OF ANY AIRSHIP THAT'S...
PARTICULARLY RIGID AIRSHIPS.
I GOT SAMPLES OF THE GIRDERS
OF THE LOS ANGELES
THE ZMC2 METALCLAD AIRSHIP.
THE HINDENBURG, OF COURSE
IS THE MOST FAMOUS AIRSHIP
IN HISTORY
AND I FIGURED I'D WANT
A FEW SAMPLES
OF THE GIRDER WORK
AND THE FABRIC WORK
AND I WENT OUT THERE
AND SCUFFED MY FOOT
AND DUG UP PIECES OF FABRIC
AND SO ON.
Scheider:
REMARKABLY,
FRAGMENTS OF THE OUTER COVER
HAD SURVIVED THE BLAZE
AND WERE STREWN ACROSS
THE LANDING SITE AT LAKEHURST.
OH, WHEN I FOUND THAT THERE WERE
SOME FABRIC SAMPLES...
REMNANTS OF THE HINDENBURG...
I WAS ECSTATIC.
I SAYS, "I KNOW
HOW TO GO FIND OUT
WHAT'S IN THOSE MATERIALS,
YOU KNOW."
Scheider:
THE EXISTENCE OF
GENUINE HINDENBURG SAMPLES
PROVED TO BE A KEY BREAKTHROUGH.
IT MEANT THAT
FOR THE FIRST TIME
BAIN COULD STUDY THE CHEMICAL
MAKEUP OF THE OUTER COVER
AND SEE WHY IT HAD BURNED
SO QUICKLY.
EXAMINING THE FABRIC
UNDER AN ELECTRON MICROSCOPE
AND THEN USING
INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY
HE WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE
THE PRECISE MIX OF CHEMICALS
USED IN THE DOPING COMPOUND.
Bain:
THERE WE GO.
Scientist:
THIS IS THE BAND
WE WERE LOOKING FOR.
THAT'S THE IMPORTANT PART.
YES.
WAS THAT SHOWING THERE?
Scheider:
HE FOUND THAT THE DOPING MIXTURE
CONTAINED IRON OXIDE
AND POWDERED ALUMINUM.
BEING ASSOCIATED WITH
THE SPACE SHUTTLE ACTIVITY
I KNEW THAT POWDERED ALUMINUM
WAS THE FUEL USED
ON THE BOOSTERS
AND I THOUGHT,
"BOY, WHAT A BAD COMBINATION."
Scheider:
THE EXTERNAL BOOSTERS
ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE
ARE POWERED BY
A SOLID ROCKET PROPELLANT
CONTAINING BOTH ALUMINUM POWDER
AND IRON OXIDE.
BAIN'S EXPERIMENTS HAD CONFIRMED
THAT THOSE SAME CHEMICALS
WERE PRESENT
IN EVEN GREATER PROPORTIONS
IN THE DOPING COMPOUND
USED TO PROTECT
THE HINDENBURG'S OUTER COVER.
THE HINDENBURG HAD BEEN PAINTED
IN THE INGREDIENTS
FOR ROCKET FUEL.
TO PROVE THAT
THE FLAMMABLE CHEMICAL COCKTAIL
HAD ALLOWED THE COVER
TO BURN SO QUICKLY
BAIN STILL HAD TO FIT
ONE FINAL PIECE INTO THE PUZZLE.
HE NEEDED TO DETERMINE
HOW THE FIRE HAD STARTED.
HE TURNED TO THE AIR FORCE
RESEARCH LABORATORIES IN OHIO...
THE UNITED STATES'
LEADING CENTER
FOR THE STUDY OF THE PHYSICAL
FORCES THAT AFFECT AIRCRAFT.
ONE KEY TEAM AT THE CENTER
SPECIALIZES IN THE DANGERS
ASSOCIATED WITH SPARKS
CAUSED BY ELECTROSTATIC CHARGES
IN THE ATMOSPHERE.
Scientist:
OKAY, WE GOT 45 TORR, GO AHEAD
AND BRING THE VOLTAGE UP...
AS AN AIRCRAFT FLIES
THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE
IT ACTUALLY CAN BUILD UP
A STATIC CHARGE
ON THE SURFACE OF THE AIRCRAFT
FROM WHAT WE CALL "P-STATIC"
OR PRECIPITATION STATIC
AND THAT'S JUST FLOWING
THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE.
