Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-04

ship again resumed her horizont., posi-
ton. Gracefully swinging first to the
right and then to the left. she took her
rapid course.
| II was evident that Count Zeppelin had
been subjecting the aerial craft to some
severe test and that the result had been
! to his satisfaction. The mass of 1000
pounds of metal. woodwork. machinery
and cloth no longer seemed colossal and
| gigantic ungainly and uncouth but a
creation so wonderful that the spectators
| for the moment forgot that it was the
handiWork of man.
Constance Folk Astir.
The people of Constance, who had arisen
| early. were aware of the approach of the
airship. The shore and the piers were
black with people, shouting cheerful
welcome and their wishes for a good voy-
age. Like an arrow the airship shot over
the city.
AT Constance the correspondent left his
motorboat and In an automobile sped
around the city and finally caught up
with the balloon far beyond the city
limits in the Rhine valley. The airship
had risen again about 100 feet higher,
and there was further maneuvering. The
laborers i'm the fields rested on their
spades to gaze aloft at the strange visitor.
Drivers stopped their teams in their
eagerness not to lose anything of the ap-
partition and the people on the road, with
all their attention riveted in the air. were
oblivious of passing automobiles and other
road traffic.
Over the Island of Reichenau the air
ship assembled to a height of 1000 feet.
but this was only for few moments 1t
came down to its previous level to save
gas. which escapes more easily in the
thin air of the greater attitudes.
Thirty Miles an Hour.
-
would have been impossible to Keep up
with the airship in a fifty-horsepower au-
tomobile. The traveller in the air could
easily have outdistanced car of this
power, Allowing for the time lost in ma
neuvering, the airship was proceeding at
the rate of about thirty miles an hour.
The news of the departure of the air
ship from Lake Constance and the direc-
ton it was taking during these first hours
had been telegraphed and telephoned over
the country, and as it progressed specta-
tors were more and more numerous. The
greetings were enthusiastic.
At Stein the Rhine valley widens con-
siderably. forming the Lake of Zell. With
this expanse in front of it the airship,
nose first. came down again to an alti-
tude of about LOCO feet and continued
at that height until 1t again re-entered
the Rhine valley not far from the famous
Castle Of Hohenwiel.
Past and Future Meet.
This stronghold. unconquered for a
thousand years until the coming of Ma
poleon, today was mute witness of the
marvellous achievement of the Napoleon
of the air. Over the old feudal castle the
airship swept silent and speedily. and it's
grim meats and turrets flashed their
greetings to the intrepid sailors of the air
above.
There was a faint wind from the north
west in the beginning, which was appar-
emily quite powerfess to influence either
the speed of the airship or its course. This
wind later changed and blew from the
southeast, in which direction it was help
full to the navigators.
At Stein it was seen that the airship
was quickeninE its pace considerably,
going probably at the rate of thirty-seven
miles an hour.
In the forward gondola are five men
and in the after gondola three members
Of the crew One Of the men from the
forward gondola soon after the airship
passed Hohenwiel was seen to ascend a
ladder and disappear in the great body
of the airship.
Sixteen Balloons in One.
Something may be wrong with one of
the sixteen small balloons filing the in
terror of the giant. but it is impossible to
behind the mountains. putting an i'm
passable barrier between herself and d
pursuing automobile Five minutes later
it was possible to sight her again for an
instant, floating smoothly along with a
silent stateliness and majesty full in
keeping with the tranquility of a most
beautiful summer day.
If the weather remains unchanged, as it
promises the airship undoubtedly will
reach Mayence long before her scheduled
time and the count will have ample lee
way for his projected return to the lake
of Constance by way Of Metz and Stuff
CART.
Progress of the Craft.
SCHAFFHAUSEN, Switzerland. Au-
gust 4.-Count Zeppelin's arship left
Friedrichshafen at $3.50 O'Clock this morn
ing and passed over this place shortly
before o'clock. going in the direction Of
Basic Maj Gradnitz. representing the
German government. was a passenger in
the car.
A Message From the Skies.
BAsLE August 4.-Count Zeppelin 8
ing. A message on a card dropped from
the airship reads:
In the heights over Basic. AIRS well.
Course now lies toward Strasburg.
ZEPPELIN"
Bound for Mayence.
MUELHAUSEN. Germany, August A.
Count Zeppelin's airship passed over this
city at 1918 this morning and Is going
down the Rhine in the direction of
Mayence.
Circles the Cathedral.
STRASBURG. Aug. 4.-Thousands Of
people gathered In the streets to watch
the airship as 1t lowered over the city. 1t
twice encircled the cathedral before head
ing for Mannheim The balloon started
from Strasburg at IA minutes past l. 1t
appeared to be going at the rate Of forty
miles an hour 1t twice circled the cathe-
dral tower. moving slowly at an elevation
a little above the tower.
The city is decorated with flags and as
the ship Of the air passed over the crowds
which filled the streets and squares shout
ed their approval and encouragement. The
airship then laid its course straight down
the Rhine.
A card f1uttered down before the ship
got away. Upon II was written:
Out Of the heights above StrasburS.