Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1912-12-06
kIRSHLP'S ARRIVAL
PehoIding Huge Gas Euoyant Dir
igible Put to Bed.
REGULAR TRIPS ESTABLISHED
Each Week Two Leave Frankfort,
Germany, With Passengers, Who Pay
$50 Marks Apiece--Ease With Which
Ships Are Secured on Landing.

may happen TO anybody. go and see an
airShip arrive You may have to get up
ut i'll the morning. but it is worth it
You will drive out Of the town in
few minutes, even if you have to take
Il horse taxi. as did. 1t was sorry
looking horse. but when the driver
knew that his destination was the air
SHIP ground he got Il wonderful speed
out Of the animal. All good Germans
are airship mad just now.
Frankfort is one of those happy towns
that has no suburbs. and In about ten
minutes you are among the wheat
iie.d DIS. the p0prieS n tram line and
sharp TO the right the huge in"loSed
fed. SiXpence let's YOU through the
gate and quarter of mile on YOU
see vast oval shed. 1t is partly brick,
but mostly glass and iron. miniature
Crystal palace with an oval roof and
two huge doors at each end reaching
from the ground to the roof As we
wat II, sixteen men working levers In
couples cause the doors ut one end
slowly to open. Tie airShip is due in a
couple OF hours, and they take no risks
in such matters in the fatherIand. Al
ready Il small army OF men in uniform
Scattcrs about the ground. and ms we
are smoking one of them promptly in.
forms US that there is no smoking al
lowed. We are half q mile off the gas.
ometer and hundred yards from the
/ shed
Along the whole length Of the floor OF
the shed run two pairs of rails some
thirty yards apart The building is
ncarly zoo feet long. The rails take
he little trolleys on which ropes from
the ship are fixed, by means Of which
men can puIl it along in the shed Iron
steps lead up one side Of the shed to its
glass and metal roof, below which runs
Il platform.
\ uniformed man walks along to the
end and gets outside. He carries "A
trumpet. which he will bow as soon
rs he sights the ship. y bell rings
and the army comes in to breakfast.
SO we stroll ont into the sun and.
carefully hiding ourselves 7" WOOD
Il mile off. smoke in surreptitiouS safe
t.. Then, as we walk back across the
field. the trumpet brays. and half a
hundred loyal and early risen German
men and women trot in the appropri-
ate direction. We trot after them.
!hrow back our heads rs they do, ana
there she is. Yes. there is mis-
shapcn golf hall hanging in the Sky in
the direction Of Baden-Haden.
Almost before we have h"d time to
think Of the exact smile. she is near
enough to he huge cigar. Now a
cloud darkeus her and she is Il ri
gantic slug. Another minute. ana
thee she is over our heads. huge,
white, oblonG ship, her four metal pro
9ellers glitterinG beautifully in the sun,
little bulge he,ow her middle show
inG the passengers cabin. and two
Others. one toward each end the boats
which carry her crew.
Behind her. like a biplane with yer
teal side pieces. is fixed her huge
steering gear. and above it floats the
Prussian flag. y loud but gentle hum
reaches us from her engine. She floats
off round Frankfort Il bit for the pas.
1enyers' sake. Sometimes she appears
TO he almost vertical. Then she turns
and is over our heads again Then.
diDNing her nose and following II WIN
her tail, she 2igZags gently down. a
whistle blows, the army runs forward
rht
seized by the soldiers. and in another
moment she is gently gliding along
inst above The earth'S surface. She
is enormous. and white, and smooth
moving and gentle.
Everything connected with her seems
70 happen lust as it should. and as she
is led gently toward the shed and
fastened to the little tr0lleys on the
ines that run her in, and as the bal
last bags are fastened to the hooks
hat hang from her for the purpose lest
she should wish to rise and bump the
roof. we are astOunded nj the ease
with which the cumbrOuS structure or
canyas and metal and machinery Is
Unanswered. They handle hei jeS'
ike as if she were Il baby" says an
admitting American near us.
4 paSsenger-we see only one-steps
down from the cabin on Il ladder plac-
ed for him. The ship herself does not
,ou, II the floor: she rests only on two
little humps Of aluminium that Woieci
down from beneath the two boats on
her under surface.
The passenger looks happy, but very
male. Our American friends explain
This. The fare is 30 marks. But we
envy that pas senger. He tells Us that
whether the ship was vertical or turn
ing or dipping or soaring, he felt moth
ing of it. All the time one swift
smooth sensation Of moving. Sky and
clouds and birds your companions. ami
beneath you wide panorama Of fields
and mountains and forests ana towns
When have got go marks to spare
shall ride in an airship.
There are now twelve in Germany.
counting the military ships, ANA tw"
leave Frankfort with passengers every
onuorlo M &c mara fhtilliuC