Monday, May 14, 2012

75th Anniversary of Hindenburg Crash

This anniversary went almost unnoticed for me, but there was an articke in the May 6th Chicago Tribune Chicago Flashback page "Chicago radio man's Hunderburg broadcast endures" by Stephan Benzkofer.

A wire service photographer was taking pictures that day, May 6, 1937, when the world's largest airship, the Hindenburg exploded as it tried to moor in Lakehurst, New Jersey.  Thirty-five people were killed immediately and one died later.

This gave us that famous photo.  But just as famous was Chicago's WLS radio man Herb Morrison's very human account.  He was able to persuade his bosses to let him go to test out some new radio equipment.  His account became one of the most famous of all time:  "It's burst into flames. ...Get out of the way, please; oh my, this is terrible.  ...It is burning.  ...This is one of the worst  catastrophes in the world... oh, the humanity!"

His voice is high-pitched on the recording, even though he was noted for his deep voice.  The recording was made at the wrong speed which accounts for it.

I can never get the "WKRP in Cincinnati" episode out of my head when they were tossing love turkeys out of a helicopter and Les Nessman, winner of the Silver Sow Award was doing a live broadcast from the shopping center's parking lot.

"As God as My Witness, I Thought Turkeys Could Fly."  --Cooter

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