Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-06-23
GERMANS PLEASED
Shower Honors Upon Count
Zeppelin After Trip of
Dirigible Balloon.
GIVEN PUBLIC BANQUET
Service VIII Be Continued Regularly,
Many Tickets Having Been Sold
in Advance.

Dusseldorf, Germany, June 23.-
The first regular airship passenger
service was inaugurated yesterday
when Count Zeppelin's great craft
the Deutschland, carrying 20 pas
sengers, successfully made the first
scheduled trip from Friedrichshafer
to this city, a distance of 800 miles
in nine hours.
The trip demonstrated the advan-
tage of an air route in the section
of the country traversed. The
Deutschland cut the railroad time
one-third between Mannheim and
Dusseldorf, covering the distance in
four hours, whereas the railway ex-
press time is six hours.
Average Speed 33 Miles.
The weather was perfect and the
motors worked faultlessly. The av-
erage time maintained for the COM
plete course was approximately 33
miles an hour, but the 124 miles be-
tween Friedrichshafen and Stuttgart
was covered at an average rate of fl
miles an hour. The best speed foI
single hour was 43 u miles.
Count Zeppelin was at the helm
when the Deutschland left Friedrichs.
hafen at 3-o,clock- yesterday morning
and sailed away on the trip that was
to mark an epoch in aviation. The
passengers were some Of the direc-
tors of the Hamburg-Am erican
Steamship company, and the Ger
41N- -
owners of the dirigible. and their
guests. They occupied the carpeted
and mahogany walled cabin, from the
windows of which they viewed the
scenery as the aerial car swept along
Count Zeppelin steered for the great
er part of the distance.
Route Carefully Marked.
The route was via Stuttgart, Mann
helm and Cologne to Dusseldorf. 1t
had been carefully marked out in ad-
vance for the guidance of the pilot
and was followed exactly. There was
no air string and the Deutschland
made its way unhampered through a
flood of bright sunshine.
The hour and minute of the prob
able passing of the various points
had been bulIetined ahead. so that
not only the people of the cities on
the line, who filled the streets, but
the inhabitants of all the intermed-
late villages turned out and cheered
enthusiastically as the immense tor
pedo-shaped air vessel, with its
whistling screws, drove over their
heads at height of between 200 and
800 feet.
Public Dinner for Promoters.
The Deutschland swung gently in
to it's landing here at noon and the
multitude surrounding the landing
yards shouted a welcome. The city
had been gayly decorated in honor of
the event. The promoters of the en-
terprise and their guests were enter
tanned at a public dinner.
Regular trips will be made and
many tickets already have been sold
for the first few days at from S25
to $50 each. The airship is equip
ped with a restaurant, which will
supply the passengers with a buffet
service, such as is afforded on rail-
road trains.
Is 4S5 Feet Long.
The Deutschland is 4S5 feet long
and as feet wide It's gas capacity
is 24,S52 cubic yards. and IL carries
three motors having a total of $50
horse power. 1t was designed to
maintain speed of 10 miles an hour.
It's lifting capacity is $4,000 pounds.
of which 11.OO0 pounds cover the
crew, passengers and express. 1t is
expected to be. able to accomplish a
trip of 700 miles.