Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-14
zEPPEl|N'S A|RSHlP
Made Successful Start on
Record Flight Today.
COMPELLED TO RETURN
Due to Breakage Of Side Steering
Gear.
THOUSANDS VIEW
King and Queen of Wurttemberr
Among Interested Spectators at
Starting Point.

FRIEDRICHsHAFEN, July 1.-THE
Zeppelin airship made a successful de-
parture from its shed on Lake Constance
at 2:22 o'clock this afternoon on its much
heralded twenty-four-hou trip through
the air, bit was compelled to return due
to a breakage in the machinery. The air
ship was in the air one hour and thirty
five minutes.
1t started in the direction of Constance
and sailed majestically away on it's long
journey. When the King and Queen of
wurtemberg reached the vicinity OF the
floating shed on board the royal motor
boat at o'clock enthusiastic cheering
for their majesties and the airship sound
ed over the lake.
Steps were at once taken to bring the
airship out and she emerged from her
floating house stern foremost. like YES
sci leaving the slip. She slowly reached
the open lake and was clear OF her shed.
and with her keel even with the surface
of the water. She hung In the air like
a gigantic sea-goihg leviathan. forced by
some mysterious power out OF the ele-
ment which should be its home. The
supporting pontoons were rapidly with
drawn by a numerous detachment OF the
balloon corps. and then amid roars OF ap-
plause from the boats on the lake the
crew and passengers, fifteen men all told
stepped on board the famous airship for
the most remarkable voyage in the his
tory of aviation.
A Majestic Flight.
When all was ready the structure. which
gave such an idea Of solidity and i'm
mensity that It seemed impossible for it
90 tH,> him
the water. slowly raised it's bows.
The rear platform skinned over the
water at great speed for 100 yards, and
then the whole ship rose into the air. This
maneuver created a weird impression; 1t
was as though a large steamer were quit
ting its natural element
Count Zeppelin, the septuagenarian
| aeronaut. was at the helm, and he soon
turned the bows OF the ship in the d.rec-
ton of Constance. 1t is estimated that
the ship started out at the rate of thirty
two miles an hour. 1t easily outdistanced
| the speedy motor boats which attempted
to follow it on the lake and the slower
| excursion steamers were soon left far be-
| hind.
| The airs-:p was compelled to come
back becau~. Of breakage of the side
steering gar. This was repaired tenn
| porarily IN n.idair, but 1t was deemed ad-
visable not to continue. SO she was
brought back to her moorings on the
| lake. She re-entered her shed success
| fully and the passengers disembarked.
| Another start will be made tomorrow.
The little town was gayly behagged and
crowded with well known aeronauts and
| officers Of the army and tourists. The
| crown prince, Frederick William, came
from Bregenz to be present at the de-
parture Of the airship, and the King of
Nuremberg, who is staying at his sum-
| mer palace here, went out to the balloon
shed. The lake was crowed with excur-
sion steamers.
10000 Cheer at Constance.
CONSTANCE, July 1.-THE Zeppelin
airship passed over here at 2:2S pm.
sailing in the direction of Schaafhausen.
Fully 10000 people witnessed the flight
| from here. They cheered wildly and a
| battery of artillery fired a salute.