I Survived the Hindenburg Disaster, 1937

During dinner, Gertie loudly compares a stern Nazi officer, Colonel Kohl, to a deadly snake. Instead of being angry, Colonel Kohl smiles and says he finds snakes fascinating. Alarmed, Hugo’s mother quickly apologizes and removes Gertie from the room.

After Kohl departs, a fellow passenger, Mr. Merrick, shares a rumor that Colonel Kohl is hunting a spy who has stolen a top-secret list of Nazi agents in America. Miss Crowther implies the spy could be a woman, but Merrick says it’s believed to be a man. He knows this because he has “important” friends. Mr. Singer, Marty’s father, expresses doubt that a spy would choose a confined airship to hide in, and Merrick warns that Kohl will not hesitate to capture or kill the spy. Later that night, Hugo has a nightmare about a winged cobra and wakes up screaming.

The next day, Mr. Singer invites Hugo, Marty, and Hugo’s father on a tour of the airship’s restricted areas. In the control car, Captain Pruss shows them their position off the coast of Canada. Hugo feels a wave of sadness, realizing the journey will soon be over.

Mr. Singer then leads them into the massive inner framework of the zeppelin. As he explains the water ballast system, a loud growling sound echoes through the structure.