A Sad Ending
The Hindenburg exploded over a field in New Jersey on May 6, 1937. 

Popperfoto via Getty Images

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The Flaming Sky

The tragic story of the Hindenburg, the greatest flying machine ever built.  

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AP Images (Werner Franz)

Werner Franz

    On the evening of May 6, 1937, Werner Franz felt like the luckiest kid on Earth. 

    Werner, 14, worked on a zeppelin called the Hindenburg. Zeppelins were large floating airships without wings. In the 1920s and 1930s, these flying machines ruled the skies. Tens of thousands of people traveled on them. Millions more wished they could. 

    No zeppelin was as grand as the Hindenburg. It was the biggest, fastest, safest passenger aircraft ever built. It made trips between Germany and America. 

    Werner grew up in Germany. That’s where the Hindenburg was built. The 1930s were dangerous years there. The country’s leader, Adolf Hitler, was scaring people with his hateful ideas. Many people feared he would soon start a war. Millions were out of work, including Werner’s father.

    But the Hindenburg was something Germans could be proud of. 

    At 13, Werner left school. He had to work to help his family. He was lucky to get a job on the Hindenburg. Each trip took him far from Germany’s troubles.

    Little did he know that his adventure would end in tragedy. 

    It was May 6, 1937. Werner Franz felt like the luckiest kid on Earth.  

    Werner was 14. He worked on a zeppelin called the Hindenburg. Zeppelins were large airships without wings. In the 1920s and 1930s, they ruled the skies. Tens of thousands of people traveled on them. Millions more wished they could.

    The Hindenburg was special. It was the biggest, fastest, safest passenger aircraft ever built. It flew between Germany and America.

    Werner lived in Germany. That’s where the Hindenburg was built. The 1930s were dangerous years there. The country’s leader, Adolf Hitler, was scaring people. He had hateful ideas. People feared he would start a war. Millions were out of work. Werner’s dad was one of them.

    But the Hindenburg was something Germans could be proud of.

    At 13, Werner left school. He had to work. His family needed money. He liked his job on the Hindenburg. It took him far from Germany’s troubles.

    His adventure would end in tragedy. But he didn’t know that.

    On the evening of May 6, 1937, Werner Franz felt like the luckiest kid on Earth.  

    Werner, 14, worked on a zeppelin—a large floating airship without wings—called the Hindenburg. In the 1920s and 1930s, zeppelins ruled the skies. Tens of thousands of people traveled on them, and millions of others wished they could.

    No zeppelin was as grand as the Hindenburg. It was the biggest, fastest, safest passenger aircraft ever built. It made trips between Germany and America.

    Werner grew up in Germany, where the Hindenburg was built. The 1930s were dangerous years there. The country’s leader, Adolf Hitler, was frightening people with his hateful ideas. Many people feared he would soon start a war. Millions were unemployed, including Werner’s father.

    But the Hindenburg was something Germans could be proud of.

    At 13, Werner left school so that he could work to help his family. He was fortunate to get a job on the Hindenburg, where each trip took him far from Germany’s troubles.

    Little did he know that his adventure would end in tragedy. 

Jim McMahon/Mapman ®

The Path to America
The Hindenburg left Germany and flew over the Atlantic Ocean. It was due to land in Lakehurst, New Jersey.

The Joy of Zeppelins 

    In 1937, passenger airplanes couldn’t go long distances. To cross an ocean, most people took a ship. The trip would take between 5 and 10 days. 

    But then came zeppelins! 

    The Hindenburg was huge. It was as tall as a 12-story building and longer than two football fields. Its four motors could carry it across the ocean in just two-and-a-half days. People stayed in fancy rooms and feasted on gourmet meals. 

    And there were amazing views. Zeppelins flew much closer to the ground than airplanes did. Passengers would stand at the ship’s big windows and look down. 

    Of course, there was a high price for this thrilling ride. One ticket cost $450. That’s about $9,300 today. Most passengers were business leaders and celebrities. But there were also lucky workers, like Werner, on board. 

    In 1937, passenger airplanes couldn’t go far. To cross an ocean, most people took a ship. The trip took between 5 and 10 days.

    But then came zeppelins!

    The Hindenburg was big. It was as tall as a 12-story building. It was longer than two football fields. It could cross the ocean in just two-and-a-half days. People stayed in fancy rooms. They ate gourmet meals.

    The views were great too. Zeppelins flew closer to the ground than airplanes did.

    This ride wasn’t cheap. One ticket cost $450. That’s about $9,300 today. Most passengers were business leaders and celebrities. But workers like Werner got to go too. 

    In 1937, passenger airplanes couldn’t go long distances. To cross an ocean, most people traveled by ship—a trip that took between 5 and 10 days.

    But then came zeppelins!

    The Hindenburg was huge—as tall as a 12-story building and longer than two football fields. Its four motors could carry it across the ocean in only two-and-a-half days. Passengers stayed in fancy rooms and feasted on gourmet meals.