Scheider:
PRECIPITATION STATIC
CAN BUILD UP ON ANY AIRCRAFT...
INCLUDING AN AIRSHIP.
MORE IMPORTANTLY,
THE HINDENBURG'S LANDING
AT LAKEHURST THAT FATEFUL DAY
HAD BEEN DELAYED BY BAD WEATHER
SO, THE PILOT WAS TRYING
TO SQUEEZE THE LANDING
IN BETWEEN TWO LARGE
ELECTRICAL STORM FRONTS.
THERE WERE THUNDERSTORMS
IN THE VICINITY
WHICH MEANT THAT THE ATMOSPHERE
PROBABLY WAS
INCREASINGLY CHARGED.
THIS COULD BE A FACTOR IN
PUTTING A SUBSTANTIAL CHARGE
ON THE SURFACE OF THE HINDENBURG
MORE SO THAN ON A REGULAR DAY.
Scheider:
YET THIS HAD ALL
BEEN ANTICIPATED
BY ZEPPELIN'S ENGINEERS.
THE INTERNAL FRAME
OF THE AIRSHIP WAS DESIGNED
TO BE ELECTRICALLY BONDED
SO THAT ANY CHARGE IT CARRIED
WOULD FLOW HARMLESSLY
TO EARTH WITHOUT A SPARK
THE MOMENT THE LANDING LINES
TOUCHED THE GROUND.
Walko:
YOU HAVE TO HAVE
ELECTRICALLY,
A GOOD CONDUCTIVE PATH
SO IF YOU GET CHARGING
ON AN AIRCRAFT
OR IF AN AIRCRAFT GETS STRUCK
BY LIGHTNING
THAT THE HIGH CURRENTS
OR THE HIGH-VOLTAGE BUILDUP
WILL HAVE A GOOD ELECTRICAL,
LOW-RESISTIVE PATH
TO FLOW ON AND OFF THE AIRCRAFT.
Scheider:
WHILE INVESTIGATING THE
SHIP'S DESIGN, BAIN DISCOVERED
THAT THE HINDENBURG WOULD NOT
HAVE BEEN PROPERLY BONDED.
THE OUTER COVER WAS MADE UP OF
INDIVIDUAL PANELS OF DOPED CLOTH
ATTACHED TO THE AIRSHIP'S
MAIN FRAME BY LIGHT CORDS.
THESE CORDS WERE POOR CONDUCTORS
AND WOULD HAVE MADE IT DIFFICULT
FOR ANY CHARGE CARRIED
ON THE PANELS TO RUN TO EARTH.
BECAUSE OF THE HIGH HUMIDITY
AND RAIN THAT DAY
SOME CORDS WOULD HAVE BEEN
MORE CONDUCTIVE THAN OTHERS
BETTER BONDING THEIR PANELS
TO THE REST OF THE AIRSHIP.
ANY ELECTRICITY
ON THE BONDED PANELS
WOULD SAFELY HAVE
RUN OFF THE SHIP
WHEN THE LANDING LINES
WERE RELEASED.
BUT SOME PANELS WOULD HAVE
REMAINED ELECTRICALLY ISOLATED
RETAINING A HUGE VOLTAGE
THAT WOULD SEEK THE EASIEST
POSSIBLE ROUTE TO EARTH.
EVENTUALLY,
THE VOLTAGE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THOSE PANELS
AND THE GROUNDED FRAME
WOULD BE SO GREAT THAT A SPARK
COULD LEAP ACROSS THE GAP
ALLOWING THE ELECTRICITY
TO DISCHARGE.
CLEARLY VISIBLE UNDER
AN ELECTRON MICROSCOPE
THE ALUMINUM PARTICLES
IN THE DOPING COMPOUND
WOULD BE A GOOD CONDUCTOR FOR
THAT DISCHARGING ELECTRICITY.
Bain:
ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE HAS
AN AFFINITY
OR AN ATTRACTION
TO POWDERED ALUMINUM
SO ONCE THAT REACTION STARTS
THEN THE ALUMINUM GETS
EXTREMELY HOT, OF COURSE
AND IT'S IN A VERY
FLAMMABLE ENVIRONMENT...
NAMELY THE CLOTH AND THE DOPE
THAT'S USED ON THE COVER.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT THERE IS THE
COMBINATION OF THOSE INGREDIENTS
CAN BE ALMOST EXPLOSIVE.
