Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-01
German Aeronaut Stopped by Acct
dent After $50 Miles.
IN AIR THRTY.sEvEN HOURS
Biz DiriEible Meets with slight Mis-
hap while Maneuvering Near
Ground, but VIII COn-
tinue Journey.


damage It was decided to send II Fried
r~iohshafen for workmen to repair the lam
age before proceeding. The rent is a
slight one and can be mended by tonight.
The count explained that he did not con-
tlnue on to Berlin from Bitterfeld last
night because the airship had lost some
gas, and he thought II wiser to start on
the return trip to Friedrichshafen, par
ticulsrly as the homeward journey would
require from fifteen to twenty hours.
The aeronaut is satisfied with this
journey, which is the longest excursion yet
undertaken. The airship covered some $50
miles, including its maneuvering, within
thirty-seven hours. The tearing Of the en-
velope of the forward compartment carries
no particular lesson. except that greater
care must be taken in steering.
Lands I'm
STUTTGART, May 31.-Zeppelin II, with
the count and his two engineers and a
crew of seven men on board. came down
In a meadow near Inter Tuerkheim this
morning. The landing was successful. The
airship came down lightly, but Immediately
rose again and continued its Journey to-
wards Friedrichshafen 1t passed Esslin-
gen at 9:45, Plochingen at 10 o'clock and
K~erohelm, below Teck at 1913 a. m.
The vessel left the floating shed on Lake
Constance a little after 9 O'Clock Saturday
night. The objective point was Berlin,
where Emperor william yesterday awaited
the arrival OF the count, but the dirigible
got only as far as Bitterfield, some 400
miles from the starting place and he de-
cided to return. There are on board Count
Zeppelin himself, two engineers and a
crew OF seven men. The airship has now
been sailing aloft for something over
thirty-seven hours, coming to the ground
but once and then Immediately rising again
and continuing the journey.
Gather at Berlin.
BERLIN, May 81 1t was announced
and widely distributed in special edi-
lions of the newspapers, that Count
Zeppelin would come to Berlin and land
at the Tempelhof parade ground. Hun
dreds Of thousands gathered there this
afternoon. The emperor and empress, sew
eral of the princes and the leading mill
tary officials and officers were present,
and toward evening searchlights were set
to work in anticipation of the approach
Of the airship. Soldiers kept an enormou
place clear until 1890 O'Clock at night.
when a dispatch from Bitterfeld announced
that the airship was returning to the start
ing place at Friedrichshafen, which caused
the most intense disappointment.
Count Zeppelin, who personally was in
charge Of the airship and whose hand was
on the tiller during the greater part of
the journey, had not allowed a word to be
made public relative to his intention to
undertake an endurance trip. It was. how
ever. common knowledge that he purposed
to seize the first favorable opportunity to
proceed to Berlin, in his newest craft.
Zeppelin II, which was built to replace
the one destroyed near Echterdingen.
Early Conditions U~nfavOrabIe.
The voyag began under rather unfav-
orable conditions. There was a lowering
sky, rain clouds, and a strong side wind
when the airshlp left the floating hall
shortly after 9 o'clock last night. The
residents did not pay much attention to
this, as they were accustomed to night
flights, and when the great ship took the
air at 9:42 there was not a cheer to speed
1t on its way. The ship assembled directly
for a few hundred feet and, passing over
the town OF Friedrichshafen, proceeded
northward
Early in the morning the people Of
Treuchtlingen, a small city in central Ba-
varta, were awakened by the noise of the
~propellers OF the craft, which was passing
slowly. At this place the count dropped
out a card divulging his intention to pro-
coed farther north. This was the first oc-
casion he had journeyed over Bavaria and
his arrival an hour and a half later at
Nuremberg caused the greatest surprise to
thousands of pleasure-seekers, who were
preparing for the holiday excursions.
The ship Unanswered over the city and
then a card was thrown out, stating that a
greater amount of water and benzine had
been useG than was expected and that the
craft would descend to the surface of Lake
Dutzenteich to replenlsh the water supply.
This intention, however, was not carried
out.
Count Zeppelin continued his cruise on.
ward without interruption In a direct line
towards Berlin, passing over several towns
at a low altitude mid the cheers Of the
~populace, until he reached the frontiers OF
SaXony, where the airship was headed
straight for Leipsic.
kilograms received there from the south
indicated that Count Zeppelin would make
a landing ana the entire population waited
for several hours in the streets and open
spaces to greet him. Instead of landing,
the count put his craft through a series
of maneuvers for a half hour, coming al
times comparatively close to the tops OF
the buildings. He then went on, crossing
Halle. to Bitterfeld. No time was wasted
there and to everybody's surprise the air
ship, after describing a great circle, turned
again ard sailed to the south.
In the meantime the military authorities
at Berlin were absolutely without advicef
as to the counts plans. Major Gross, com.
mander Of the army balloon corps, said
that no arrangements had been made fol-
the landing OF the airship at Tegel, the
military balloon headquarters. The loca
authorities, however, learned from private
dispatches that the airship was approach.
ing and so informed the emperor and
princes. Orders were given to prepare 4
space in the Templehof field. This wal
surrounded by lines of police and troops
and virtually the entire population of thu
capital swarmed thither and waited or
tiptoe of expectancy and excitement unit
long after dark. Then a special newspaper
spread the depressing news OF the airshlp'i
return. The crowds at first refused to Civ,
credence to this report, but finally dis
persed.
When the emperor and empress left tn,