The San Francisco call., 1908-08-05

ward. II the airship maintains the
speed at which il was travelling today
il should arrive at Friedrichshafen to-
morrow morning.
The quiet villages and small towns
along the shores of Lake Constance
awOke this morning to find the great
event for which they had waited for
weeks and months had Occurred-Count
Zeppelin's airship had started on an
epoch making journey. A majority OF
the scant population Of FriedrichshaIen,
however despite the strict secrecy OF
the counts associates, got wind that
som&hing was about to happen, ana
assembled before daybreak at Munzell
opposite the floating balloon shed. At
6.I5 o'clock the colossal ship of the air
began TO move slowly and emerged
from the shed. The airship lowered Tor
a moment on the surface OF the lake
and then, in a voice which showed the
habit Of giving commands, Count Yep
pelin shouted:
Loose all.' The four propellers of
the machine. two fore and two aft, re-
semblng hsh fms. began TO sound their
drumlike melody and carried the craft
horizontally about 200 yards in the air.
with bows turned toward the land
Then il circled gracefully and headed
for Munzel
The airship skinned on in a birdlike
manner
FORTY MILES AN HOUR
A spondent Of the Associated
Press followed the airship in an auto
mobile, but it found IL almost impossi-
bic 10 keep up with it. as the balloon
was making more than 40 miles an hour
and taking almost a bee line, while the
motor car was compelled to ascend
hills. cross rivers and circle other OBJ
stacles.
Near the island of Recenau. three
and a half miles northwest of Constance,
however. Count Zeppelin tested the
agility Of his craft with such success
that the impression Of clumsiness and
uncOuthness. which was apparent while
IL WIS resting immovable outside the
shed on the lake. gave place to the
conviction that nature had always in
tended it to sweep majestically through
the air.
Leaving the lake. Count Zeppelin
threw a message from his balloon ad
dressed to his secretary at Friedrichs-
hsfon. saying:
Thus far everything has gone we'll
Greetings 10 my family.
Count Zeppelin swept onward to-
ward Neuhasen. outdistancing all the
automobiles following his flight. The
occupants of the motor cars could, how
ever, see him in the heights circling
over Rhine falls. which seemed to
thunder forth a welcome from their
depths. This was mingled with the
loud cheering OF thousands Of persons
along the banks of the Rhine and was
taken up by the sojourners in all the
summer resorts along the river.
The passage Of the airship was splen-
did and il was only after passing Ittu-
gart and KaTlsrhue. at both of which
cities ovations were given it, that the
balloon appeared to slacken its speed
Then, when the citizens of Mayence
could see 1t plainly approaching, the
craft came TO a stop above Mayeken-
helm and slowly descended to the river.
Everything seemed outwardly TO work
smoothly. There was no hurry on
board the platforms and the craft
alighted in the center of the stream
with the bottoms of the fore and aft
platforms gently touching the water
Besides effecting the needed repairs
Count Zeppelin took aboard a fresh
supply Of oil fuel The party then ate
supper and afterward the airship
ascended and started toward Mayence.
Many persons stayed up all night in
order 10 obtain glimpse Of the ship
as II passed