Omaha daily bee., 1911-04-28
Travel by Airship Near

That the age of air travel is actually
here is proved conciusively in an article
IL the May number of Hampton's Maya
zine The article is written by T. n. Mac
Mechen and Carl Dienstbach, who are
recognized authorities on this subject. They
say that from August /, 1910 to January
81 1911, 5000 men, women and children
| some OF the children as young as years
! rode as passengers in airships. The ships
covered a total OF 1900 miles in these
Journeys and the passengers paid $122, 600
In fares. The average number of passen-
gers carried by each ship on trip was
seven; the largest number carried on any
one trip was thirty-two. (This was ac-
complished by the Deutschland I, travel
ing from Dusseldorf to Munster, Osna-
bruck and return, a distance of 100 miles).
The various passenger airships made AS
regular journeys in the priod specified.
Each trip covered from fifty to 125 miles.
These journeys were chiefly tourists
cursions, starting from cities like Munich,
dusseldorf or Baden Baden.
SO far has passenger airship service
progressed in certain parts OF Europe, that
Il you go abroad this summer you may
book with the steamship agency in your
; own city not only your passage on the
ocean liner that is to carry you across
the Atlantic, but a reservation for voy-
age by airship from Dusseldorf over the
black forest to the city OF strassburg; up
and down the Rhine valley between Baden
Baden. Cologne and Mannheim; over the
Bavarian lake region as far as oberam-
mergau, or out of Kiel across country to
the Danish border and the North sea-
In Berlin you may take an excursion
in big airship which is used for seeing
Berlin by night trips, Just as rubber
neck" automobiles show New York and
other big American cities. or, IL you
chance TO be In the Swiss lake region, you
boy board still another airship at the city
Lnoerne and ride out around the Fugi
And Bergenstock mountains to zug and re-
turn.
These will not be trips in drifting bal
looms or flights into the clouds in bird
like aeroplanes. You will travel in steer
able ships. handled by captains, pilots and
engineers, making regular round trips
from their starting points to fixed des-
tinauons and return.
Not only is America behind Europe in
aerial navigation, but the Americans do
not even understand how far the Euro
peans have surpassed them. Germans lead
the world IN airship development. Eng
land and France are active but in Ger
many the day OF the passenger airship is
not coming-it has arrived. The develop
nent has progressed 20 the point where
ahese two airN travel authorities declare
they do not hesitate 10 say that within
zsfAree years German airships win be maxi
Ag regular trips across the Atlantic to
he United States, and that within five
ears airship service in Germany will be
operated as regularly, and almost as COM
monty, as steamers, railroad trains and
automobiles.
The Germans have established regular
airship passenger lines. they have organ
BED their weather bureau to serve their
bhips by wireless. German cities have
extended the scope OF municipal ownership
b include airship docks. German financiers
ave invested their money. The kaiser and
be imperial government have taken
Esfinits interest trip to the north pole
lill be made under Emperor Williams
eAnetion and under the direction OF com
any headed by Prince Henry OF Prussia,
Is brother. for the purpose OF training
ews for transoceanic service.
While Americans have been devoting their