Saturday, May 17, 2014

The Hindenberg Disaster

                                                                                       Attribution: Gus Pasquarella
Image:  The Hindenberg engulfed in flames (here)

Sunday Whirl Wordle #161
Below, 8 out of the 10 words given:
alabaster altitude chaos disaster
force graphic people plastic 

Uneventful Trans-Atlantic crossing
Safely from Germany onto American soil
But about to descend slowly prior to landing
Lakehurst was subject to bad weather turmoil

Massive alabaster-like and airborne
At an altitude in throes of stormy weather
Force of winds in varied directions
Made landing a delicate manoeuver

Shifting of some hydrogen gas and water
Were made into specific compartments
Amid chaos but part of stabilizing measures
Effected to maintain a proper balance

But all it took a spark to court disaster
Plastic-like a graphic tragedy unleashed
Showering ignited debris of light structure
Thirty-five of people on that day perished

For Brenda's hosting at Sunday Whirl








16 comments:

  1. Every time I see images of or hear about the Hindenburg disaster I tell myself I need to go read up in it... This piece, again, woke that yearning. As far as I'm concerned this balances between painting a vivid picture to the reader and inspiring to find out more about a historically important event. Great job!

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  2. This finally put to an end to Airship travel. Travelling so slowly and in such luxury it appeared so safe. However even walking has its risks!

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  3. A good idea that worked on paper but had a few (fatal) flaws in real life.

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  4. Written with much reverence Hank..

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  5. Everything has a way of getting you in the end, some more than others.

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  6. Guess I'm strange, but the part that catches me is the next-to-last stanza. Never knew, or even considered, that. Water ballast? So the big ships were more than bags of gas: flying them was complex. Cool.

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  7. a spark is often all it takes to turn something spectacular into a disaster,
    but also it works the other way...smiles.

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  8. An accomplished re-telling of this tragic story. Bravo.

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  9. A single misstep and all can be lost

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  10. You described it better than any official account, that's for sure!

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  11. Tragedy, described in your special way! Good writing!

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  12. A tragic story very well told here, Hank.

    Pamela

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  13. Tragedies seem to invite us to retell them, and you've retold the Hindenburg disaster in poetic form!

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  14. So well done. Yes, the Hindenburg was a real disaster. Photo here was quite powerful.

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