Scheider:
THAT ELECTRICAL CURRENT
DISCHARGING THROUGH THE COVER
WOULD ALSO GENERATE HEAT
ENOUGH TO SET THE HIGHLY-
FLAMMABLE ALUMINUM ALIGHT
TRIGGERING THE ENSUING BLAZE.
THE ZEPPELIN ENGINEERS
WOULD NOT HAVE REALIZED
THEY WERE PLAYING WITH FIRE.
THEY PICKED THE ALUMINUM POWDER
BECAUSE OF
ITS REFLECTIVE PROPERTIES
BUT AT THAT TIME
WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN
ABOUT ITS EXTREME FLAMMABILITY.
WITH HIS LAST QUESTION ANSWERED
BAIN IS NOW READY
TO PRESENT HIS THEORY
ABOUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED
TO THE HINDENBURG.
THE LANDING THAT DAY HAD BEEN
POSTPONED BY BAD WEATHER.
WHEN THE HINDENBURG
FINALLY ARRIVED AT LAKEHURST
SHORTLY AFTER 7:00,
THE RAIN HAD JUST STOPPED
AND THERE WERE STILL
THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA
MEANING THAT THE ATMOSPHERE
WAS MORE CHARGED THAN USUAL.
THE CAPTAIN PREPARED TO MAKE HIS
FINAL TURN INTO THE LANDING MAST
GENTLY SLOWING THE AIRSHIP DOWN
WHILE VENTING HYDROGEN
FROM THE GAS CELLS.
AS THE SHIP APPROACHED THE MAST
AND THE LANDING LINES
WERE DROPPED
MOST OF THE ELECTRICITY
ON THE SHIP DISCHARGED TO EARTH
BUT, CRUCIALLY,
SOME OF THE OUTER COVER PANELS
WERE INSULATED
FROM THE MAIN FRAME
AND RETAINED THEIR
ELECTRICAL CHARGE:
THE TRIGGER FOR THE FATAL
SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
THAT FOLLOWED.
I BELIEVE THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
FIRST STARTED BACK HERE
NEAR CELL ONE AND TWO
WHERE THERE WAS AN ELECTROSTATIC
DISCHARGE OCCURRING
ACROSS THE FABRIC TO THE FRAME.
THAT ESSENTIALLY IGNITED
THE HIGHLY-FLAMMABLE
OUTER COVERING MATERIAL
WHICH THEN BURNED QUITE RAPIDLY.
BUT THAT INTENSE HEAT
FROM THAT FIRE
THEN EXPANDED THE GAS BACK HERE
IN CELL ONE
TO A POINT WHERE IT ACTUALLY
EXPLODED BACK HERE
AND CAUSED A FORWARD JERK
INTO THE AIRSHIP.
THE HYDROGEN THEN FROM THAT CELL
OBVIOUSLY CAME OUT
AND STARTED BURNING
ABOVE THE AIRSHIP
BUT IN THE MEANTIME...
VERY RAPIDLY,
ALL THIS WAS OCCURRING...
THE FIRE MOVED
VERY RAPIDLY FORWARD
UP OVER CELL FOUR WHICH
WAS OBSERVED ON THIS SIDE
AND THEN RAPIDLY CAME ACROSS
AND THEN FORWARD.
Scheider:
IT WAS ONLY AT THIS POINT THAT
THE FILM CAMERAS BEGAN ROLLING.
NEWLY COLORIZED FOOTAGE SHOWS
THE TRUE APPEARANCE OF THE FIRE.
AS THE FLAME FRONT
ADVANCED DOWN THE SHIP
BURSTING THE GAS CELLS BELOW
HYDROGEN BEGAN
TO FUEL THE BLAZE...
ITS BLUE COLOR MASKED
BY THE BRIGHT ORANGE
OF OTHER BURNING MATERIALS.
BAIN IS CONFIDENT
HIS IS THE TRUE EXPLANATION
FOR THE HINDENBURG DISASTER.
BUT HIS THEORY IS CONTROVERSIAL
UPSETTING 60 YEARS
OF PERCEIVED WISDOM
ABOUT THE ROLE OF HYDROGEN.
YOU CAN'T TELL ME
THAT THE HYDROGEN
WASN'T BURNING
IN THAT THING...
