Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1908-08-13
FLIES THROUGH AIR.
TWENTY-FOUR HOUR VOYAGE
BEGUN BY COUNT ZEPPELIN.
The Ascent Made Very successfully
Travelled Over 25O Miles, With
Only One Descent.

en-, Germany, says arising from frs
hoating dock on the dark green
waters of Lake Constance early
tuesday morning the great dirigible
air ship of Count Zeppelin was sent
away Tor "a hour journey in the
air to Mayence and return. Late
tnat night the apex of the triangu-
lar Hight had been turned, and the
monster of the air, with nose point
ed southwark, was reported speeding
along undar starry skies toward
frledrichschafen, where 1t is hoped
the Journey will end Wednesday. The
| Hight to Mayence, however, was not
an uninterrupted one, for something
was wrong with propeller while
speeding along above the valley of
the Rhine and Count Zeppelin was
compelled to bring the air ship down
to the surface of the river at Nachen-
helm, eight miles from Mayence
dirigible again was sent on high and
the trip tnat probably will prove a
record one was recommended
The weather for -.e ascension was
most auspicious. The ship OF the
air rose majestically to height of
400 feet, and crossing the lake circl-
ed the town of Constance, then turn
ing retraced the path of it's flight,
and describing perfect circle. pass
,ng over Friedrichschafen and then
scared westward over the lake to
Basle. on the Swiss frontier. Turn
ing the vessel slightly toward the
northwest Count Zeppelin steered ii
over Mulhausen, and then directed
it's flight northeasterly to Strass-
burg, thence followed the valley of
Rhine norhward to Mayence, a dis
tance altogether of $50 miles.
Everything was going smoothly
when the trouble to the propeller
occurred and somewhat impeded the
progress of the air ship. but when
the balloon had been brought down
Count Zeppelin found the defect so
slight that he telephoned his secre-
tary at his Office in Friedrichschaf-
en-: I'VE will start again some time
tonight and complete the trip"
His expectations were realized,
for in less than four hours every
thing had been made perfect.
The people gathered on the banks
IF the stream and sang patriotic
songs and cheered Count Zeppelin
At 1915 p. m, the air ship rose
again and turned her bows toward
Mayence, where she arrived at -
q clock, and passed over the gas
'f city almost beyond the view
ot the populace, which had gathered
the streets expecting to witness
ne passage of the balloon.
Soaring onward for short dis
ance, the air ship was turned home
ward. Whether 1t will follow the
itinerary laid down by Count Zeppe-
lin, reracing its outward path to
karlsruhe and thence hving south
'asterly over Stuttgart to Lake Con-
stance. Is not known. If the air
ship maintains the speed at which
it was travelling today, 1t should
arrive in Friedrichschafen tomorrow
forenoon.
The quiet villages and small towns
along the shores of Lake Constance
| awoke this morning to find that the
great event for which they had wait
| ed for weeks and months had occurred
ed-Count Zeppelin's air ship had
started on an epoch making journey
\ majority of the scant population
" Friedrichschafen. however. de-
| 'pite the strict secrecy of the Count S
| associations. got wind that someth-
| ing was about to happen and as
| 'embled before daybreak at Mum
| ell. opposite the floating balloon
he'd. In this shed, throughout
| iCnday night workmen had been
busy making everything ready for
the journey. At o'clock that morn
| ng, everything was in readiness for
the exit of the air ship.
Count Zeppelin could not have
a start A glorious sunrise inau.
gurated the day. and there was not
cloud in the sky. The lake wa.
as smooth as mirror.
Meets With Disaster.
Count Zeppelin's airship, which
descended on a plateau near the vii
lage of Echterdingen, five mile,
south of Stuttgart, shortly before
o'clock Wednesday morning, OWNS
to a defect in one of the motors
broke away from its moorings durini
4 storm at 5 o'clock that afternoon
burst into flames and exploded
Four persons were injured by tn
flying debris. Count Zeppelin es
capped uniniured. The airship wa
completely wrecked.
The storm blew up unexpectedly
fierce gust of wind tore the balloo
from its anchorage and drove it i
southwesterly direction for som
SO yards. Here the rear end of tn
great fabric dropped and smoke an
flames were seen to burst out fror
one end to the other. Then in a fe'
seconds came the explosion and
great column of flames shot upwar
into the air. This wes followed b
: the crashing down to the earth c
: the motors and frames that ha
l. heen attached to the under side {
4 the airship. Several bystanders wer