    There were also incredible views. Zeppelins flew much closer to the ground than airplanes did. Passengers would stand at the ship’s big windows and look down.

    Naturally, this thrilling experience was expensive. One ticket cost $450, which is equal to about $9,300 today. Most of the passengers were business leaders and celebrities, but lucky workers like Werner got to enjoy the journey too. 

AFP/Getty Images

A Fancy Ride 
Hindenburg passengers stayed in fancy rooms and feasted on gourmet meals. This photo shows the ship’s dining room. The walls were covered in silk wallpaper! 

Famous for Safety 

    The May 1937 flight was Werner’s fifth trip on the Hindenburg. When he wasn’t washing dishes, he explored the ship.

    Much of the space inside the ship’s body was taken up by 16 large “gas cells.” These were bags of hydrogen gas. They helped lift the zeppelin into the sky.

    Werner tried not to think about the dangers of hydrogen. It is one of the most flammable gases on Earth. The smallest spark could cause an explosion. 

    Still, the Hindenburg was known for its safety. German zeppelins had flown more than 1 million miles without a single accident. 

    The May 1937 flight was Werner’s fifth trip on the Hindenburg. When he wasn’t washing dishes, he explored the ship.

    The ship had 16 large “gas cells.” These were bags of hydrogen gas. They helped lift the ship into the sky.

    Hydrogen is one of the most flammable gases on Earth. A spark could cause an explosion. Werner tried not to think of that.

    The Hindenburg was known to be safe. German zeppelins had flown more than         1 million miles without an accident. 

    The May 1937 flight was Werner’s fifth trip on the Hindenburg. When he wasn’t washing dishes, he explored the amazing aircraft.

    Much of the space inside the ship’s body was taken up by 16 large “gas cells”—bags of hydrogen gas that helped lift the zeppelin into the sky.

    Werner tried to put the dangers of hydrogen, one of the most flammable gases on Earth, out of his mind. Combined with this gas, the smallest spark could cause an explosion.

    Still, the Hindenburg was known for its safety. German zeppelins had flown more than 1 million miles without a single accident.

A Scary Sign

    On Sunday evening, the Hindenburg prepared to land in New Jersey. Families and friends of passengers waited in a big field. 

    Slowly, the aircraft began to drop from the sky. Kids in the crowd cheered. 

    Then a small flame appeared at the back of the zeppelin. People in the crowd stared. A few turned to run, and . . .

    Kaboom!

    The hydrogen ignited. 

    On Sunday evening, the Hindenburg prepared to land in New Jersey. Families and friends of passengers waited in a field.

    The ship began to drop from the sky. Kids in the crowd cheered.

    Then a small flame appeared at the back of the zeppelin. People in the crowd stared. A few turned to run. And then . . .

    Kaboom!

    The hydrogen ignited.

    On Sunday evening, as the Hindenburg prepared to land in New Jersey, families and friends of passengers waited in a big field.

    Slowly, the aircraft began to drop from the sky. Children in the crowd cheered.

    Then a small flame appeared at the rear of the zeppelin. People in the crowd stared. A few of them turned to flee, and . . .

    Kaboom!

    The hydrogen ignited.

No Choice

    Werner heard the explosion. He turned and saw a wall of fire racing toward him. 

    He started to run away. But the front of the airship jerked up. Werner crashed to the floor. He slid back toward the fire. He felt sure he would burst into flames.

    But then, splash!

    Water poured down from a burst tank above. It soaked him. The water cooled his body and cleared his mind. 

    Werner stood up. He saw a small door in the side of the ship and kicked it open. He didn’t know how close the ship was to the ground. But he had no choice. If he stayed, he would die. 

    So Werner jumped out into the flaming sky. 

    Werner heard the explosion. He saw a wall of fire racing toward him.

    He tried to run. But the front of the ship jerked up. He fell down. He slid toward the fire. He thought he would burst into flames.

    But then, splash!

    Water poured from a burst tank. It soaked him. The water was cool. It cleared his mind.

    Werner stood up. He saw a door in the side of the ship. He kicked it open. How close to the ground was the ship? He didn’t know. But he had no choice. If he stayed, he would die.

    He jumped out into the flaming sky. 

    When Werner heard the explosion, he turned and saw a wall of fire racing toward him.

    He started to run away, but the front of the airship jerked upward. Werner crashed to the floor and slid back toward the fire, feeling certain he would burst into flames.

    But then, splash!

    Water poured down from a burst tank above and soaked Werner, cooling his body and clearing his mind.

    Standing up, Werner noticed a small door in the side of the ship and kicked it open. He couldn’t tell how close the ship was to the ground, but he had no choice. If he stayed, he would die.

    So Werner jumped out into the flaming sky. 

Bettmann/Getty Images

Up in Smoke 
The huge aluminum frame of the Hindenburg smoked and burned for days after the crash. Of the 97 people on board, 35 lost their lives. 

The End of Zeppelins

    It took just 32 seconds for the Hindenburg to crash to the ground. Of the 97 people on board, 35 lost their lives.

