Herbert Morrison (announcer)

Herbert Morrison (born May 14, 1905; † January 10, 1989 in Morgantown, West Virginia ) was an American radio journalist. He received worldwide recognition through his radio reportage during the disaster of the airship LZ 129 "Hindenburg" on May 6, 1937.

Together with the sound engineer Charles Nehlsen he was on May 6, 1937 in Lakehurst, to tentatively record a report on the first arrival of the airship Hindenburg in the 1937 season on record for the Chicago radio station WLS. The project was sponsored by American Airlines, the U.S. contractor Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei, and presto, the producer of the recording equipment. Morrison had already worked successfully with American Airlines, as he reported live from the plane of the great floods early in 1937, and was therefore chosen again for the scheduled report. Expertly portrayed Morrison, surrounded by waiting, the audience, the landing procedure, when suddenly broke off the tail of the airship flames. Excited, he describes the progress of the disaster:

"It's burst into flames, [ The vote of the recording device is disturbed by the pressure wave, the following is barely audible. ] It's burst into flames and it's falling, it's crashing. Watch it! Watch it, folks! Get out of the way, [ the sound engineer, the problem has been resolved. ] Get out of the way. Get this, Charlie, get this, Charlie! It's cra ... and it's crashing, it's crashing, terrible. Oh, my! Get out of the way, please! It is burning, bursting into flames and ... and it's falling on the mooring mast and all the folks agree this is terrible, this is one of the worst catastrophes in the world! [ unintelligible], oh, four or five hundred feet into the sky, it's a terrific crash, ladies and gentlemen. There's smoke and there's flames now and the frame is crashing to the ground, not quite to the mooring mast. Oh, the humanity and all the passengers, screaming around me! "

"It's gone up in flames, it's gone up in flames and it falls, it crashes. Caution! Caution, people! Way there, away from there. Take that on, Charlie, take it on, Charlie. It stü ... and it crashes, it crashes horribly. Oh, God! Run away from there, please! It's burning, flames and beats ... and falling on the mooring mast and all the folks agree that this is terrible, this is one of the worst disasters in the world! [ unintelligible], oh, four or five hundred feet in the sky, it 's a terrible crash, ladies and gentlemen. As smoke and flames are now and the scaffolding falls to the ground, not quite to the mooring mast. Oh, the humanity and all the passengers screaming around me! "

While this description Morrison is heard overcome by his feelings. His professional narrative from the beginning turns into a whimper and sob. Morrison leads the report further says of the rescue work and interviewed some witnesses. Several times he has to interrupt his work to calm himself.

The resin- coated aluminum plates with his report be brought to Chicago the same evening. The day after the report in sections is broadcast nationwide by the broadcasting network NBC.

Together with the movies and pictures of the disaster had the report a high emotional impact on the population. Although the Hindenburg disaster was not the worst disaster of an airship in history, she was instrumental in the move away from the traffic airships.

In the German television movie Hindenburg (2011) Herbert Morrison of Harvey Friedman is embodied.