ONCE THE
REAR CELLS WENT
THE HYDROGEN
STARTED CONTRIBUTING
TO THE FIRE.
THERE IS NO QUESTION
ABOUT THAT.
BUT THE GLOW
WAS IN THERE
BEFORE THE FIRE BROKE
THROUGH THE FABRIC.
I SAW THE BIG RED
GLOW IN THAT CELL.
YEAH, FROM YOUR POSITION
THAT'S WHAT YOU
WOULD'VE SEEN.
YEAH, I SAW
THAT BIG RED GLOW...
SURE YOU DID, BUT THAT'S
NOT HYDROGEN GOING, JOHN.
WELL, SOMETHING
WAS BURNING.
YOU BET IT IS.
BUT IT WASN'T THE FABRIC
AND I COULD SEE FROM
WHERE I WAS STANDING
THE WHOLE TOP OF IT.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT
YOU SAW WAS RIGHT.
BUT WHAT YOU DIDN'T SEE
WAS A FEW SECONDS
AHEAD OF THAT.
Scheider:
THE SKEPTICISM WOULD CONTINUE
AS LONG AS BAIN'S ACCOUNT
REMAINED JUST A THEORY.
TO PROVE IT CONCLUSIVELY
HE DECIDED TO CONDUCT
ONE MORE VITAL EXPERIMENT.
HE WOULD NEED TO SACRIFICE
A VALUABLE ORIGINAL PIECE
OF THE HINDENBURG'S OUTER COVER
AND SUBJECT IT
TO THE KIND OF EXTREME VOLTAGES
SEEN THAT NIGHT.
UNLIKE ORDINARY FABRIC, WOULD
THE HINDENBURG'S DOPED COVER
CATCH FIRE AS HE PREDICTED?
THIS CAME FROM THE TOP PART
OF THE AIRSHIP.
I KNOW THAT BECAUSE
OF THE IRON OXIDE COATING
AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE
IT WAS BURNED AROUND THE EDGES.
THERE'S TWO RIP MARKS HERE
WHERE, OBVIOUSLY,
IT CAME OFF THE COVER
AND FELL TO THE GROUND AND
PROBABLY SELF-EXTINGUISHED
WITH THE WATER
ON THE WET GROUND THAT DAY.
WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS CUT
A SMALL SAMPLE OFF OF HERE
AND PUT IT
IN AN ELECTRICAL MACHINE
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TURN
IT ON AND SEE IF IT IGNITES.
RECALL NOW THAT THIS SAMPLE
IS OVER 60 YEARS OLD.
THE COLLECTORS CLUBS
AROUND THE WORLD
ARE GOING TO KILL ME
FOR DOING THIS...
DESTROYING AN ARTIFACT.
Scheider:
COMBUSTION IS VIRTUALLY
INSTANTANEOUS.
THE HINDENBURG DISASTER
WOULD HAVE HAPPENED
WHETHER OR NOT THE SHIP
WAS FILLED WITH HYDROGEN.
AS WITH THE TITANIC AND SPACE
SHUTTLE CHALLENGER DISASTERS
A VITAL BUT OVERLOOKED
TECHNOLOGICAL FLAW
HAD PROVED FATAL.
ALTHOUGH 60 YEARS OLD
THE SAMPLE STILL SHOWS ALL
THE SIGNS OF HIGH FLAMMABILITY.
WORKED.
Scheider:
BUT THERE WAS
ONE LAST TWIST TO COME.
DEEP IN THE ARCHIVES OF
THE ZEPPELIN MUSEUM IN GERMANY
THE HINDENBURG HAD
ONE FINAL SECRET TO REVEAL.
Bain:
ONE OF THE CROWNING EXPERIENCES
IN MY INVESTIGATION WAS THE
OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO GERMANY
AND VISIT THE ZEPPELIN MUSEUM
AND GO THROUGH THEIR ARCHIVES.
AND FRANKLY, BY ACCIDENT
I CAME ACROSS SOME VERY
INTERESTING INFORMATION
THAT'S BEEN THERE
FOR A LONG TIME.
Scheider:
WITHIN THE MUSEUM'S ARCHIVES
LAY THE UNPUBLISHED RECORDS
FROM THE GERMAN INQUIRY
INTO THE DISASTER.
