Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-05

turally crude and elementary in char
acter. Nevertheless, Count Zeppelin,
with an indomitable perseverance
worthy himself. toiled on year after
year, never seeming to get any
nearer his aim. but always working
and studying and experimenting with
out cessation
The first pause in his career of re-
search was caused by his marriage
at the age of 81 to a noblewoman
belonging to one of the ancient Ger
man aristocratic families residing in
the Baltic provinces of Russia. This
lady recognized that young Count Yep
pelin was not crank. nor man to
be ridiculed. but a pioneer of new
era who might easily achieve the fame
of being the first man to show other
men how to fly in the air. She fell in
love with the count and with his in
ventive ambitions and they were we'd
ded in Berlin in the presence of all the
members of both families
The counts relations entertained
the hope that his wife would ween him
from his eccentric ways But in this
respect they were disappointed. The
marriage itself and the ensuing honey
moon interrupted for time Count
Zeppelin's devotion to his research
work, but within year Of the we'd
ding day he was again hard at work
on the solution of the problem. aided
and encouraged by his young wife.
Year by year passed and still the aris-
tocratic mechanic continued to con-
struct all sorts of flying contrivances
that for the most part refused to fly.
He and his wife were fully agreed
that he should devote his whole life
to the task of teaching mankind how
to fly.
But times we're bad and the cost OF
constructing all sorts of balloons and
aerial machines began to consume
more money than the count received
in the form OF revenues from his es-
tates. His resources were further
taxed by expensive journeys to Paris
London and other capitals In order
to watch the progress made by other
aeronauts In those places and to con-
fer with them regarding the great
problem. Soon. in his unbounded en-
thusiasm for the cause, Count Zeppelin
and his equally enthusiastic countess
began to sell their estates in order
TO provide the necessarily funds for
carrying on his lifework. First of all
they sold their estate at Gyrsberg,
and the money obtained therefrom
Hufficed to supply the needs of the
cause for several years.
But as time went on expenditures in
creased and the revenues of Count Yep
pelin's other estates diminished. Con.
StIutlllly liltN were lOIttu 10 SCH more
land and more houses and still more
land and still more houses. Finally
after many years there came n time
when they were forced to face ruin ana
restitution. They had sold bit after bit
of land and bit after bit of their prop
erty until they had literally nothing in
the world except the genius of the
count and the enthusiasm of his wife.
But IL was not only money which was
riClxaH rhpir ne lao
about aerial navigation. Count Zeppe-
Inns successive dying machines were
tested at the risk of his own life. He
firmly believed In their efficiency and
buoyancy and ventured aboard them
with perfect confidence In the result of
the trial trips. ON one occasion he fel!
from a height of 40 feet but happened
to alight on some prlckly bushes,
which broke his fall and saved hlstllfe
but covered his body with painful,
wounds. on another occasion he fell
from considerable height, but again
had the good fortune TO allght on soft
earth without sustaining more than II
broken limb. on half a dozen other oc-
casions he sustained more or less seri-
Gus accidents While pursuing his expert
ments.
FORTY FUTILE YEARS.
After devoting something like 40
years TO futile attempts 10 construct
successful flying machine Count Zeppe-
lin abandoned this particular branch
OF his task and devoted his energies to
the construction OF nayigablo airship.
His own money no longer sufilced 10
carry out this great work, ana he was
obliged 10 borrow all the necessary
POUNDS from sympathetic friends and
admirers who. despite his former fail
ures. sun had unbounded faith I'm his
capabilities. Works We're erected AT
Frederickshnven, on Lake Constance,
and here Count Zeppelin constructed
his first great airshlp.
II took the form OF u oigar-shaped