ATIVE
NARRICTION
NONFike fiction
POPPERFOTO/GETTY IMAGES (HINDENBURG); AP IMAGES (WERNER FRANZ)
l
reads ’s all true
i
t
u
b t
T
H
E
FLAMING
SKY
The tragic story
of the Hindenburg, the
greatest flying machine
ever built BY LAUREN TARSHIS
4
SCHOLASTIC SCOPE • OCTOBER 2016
AS YOU
READ
I
WATCH
THE VIDEO
AT SCOPE
ONLINE!
What made airships like the Hindenburg so popular?
n just a few minutes, 14-year-old
Werner Franz would be in the
middle of one of the most terrifying
disasters in
history. But at
that moment—shortly
after 7 p.m. on May 6,
1937—Werner felt like
the luckiest kid
Werner Franz

on Earth.
SCOPE.SCHOLASTIC.COM • OCTOBER 2016
5
Werner had a job on the
crowds of enthusiastic people
greatest passenger aircraft ever
waving up from below. At sea, it
built—the biggest, the fastest, the
wasn’t uncommon to see dancing
most luxurious, and the safest.
dolphins and spouting whales.
The Hindenburg was a zeppelin,
Of course, there was a high
and in the 1920s and 1930s, these
price for this experience: One
remarkable flying machines ruled
Hindenburg ticket cost $450—
the skies. Tens of thousands of
equal to about $7,500 today. Most
people traveled on zeppelins.
passengers were business leaders,
Millions more flew on zeppelins in
celebrities . . . and lucky cabin
their dreams.
boys, like Werner.
And no zeppelin was as
Famous for Safety
spectacular as the Hindenburg.
In America, the Hindenburg was
The May 1937 journey was
more beloved than any president
COMFY QUARTERS
or movie star—and
Cabins were small but modern, with
cozy beds that could be folded into the
wall when not in use.
more famous than
baseball’s Babe Ruth.
In Germany, where
On board the Hindenburg,
where the Hindenburg
giant airship was a rare
GERMANY
NORTH
AMERICA
source of pride. The
in Germany. The
passengers roamed two floors of
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
had been built, the
and dangerous years
the Hindenburg. The zeppelin had
taken off from its special airfield
near Frankfurt, Germany. It had
zipped across Europe, then headed
Werner grew up and
1930s were difficult
Werner’s fifth ocean crossing on
Hitler, was stirring
slept in elegant cabins, snuggled
Hindenburg’s 61 crew members. In
up in silk sheets. They woke to the
his rare free moments, he was able
across the ocean in a zeppelin
mouthwatering scent of delicious
to enjoy the stunning views and
instead. The Hindenburg could
fresh-baked rolls wafting from the
explore the ship.
zoom across the Atlantic in just
kitchen and feasted on gourmet
two-and-a-half days.
meals in the bright, modern dining
ship’s body was taken up by
room. There was a room for writing
16 massive “gas cells,” bags of
A JOURNEY OF LUXURY
0
Source: Peter Belin
500 Miles
Above: The Hindenburg’s
elegant dining room
Left: The fateful final
journey of the Hindenburg
up anger and hate,
As a cabin boy, Werner served
meals and washed dishes for the
EUROPE
Flight path of
the Hindenburg
journey over the Atlantic Ocean.
belly of the zeppelin’s body. They
Frankfurt
Lakehurst,
New Jersey
UNITED
STATES
country’s leader, Adolf
beautiful rooms tucked into the
out for the roughly 3,400-mile
The Hindenburg was gigantic—
Much of the space inside the
through the clouds. Now he would
crossing an ocean meant an
about as tall as a 12-story building
letters and reading, and a salon for
hydrogen that gave the zeppelin
start a war. Millions of Germans,
be the one peering down from the
uncomfortable and seemingly
and as long as two football fields.
playing cards and other games.
its lifting power. Werner tried
including Werner’s father, were
legendary airship, each voyage
interminable journey by boat. A
unemployed.
taking him far from Germany’s
typical Atlantic crossing took from
troubles and into a world of
5 to 10 days on an ocean liner, and
excitement and glamour.
the journey wasn’t exactly pleasant.
In 1936, Werner, then 13, left
school to look for work so he
could help support his family.
Getting hired as a cabin boy on
Little did Werner know that his
adventure would end in tragedy.
the Hindenburg was a remarkable
opportunity. So many times,
Werner had gazed out his bedroom
The Joy of Zeppelins
In 1937, passenger airplanes
lacked the fuel capacity to travel
the magnificent zeppelin sailing
long distances, so for most people,
SCHOLASTIC SCOPE • OCTOBER 2016
cramped living quarters, and
endless days with little to do.
window, hoping for a glimpse of
6
Passengers endured stormy seas,
Seasick travelers vomited over rails,
and bored children fidgeted in hot
cabins that reeked of sweat.