SCIENTISTS WORKING
FOR THE ZEPPELIN COMPANY
HAD SECRETLY CONDUCTED
THEIR OWN EXPERIMENTS
ON THE HINDENBURG'S OUTER COVER.
THE CONCLUSION THEY HAD REACHED
WAS REMARKABLE.
WITH THE RIGHT CONDITIONS,
THE COVER WOULD CATCH FIRE
WHETHER OR NOT
THE AIRSHIP WAS FILLED
WITH A FLAMMABLE GAS
LIKE HYDROGEN.
DR. MAX DIEKMANN WAS A MEMBER
OF THAT SCIENTIFIC TEAM.
Translator:
WHEN MY HUSBAND GOT BACK
FROM LAKEHURST
Bain:
IT'S IRONIC THAT THE TESTS THAT
WERE DONE TWO MONTHS AFTERWARDS
ARE THE SAME TESTS THAT
I HAVE RUN 60 YEARS LATER.
FROM WHAT I CAN TELL
THAT SPECIFIC FINDING WAS
NEVER MADE PUBLIC
AND I'VE LEARNED THAT THAT'S
PROBABLY FOR INSURANCE REASONS
THE POLITICS AT THE TIME.
OBVIOUSLY, THE THIRD REICH
DIDN'T WANT TO BE EMBARRASSED
BECAUSE OF SOME BAD ENGINEERING.
I REALLY THINK IT WAS NOTHING
BUT A COVER-UP.
Scheider:
ZEPPELIN QUIETLY MADE A NUMBER
OF DESIGN ALTERATIONS
TO THE HINDENBURG'S SUCCESSOR,
THE LZ-130.
BRONZE WAS ADDED
TO THE DOPING COMPOUND
TO MAKE IT LESS FLAMMABLE
AND THE ELECTRICAL BONDING
WAS IMPROVED
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF SPARKS.
THE CHANGES CAME TOO LATE.
AT THE OUTBREAK OF WAR
THE NAZIS DESTROYED
ALL THE REMAINING ZEPPELINS.
WITH THE ADVENT
OF FAST, RELIABLE AIRPLANES
THE FATE OF THE AIRSHIP
WAS SEALED.
THE ZEPPELIN COMPANY
NEVER REVEALED
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DISASTER.
THE VIEW OF HYDROGEN
AS A DANGEROUS AND EXPLOSIVE GAS
BECAME THE ACCEPTED ONE
MUCH TO THE FRUSTRATION OF
SPECIALISTS LIKE ADDISON BAIN
WHO SEE IT AS
THE FUEL OF THE FUTURE.
Bain:
EVEN WHEN I WAS INVOLVED
IN WRITING SAFETY MANUALS
ON HYDROGEN FOR NASA
INVARIABLY, THE TOPIC
OF THE HINDENBURG CAME UP
AND IT'S LEFT A VERY BAD STIGMA.
THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION IS THAT
HYDROGEN IS VERY DANGEROUS
BECAUSE OF THAT INCIDENT.
BUT I THINK NOW THAT
THE REAL STORY HAS COME OUT
IT MAY BE ABLE TO MITIGATE
AND DISPEL THAT MYTH.
ONCE WE REALIZED
THAT THE HINDENBURG FIRE
WAS NOT A HYDROGEN FIRE
WE CAN ONCE AGAIN LOOK
AT BUOYANT FLIGHT
AND ITS ASSOCIATED EFFICIENCY,
ITS ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLINESS
AND THE OTHER
TRADITIONAL ADVANTAGES
THAT WE'VE MISSED
FOR THESE PAST 60 YEARS.
WE CAN BRING AIRSHIPS BACK
TO THE MAINSTAY
AND HAVE THEM FILL THE ROLE
THAT THEY ARE GOOD AT.
Scheider:
WHILE IT IS UNLIKELY
THAT AIRSHIPS WILL ONCE AGAIN
RULE THE SKIES
BAIN'S WORK SEEMS TO HAVE
FINALLY LAID TO REST
THE MYSTERY OF WHAT HAPPENED
TO THE HINDENBURG.
THEY WERE VIEWED
AS A MODEL SOCIETY
BUT DID THEY HIDE
A DARK SECRET?
Man:
PEOPLE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM
WATCHING OUR EVIDENCE SAY
THAT SOMEONE WAS BEING EATEN.
UNCOVER THE CONTROVERSY
OF AN ANCIENT SOCIETY.
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