Stamps, the Weekly Magazine of Philately

North America Fastest Growing Philatelic Pub{ication The Weekly Magazine of Philately Vol. 247, No. 9 Whole Number 3220 May 28, 1994 $1.25 Hindenburg Crash Cover Brings Record Price! On April 16, 1994, my good friends and fellow dealers, 357 pieces of mail which was salvaged from the charred on May 6, 1937, claiming 58 lives, after an otherwise rou Douglas Uzakewicz and Laurence Rech of Philatelic Path- wreck of the zeppelin Hindenburg. The huge 810-foot Ger tine flight from Frankfurt. finders in Jericho, NY paid $9,500 plus 10% commission at man airship had crashed and burned in a lightning storm The $10,450 total tag represents the highest price ever a Weiss Philatelies auction in New York City for one of the upon landing at the U.S. Naval Station at Lakehurst, NJ paid at auction for a Hindenburg crash cover. I had the op portunity to interview Doug Uzakewicz right after the purchase. As a specialist dealer in Boy Scout topical ma terial, he explained, "This cover is one of the most sought after in Scout philately." He continued, "Seventeen covers originating in the Netherlands were recovered from the wreck. They are known as the Thoolen holding, in that they are all addressed to G. Thoolen of Wooster, OH. We paid the re cord price for this particular piece because it is the best preserved example of the group." Then Doug went on to point out the Scout connection: "Interestingly, all of these covers were franked with the 12½ ¢high value of the Netherlands 1937 Boy Scout stamp, commemorating the World Jamboree which was held that summer in Vogelenzang, Netherlands." At press time Philatelic Pathfinders already had resold the prized cover to an anonymous Boy Scout topical collec tor for an undisclosed price. The cover has been authenticated by well known zeppe lin philatelic specialist Arthur Falk and carries his certifi cate. Falk is recognized in zeppelin history circles for his The burnt edges on this cover are a testimonial to the Hindenburg confiagration. excellent book, Hindenburg Crash Mail: The Search Goes On, published in 1976, which is the source on the subject. At the time of publication, Falk had estimated that only about 80 covers were in collector's hands. More have been found since and no doubt others will turn up. Falk wrote, Airship's Last Flight Recounted "The thrill of discovering such a valuable and historic piece of postal history should certainly be sufficient motivation By MICHAEL ROOT All the amenities found tainer of the era, was also the Hindenburg was re for the collector." on board first class ocean on board. leased for takeoff. 97 peo he brief life of the line travel were included Ernest Lehmann, a ple, including 36 passen Hindenburg began on the Hindenburg. Pas high-ranking official of the gers and 61 crew mem T in 1933 when it sengers were housed in a German Zeppelin Corpora bers, began their flight was christened after the two-tiered hull that was tion, was also on board. It into the history books. recently departed German constructed into the is believed that he was A mail drop was con president, Paul Von Hin superstructure. Gourmet travelling to America to ducted over the city of Col denburg. At that time it meals were served during discuss threats of poten ogne. Sacks of mail, all was the most efficient and flights. The passengers en tial sabotage to the Hin cancelled with the Hinden luxurious airship in the joyed 25 luxury cabins, a denburg that had been re burg's in-flight cancel world. It measured 803 bar and lounge area, a ceived at the German em were parachuted down to feet long and had a diame smoking room, plus baths bassy in Washington, D.C. earth. The remainder of ter of 135 feet. Because of and showers. An alleged note from a the flight was essentially its size, the Hindenburg The first few years of Miss Kathie Rauch of Mil uneventful until the morn was able to hold more hy the Hindenburg proved waukee, Wisconsin to the ing of May 6, when the drogen, the gas which kept very fruitful. Brandishing German embassy stated airship approached its fi it aloft. More hydrogen a swastika on its tail fins, that the Hindenburg nal destination of Lake meant a greater passenger it became a useful propa would be destroyed while hurst, NJ. A headwind out and cargo capability; and ganda tool for rising Nazi on a visit to another coun over the Atlantic delayed this promised a substan Germany, It was hoped try. A year earlier, a bomb the airship's arrival from 6 tial financial role in re that this airship would be had been discovered while a .m. to an anticipated building Germany's a testimonial to the new the Hindenburg was load evening arrival. economy. Germany. ing on the ground in Rio Finally, the giant air The Hindenburg was The Hindenburg began de Janeiro. ship reached the east coast powered by four diesel en its fateful last flight on As a precautionary mea of America. It cruised over gines. The engines were May 3, 1937. On board sure, the airship was New York City on a sight equipped with monster were several Americans searched by the German seeing run. As it flew over wooden propellers, each traveling on business. Ed S.S. Passengers were in Ebbets Field, a baseball measuring 21 feet. It had ward Douglas represented structed to turn in all game between the Brook- The majestic Hindenburg viewed on an earlier flight over a maximum cruising speed General Motors. Joseph matches and cigarette New York City. of 84 miles per hour. Spah, a well-known enter- lighters. After the search, Continued on page 230 _____________________ ... Hindenburg ----- Continued from page 221 stant the Hindenburg was ground, the passengers glas was not as fortunate engulfed in a bright or scrambled for their lives. and was listed among the lyn Dodgers and the Pitts ange flame from the A rain of burning fabric dead. Captain Pruss sur burgh Pirates was called highly combustible hydro and molten metal came vived, but was severely to a halt so that the fans gen. The seven million down upon them. burned over 70% of his in the stadium could cubic feet of hydrogen af Joseph Spah used his body. watch the majestic Hin lame consumed the back acrobatic training and In a few moments, the denburg fly overhead. end of the airship in an in clung to the hull of the air era of air travel by zeppe At 7 p.m., the Hinden stant. The ground crew ship as it descended in lin had come to an end, burg approached Lake froze for a moment in hor flames. When it was about leaving the charred and hurst. The captain, Max ror and then quickly ran 40 feet from the ground, twisted metal Pruss, radioed to the for cover. he jumped, landing feet superstructure of the Hin ground crew that he was As the hull of the air first; he suffered a minor denburg and 58 people starting his descent. Land ship crashed to the leg sprain. Edward Dou- dead in its wake. ing cables were dropped for the ground crew. On the ground, well-wishers waited - among them, Joseph Spah's wife and three children. The Hindenburg came to a complete stop at 7:19 p.m., silhouetted in a sur realistic backdrop of the setting sun. Rainwater had soaked the back end of the airship so that is was descending faster than the front. About 200 feet off the ground, Cap tain Pruss gave an order to adjust this problem by sending crewmen to the front of the ship. Their weight would even things out. It was 7:21 p.m. when the main mooring cables were dropped to the ground. Suddenly, at 7:23, a small blue flash ap peared inside one of the gas bags. There was a pop The Hindenburg aflame at Lakehurst, New Jersey. The entire airship was consumed by fire in less ping sound and in an in- than 40 seconds. Photo: UPI I Bettman. 230 STAMPS May 28, 1994 .

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