Imagine, then, the joy of flying
JIM MCMAHON/MAPMAN® (MAP); AFP/GETTY IMAGES (DINING
ROOM); EVERETT COLLECTION HISTORICAL/ALAMY (CABIN)
and many feared he would soon
Its enormous watermelon-shaped
And the views!
not to think about the dangers
body was filled with gas that lifted
Airplanes today typically travel
of hydrogen, one of the most
it up into the sky like a balloon.
at least 30,000 feet above the
flammable gases on Earth. The
The ship’s four car-sized engines
ground. Look out the window
smallest spark could trigger a
would rev up, and vroom!, the
and you see nothing but clouds.
devastating explosion. For this
zeppelin would zip through the
Zeppelins flew much lower.
reason, matches and lighters were
sky at speeds of up to 85 miles per
Airship passengers would stand at
strictly forbidden on zeppelins.
hour—twice as fast as a typical
large glass windows and marvel
ocean liner of the day. And the ride
at the dazzling sights beneath
Hindenburg had been designed to
itself was famously smooth—no
them—spectacular European
fly with helium gas, which is
one got airsick.
castles, glittering cities, and
not combustible. But most
Like all zeppelins of the time, the

SCOPE.SCHOLASTIC.COM • OCTOBER 2016
7
accident. Meanwhile, thousands
passengers lined the airfield,
America, and the U.S. government
had died in gruesome shipwrecks,
eagerly awaiting the spectacle in
wouldn’t sell any of this precious
like the Titanic in 1912.
the sky, while about 90 men from
resource to Germany. Though
America was still on friendly terms
with Germany in 1937, many
the U.S. Navy stood ready to grab
Stormy Skies
The flight across the Atlantic
hold of the Hindenburg’s landing
ropes and pull the zeppelin to the
Americans mistrusted Hitler and
that May had been uneventful,
worried he would turn his zeppelins
but thunderstorms over the
into weapons of war.
coast of New Jersey delayed the
to drop from above. Children
Hindenburg’s landing. Finally, on
shouted excitedly as photographers
the Hindenburg’s reputation for
Thursday evening, the skies cleared
and newsreel camera operators
safety remained intact. German
and the great zeppelin prepared to
positioned themselves to capture
zeppelins had flown more than
land in Lakehurst, New Jersey.
the landing.
Despite the dangers of hydrogen,
1 million miles without one
Families and friends of
ground.
Slowly, the Hindenburg began
The first sign of trouble was
Poem
a small flame at the back of the
HIRZ/GETTY IMAGES (HINDENBURG); GLASSHOUSE IMAGES/ALAMY (TITANIC)
of the world’s helium supply was in
zeppelin, flicking like a serpent’s
tongue. Onlookers stared. Hearts
flee. And then—
In the late afternoon
Kaboom!
pounding the pink “Spaldeen” ball
Millions of cubic feet of
between the screened windows
hydrogen ignited.
of the Telephone Building on 13th Street
in our slum version of handball,
Just 32 Seconds
my friend Danny and I looked up
Werner heard a muffled
and saw the Hindenburg,
explosion. He turned to see a
Historians often compare the
Hindenburg (left) and the
Titanic (below). Both ships were
the biggest and fastest
of their kind—and considered
the safest.
nightmarish sight: a wall of fire
immense shining silver
racing toward him. He started to
shaped like a cigar
run, but the nose of the zeppelin
floating directly above us
jerked up, hurtling him to the floor.
so close
He slid back, back, back, straight
Danny threw the “Spaldeen” up
toward the wide-open jaws of the
as high as he could to try to hit it
fire. The heat was unbearable; he
felt certain he would burst into
flames at any moment.
later I heard
A shower of water from
him from head to toe. The water
cooled his body and cleared his
mind. Werner rose to his feet and
staggered away from the fire. Then
and the whole next day
everyone listened
to the announcer on the radio
sobbing and I remember thinking
he saw it: a small door in the side
radio announcers are always cool
of the ship. With a mighty kick, he
but not this time
bashed open the hatch. He had no
so this must be real
idea how far above the ground he
and later that week at the movies
was, but he had no choice. Staying
they showed it in the Newsreel,
on the ship meant certain death.
the Hindenburg collapsing
Werner threw himself through
the opening, into the flaming sky.
It took just 32 seconds for the
Hindenburg to crash to the ground
in a burning heap. As it landed,
passengers burst through windows
and doors.
Of the 97 people on
board, 35 lost their lives.
A “Spaldeen” is
a small bouncy
rubber ball that
was used in
street games.
it crashed in Jersey
somewhere above drenched
HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES (HINDENBURG OVER CITY); SHUTTERSTOCK (SPALDEEN)
but of course he missed
and we both laughed . . .
But then, splash!
SCHOLASTIC SCOPE • OCTOBER 2016
BY JOSEPH PACHECO
stopped. A few people started to
BIGGEST, FASTEST, SAFEST
8
Where Were You on May 6, 1937?

like a huge balloon on fire
and my mother and the women
in the audience crying,
right then I wished that Danny
had been able to hit it with the ball
and change its course—
maybe that would have saved it.
JOSEPH PACHECO IS A RETIRED NEW YORK CITY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT.
HE WROTE THIS POEM ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE OF SEEING THE HINDENBURG.