    Even now, no one knows for sure what caused the disaster. But most experts believe there must have been a small leak in one of the gas cells. 

    Movie cameras had filmed the disaster. Within weeks, millions around the world had seen it. People stopped flying on zeppelins. 

    As for Werner, he was the luckiest kid in the world. When he jumped from the ship, it was close to the ground. 

    Shortly after the crash, Werner went home to Germany. Later, he got married and had a family. He lived to the age of 92. And he never forgot how close he came to dying on that night in 1937. 

    “I was grateful for everything I was allowed to experience after that,” he said. 

    It took just 32 seconds for the Hindenburg to crash to the ground. There were 97 people on board. Thirty-five of them died.

    What caused the disaster? It isn’t clear. But most experts say there must have been a leak in one of the gas cells.

    Movie cameras filmed the crash. Millions of people saw it. People stopped flying on zeppelins.

    And what about Werner? He was the luckiest kid in the world. When he jumped from the ship, it was close to the ground.

    Werner went home to Germany. Later, he got married. He had a family. He lived to the age of 92. And he never forgot how close he came to dying on that night in 1937.

    “I was grateful for everything I was allowed to experience after that,” he said. 

    It took only 32 seconds for the Hindenburg to crash to the ground. Of the 97 people on board, 35 lost their lives.

    Even now, no one knows for certain what caused the disaster—but most experts agree that there was probably a small leak in one of the zeppelin’s gas cells.

    Movie cameras had filmed the disaster, and soon millions around the world had viewed the footage. People stopped flying on zeppelins.

    As for Werner, he was indeed the luckiest kid in the world. When he jumped from the aircraft, it was fairly close to the ground.

    Shortly after the crash, Werner went home to Germany. Later, he got married and had a family. He lived to the age of 92, and he never forgot how close he came to dying on that night in 1937.

    “I was grateful for everything I was allowed to experience after that,” he said. 

US Navy/Interim Archives/Getty Images

Flying Low
Airplanes usually fly at least 30,000 feet above the ground. Zeppelins flew much lower. 

ACTIVITY: 
Finding Text Evidence

You’ve just read “The Flaming Sky.” Now do this activity to help you better understand the article.

Tip: Text evidence means details in a story that support an answer or show that it is true.

What to do: Use text evidence—or details from the article—to answer the questions below. We did the first one for you.

You’ve just read “The Flaming Sky.” Now do this activity to help you better understand the article.

Tip: Text evidence means details in a story that support an answer or show that it is true.

What to do: Use text evidence—or details from the article—to answer the questions below. We did the first one for you.

You’ve just read “The Flaming Sky.” Now do this activity to help you better understand the article.

Tip: Text evidence means details in a story that support an answer or show that it is true.

What to do: Use text evidence—or details from the article—to answer the questions below. We did the first one for you.

How quickly could the Hindenburg cross the ocean, compared with traveling on a ship?

HINT: Look for the answer in the section “The Joy of Zeppelins.”

Answer: The Hindenburg could cross the ocean in two-and-a-half days, while ships took 5 to 10 days.

How quickly could the Hindenburg cross the ocean, compared with traveling on a ship?

HINT: Look for the answer in the section “The Joy of Zeppelins.”

Answer: The Hindenburg could cross the ocean in two-and-a-half days, while ships took 5 to 10 days.

How quickly could the Hindenburg cross the ocean, compared with traveling on a ship?

HINT: Look for the answer in the section “The Joy of Zeppelins.”

Answer: The Hindenburg could cross the ocean in two-and-a-half days, while ships took 5 to 10 days.

What was enjoyable about traveling on the Hindenburg?

HINT: Look for the answer in the section “The Joy of Zeppelins.”

What was enjoyable about traveling on the Hindenburg?

HINT: Look for the answer in the section “The Joy of Zeppelins.”

What was enjoyable about traveling on the Hindenburg?

HINT: Look for the answer in the section “The Joy of Zeppelins.”

How much did people pay  to travel on the Hindenburg

HINT: Look for the answer in the section “The Joy of Zeppelins.”

How much did people pay  to travel on the Hindenburg

HINT: Look for the answer in the section “The Joy of Zeppelins.”

How much did people pay  to travel on the Hindenburg

HINT: Look for the answer in the section “The Joy of Zeppelins.”

Before the Hindenburg disaster, how many accidents had German zeppelins had?

HINT: Look for the answer in the section “Famous for Safety.”

Before the Hindenburg disaster, how many accidents had German zeppelins had?

HINT: Look for the answer in the section “Famous for Safety.”

Before the Hindenburg disaster, how many accidents had German zeppelins had?

HINT: Look for the answer in the section “Famous for Safety.”

Think About It! What do your answers tell you about how the Hindenburg was seen before the disaster?

Think About It! What do your answers tell you about how the Hindenburg was seen before the disaster?

Think About It! What do your answers tell you about how the Hindenburg was seen before the disaster?

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