The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1914-10-20
CFRMANY'S LARGE
ZEPPELIN FLEET
(By Karl II. Won Wrgand.)
(Written ror the United Press }


land with her fleet of zeppelins, is
the general impression among officers
here, so far as I could get any of them
to express an opinion. That same i'm
preston is in the public mind in Ber-
lin and elsewhere.
Where are all he Zeppelins and
what are they doinggo / asked a
member of the flying corps.
Just wait and see,'' he replied.
England gave us little surprise off
fIeligoland. We will give her a lit
tie surprise before long,
There appear to be but few Zeppel-
ins with the armies in the field. Tt
is dangerous to ask questions or seek
information, but indications are, and
have been told from various sources.
that the Zeppelins are being concen-
trated close to the North sea. It is
said that the completion of several
new Zeppelins is being awaited.
Just how many Zeppelins Germany
has, no one outside of the government
knows. Before the war the official
record was less than Is. There are
reasons for believing that Germany
has more, in fact many more. The
Zeppelins and the AZ Centimeter NOR
tar, are the two mysteries of the war
so far. You can take your choice
from the stories that are afloat about
these two weapons. Among these
are, that the manufactured parts of a
large number of Zeppelins had been
made at the Zeppelin works in Fried
eriehshafen and stored ready to be
put together when the emergency
arose. The Zeppelin works are said
to be working day and night Both
in Berlin and here 7 have been told
that Germany has now fleet Of GA
aerial cruisers. From other sources
was told that as soon as a fleet of 30
Zeppelins could be sent across the
channel, the aerial attack on England
will begin.
That the Germans will make some
daring coup with their aerial fleet
and that in the near future, there is
some reason for believing. Tt Is quite
possible that they are merely waiting
for suitable base, Antwerp, Ostend
or Calais. The stories of the num-
bei of Zepelins Germany now has,
ber of Zeppelins Germany now has,
worth. Aside from the undoubted
fact that Zeppelins are being turned
out as fast as possible, no one knows
anything about the size of the fleet
except the government officials and
they won't tell
In some quarters the opinion pre-
walls that the English fleet will be
attacked by the Zeppelin fleet or
simultaneously by the Zeppelins and
the German fleet. Tn other words,
the big battle will be fought in the
air, on the sea and under the sea, all
at the same time.
| Although it is somewhat. early to
draw conclusions, the Zeppe1ins have
shown in Liege and Antwerp, that as
| a weapon of offense they far surpass
stated to me by members of the fly
ing corps, who have declared that the
scouting and reconnoitering of the
German "Cavalry of the Air. has
contributed largely to the German
successes. but that as offensive weap.
ons the Zeppelins are far superior.
The German aeroplanes carry II
one and four-pound bombs hung in
racks on the sides of the machine
The dropping of these bombs through
the air sets little propeller into mo
tion which screws in the contact point
or 'sprimer'' so that the bomb will
explode upon hitting any object
Until the "primer' or Contact il
screwed in by the propeller, the boml
is "safe. Thus forced landing o.
smash-up of the aeroplane would mo-
explode the bombs carried. TIL,
Zeppelin artillery, as explained +,
me, consists of bombs or shells from
"a to SO inches in length and abou
10 inches in diameter. They are fiji
ell with high explosive. Dropped Oh
the thinly protected deck of battle
ship, it is said they would go through
the ship. The American press, so fa
as could Judge from the first paper
received in many weeks Just befor
i 7 left Berlin, has practically destroy
ed the entire German fleet of Zeppe
Inns. Tt seems I'd have been poo
day when not more than one Zeppeli
was shot down by the French or Bel
gians. It is quite possible that W
are less informed in Germany. bu
there is every reason for doubtin
this wholesale destruction of the zeT
pelins. So far as / have watehe
} events, there is possibility that tw
. may have been destroyed but there
no proof of it and very little to has
the supposition on. The government
flatly denies that it has lost singl
Zeppelin so far. 1t also denies the re
port of the loss of the Zeppeli
which terrorized Antwerp. Member
of the German flying corps who hav
J been under fire many times in thi
war and with whom have talke'
say there is little to fear from riff
and machine gun fire when flying 8
and altitude of not less than 4,0f
feet. Sergeant Werner, the fr'
pilot who flew over Paris, said he ha
/ 25 patches on the wings of his mon
plane-sears of the enemy's bullet
He declared it had been his exper
ence and that of other flyers, that |
y an altitude Of 1000 feet bullet h