COPYRIGHT © 2005 BY JOSEPH PACHECO. ADAPTED WITH PERMISSION.
SCOPE.SCHOLASTIC.COM • OCTOBER 2016
9
Many more would have perished
had it not been for the Navy
The End of Zeppelins
The newsreel cameras caught
was unhurt—and able to run from
every second of the fiery disaster on
to rush into the flames and pull
film. Within weeks, millions around
people to safety.
the world had seen the footage.
Werner returned to his family in
The public’s faith in zeppelins was
Germany. He went on to serve as
months, the Hindenburg disaster
destroyed. And so, the Hindenburg
a radio operator and an instructor
remained front-page news. Many
explosion ended not only the lives
in the German air force during
Germans thought that a bomb
of dozens of people, it also ended
World War II, which erupted not
was to blame for the fiery crash.
the age of zeppelins. Airships
long after the Hindenburg crash.
A thorough investigation was
quickly floated into obsolescence.
Eventually, Werner married and
In the coming weeks and
conducted, but even today, nobody
As for Werner, he had been
would later say.
Two weeks after the disaster,
right all along: He was the luckiest
age of 92 and considered his
disaster. Most experts believe,
kid in the world. The water that
few months working aboard
however, that there must have
had drenched him had come from
the Hindenburg as some of the
been a small leak in one of the gas
one of the Hindenburg’s shattered
happiest of his life. But he never
cells. Electricity in the air from the
water tanks, and that blast of water
forgot how close he came to death
earlier storms likely sparked the
surely saved his life.
on that terrifying night in 1937.
And that was all it took to destroy
the grandest airship ever built.
The zeppelin was close enough
This is almost as long as a football field!
Would You Ride on That?
raised a family. He lived to the
can be certain what caused the
explosion.
Essay
the fire. “It was a heavenly gift,” he
landing crew, who risked their lives
A prototype of the
Aeroscraft takes off in
Tustin, California
The return of the mighty zeppelin BY MACKENZIE CARRO
W
hat comes to mind when you think of the future of
travel? Hover cars? Jet packs? Teleportation pods?
Zeppelins—the massive, pill-shaped aircrafts
that were all the rage nearly a century ago—are probably not on
your list. Nevertheless, some experts are saying that zeppelins
should be part of our future.
Zeppelins, also known as airships or dirigibles, were very
popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Large and luxurious, zeppelins
could carry passengers across oceans and continents faster and
more comfortably than ever before. But after the Hindenburg
disaster in 1937, the zeppelin became a symbol of tragedy
and death—and a pariah of the sky. With the rise of modern
airplanes, it seemed as if the only place zeppelins would fly
would be into the pages of history books.
Until now.
Today, a number of companies around the world are trying
to restore the zeppelin to its former glory. Can they succeed?
“I was grateful for everything
to the ground when he hurled
I was allowed to experience after
himself through the hatch that he
that,” he said.
•
A BURNING HUSK
For days after the Hindenburg
crash, the aluminum skeleton
of the great zeppelin smoked
and burned.
Super Safe
There are many benefits to flying in a zeppelin. Modern
zeppelins use nonflammable helium gas, which is not only safe,
but also far better for the environment than jet fuel. (Every day,
airplanes around the world use roughly 740 million gallons of
jet fuel.) Plus, zeppelins can land anywhere—even on water. If
a zeppelin’s engine were to fail, the aircraft would not crash but
simply float in the air until the pilot found a place to land.
So why haven’t airships already made a comeback?
Although safe and environmentally friendly, helium
is rare and expensive. Then there is the issue of speed.
Zeppelins are much slower than planes, traveling only
slightly faster than trucks and trains.
Still, because airships can land without a runway, they
can reach far-flung locations more easily than any plane,
truck, or train ever could. Zeppelins could, for example,
deliver goods to isolated places in icy northern Canada,
where no airports or roads exist. They could drop off food and
other relief supplies to remote refugee camps, or serve as
floating hospitals after natural disasters.
Cruising the Sky
Beyond their convenience, airships also offer unique
sightseeing opportunities. Like cruise ships of the sky,
zeppelins not only get you from point A to point B, but also
allow you to enjoy the journey in between. On a zeppelin, you
wouldn’t need to stay belted in your seat the whole time. You
could get up, walk around, even open a window—privileges
that most airplane passengers can only dream about. And
just imagine how exhilarating it would be to glide over the
Grand Canyon or Yellowstone National Park in a low-flying
zeppelin.
Zeppelins may never replace airplanes, but do they
deserve a place in our skies?
•
10
SCHOLASTIC SCOPE • OCTOBER 2016
AEROS
INTERFOTO/ALAMY
WRITING CONTEST
Could zeppelins ever be as popular as they were in the time of the Hindenburg? Support
your answer with details from at least TWO of the three texts you just read: the narrative
nonfiction, the poem, and the essay. Send your response to ZEPPELIN CONTEST.
Five winners will each get Airborn by Kenneth Oppel. See page 2 for details.
GET THIS
ACTIVITY
ONLINE
SCOPE.SCHOLASTIC.COM • OCTOBER 2016
11