El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-03-06

HODNI ZEPPELIN. builder OF the
famous German Zeppelin wal
balloons participated in the
American civil war on the Union side
when a very young man. His life story
In March -Everyhody's' tells of his eX-
perience in America in a very interest
ing manner
According to 'Everybody's." count
Zeppelin entered the German war
shcoOl Of Ludwigsburg in 1853 and later
the army, with a short interval at the
University of Tu1inEen and two years
as ambassador from Wurttemberg to
Berlin Then the restless, hiEh-spir-
tied young French-German decided to
try for adventure I'm America
Intending TO investigate military con-
ditions III the civil war, he obtained
leave to serve as n second lieutenant
under several union generals He had
Gen Grants permit 10 move freely
within the federal lines; but that was
not enough out Of pure romance and
Venturesomeness he fought Cou1eder-
ates- exposing himself recklessly- OF
course. he ascended in a captive ball
loon. with Professor" Lowe. the army's
aeronaut; and after the war, he started
out. with two Russian officers and IN
dian guides, on an expedition TO discov-
er the source OF the Mississippi The
party almost starved
swan the Niagara
Vow follows series OF exploits
which the count regards as mere fool
hardness. But the same wild daring
that made him risk life needlessly was
to find expression later in his airship
ventures
He swan the Niagara rapids simply
10 get a more idcalistic view OF the
Fails He had observed that the river
current always drifted logs TO a Ger
tain rock on the other side, and de-
cided that it must inevitably drift him
10 the same refuge, which il did. He
was taken of that rock by ropes
Next he found himself on the south
ern side in the conflict. between the
north and south German states. While
scouting near Aschaffenburg he was
suddenly cut off from the southern
shore Of the swollen Main river IN
stead OF finding ford, which he could
easily have done, he swan his horse
through the torrent and was almost
drowned But he got immediate infor-
nation OF the enemy TO his commander.
Now an incident even more charac-
teristic- During the army maneuvers
preparatory TO the Frauco-Germau
war. Zeppelin was riding with kins-
man from NiecklenburE, when they
were HATED by q wide ditch Of mire In
spite Of protests. the count, out Of sheer
deviltry. jumped the bog, missed tho
bank, and might have persisted, II he
had not vaulted over his horses head,
dragging the reins in his hand Then
he got a firm foothold and held up
the horse by the bride until aid ar
rived.
Invades French Territory
When war actually broke out. Yep
pelin performed a feat that made his
name famous with every German
schoolboy- General Won Obernitz picked
the Young daredevil TO command des-
perate scouting ride TO get vital news
Of the French mobilization during the
slow massing Of the independent Ger
man states With HANDFUL OF officers
and men. young Zeppelin invaded the
2
Two regiments OF French cavalry-a
troop for every man in Zeppelin's COM
mand-went after him, and surprised
his patrol in a lonely fortress at the
edge Of a dense forest The count
alone escaped His two officers and
men were lost in the hopeless defence.
but the count stole out at the rear, and.
snatching a French officers horse from
the hands Of an old woman he rode fun
tilt into the forest.
Escapes an Army.
He concealed the animal in a thicket
and, climbing a tree, hid there while
the French pursuit was on He was
tracked for days through the forest A
French officer accidentally surprised Z
him. and Zeppelin fought with him and
killed him Then. the pursuit not find /
ing him. he made his way, mourning :
many hardships. back TO the frontier,
with invaluable information for his I
general.
At the siege Of Paris. as he lay in 4
the trenches, the counts Imagination I
was uuickened by the sight OF French :
mail balloons leaving the beleaguered Z
citv and passing safely over the Ger
man lines Right then his mind began (
working on the possibilities Of aerial I
navigation. BY 1880 his inventions /
were well planned But in this year. !
the cOunt-uoW e major general-was !
abruptly dismissed by the government.
Fired From Army.
He had paid too much attention to Z
the close study of aerOnautics- What i
had airships to do with a major gem
eral OF cavalry
Zeppelin was greatly chagrined. but
be now devoted his iutire time TO study
II the airship. And his brother Eber-
hard became as much part Of the
counts dream and work as Wilbur
Wright was Of his brother Orville's
At 80 years. in the face OF general as
constituent that a general of cavalry
should take Up work so apart from mill
tary humdTum. count Zeppelin en- I
larked on his inventive career as bold
s. as he had undertaken his great cav
llry ride.
His Successful Invention.
Zeppelin built a long thin light aIu-
MUM sheath, as rigid as steel that
Gould be driven AGAINST air currents
instead of the unruly balloon that says
md bulge5 when il is driven at any
hing ike high speed against a gusJy
Eiud-
BUT. nevertheless. Zeppelin used the
lalloon TO lift and support him-hc