New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-31
Father Of the Zeppelin
and Master Mind i'm Raid
That ALI London breads

some difficulty in controlling his great floating
shed, he had to appeal to the Kaiser himself
for some ship anchors The Kaiser, be it
noted. took personal care to locate a number
of spare anchors in the various shpyards OF
the navy ordering them sent at once to Lake
Constance.
The first OF the counts air vessels achieved
only partial success. Zeppelin Immediately
recognized certain remcdiable faults. He
recognized for instance, that the construction
was not strong enough for the great length OF
the ship and that his balloons were not gas
tight But he insisted nevertheless that he had
discovered big princple-that the advantage
lies with large size because Of the fact that
lifting power grows as the cube OF the dimen-
sions and resistance only with the square. This
principle he later elaborated in such convinc-
ing fashion that he stimulated the Germans to
build the first OF their present gigantic ocean
liners.
1t was l9os-only ten years ago-before any
body listened Then the count managed to
obtain a small amount OF money with which to
rebuild Zeppelin | along newer lines. He re-
built it, Then the powers OF the air took their
shot at him. In January. 1906, after an 800
mile trial trip run. the balloon was caught in
windstorm and totally wrecked.
Even Zeppelin this time seems to have lost
heart For short period he remained mac
tive Then suddenly the growing number OF
successful fights in France and the achieve
ments of the Wright brothers in the United
States stimulated the German government to
Until, IfDDc-
lin III. Again Zeppelin started in. The new
ship was built larger than any OF his others 1t
was fitted with an improved S5-horsepower
Daimler motor, and on its trial trip 1t made
sixty-nine miles in two hours and halt.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AIRSHIP
INDUSTRY.
From his single date the airship industry of
Germany NAV said to have been launched on
its present scale The people and the govern
ment swung over to Zeppelin as other peoples
and other governments have swung through
history The Kaiser's administration standing
out firmly against the rival French idea OF de-
veloping the aeroplane, the heavler-than'alr
machine, committed itself definitely to the
ideas of Zeppelin and offered prize OF SSOoO0o
for ship that would remain twenty-our hours
in the air and at the end OF that time lard
without nishap. Zcppelin's years OF work were
at last bearing fruit
The count himself, having reorganized his
company, began work on new balloon, Yep
pelin w. Other builders were stimulated by
the government prize, and in 1907 the Gross
dirieble and the far-famed Parseval l were
completed. In June, 1908, the great Zeppelin
" was given its trial, to which the vessel re-
sponded With voyage of 236 miles in twelve
hours.
The German people went Zeppelin mad The
count was almost demigod by now. And
when in August 1908, the newest and greatest
airship was destroyed by fire on the plains OF
Echterdineen, the whole German nation was
grieved A huge popular subscription was
started, bringing the count 81 100000 to con-
tnue lis work. Zeppelin III was rebuilt ana
named the Zeppelin II. To this alrship the
German government awarded its $500 OOO prize,
afterward buying the vessel. With this pur-
chase the Kaisers empire committed itself ao-
solutely to the airship idea that has played so
large a part in the present war.
THE MADNESS OF THE GERMANS is A
PRACTICAL MADNESS.
1t is not too much TO say that the most capa-
BILE men of Germany's army and navy have
been occupied during the last three years al
most solely by this single task. Their success
is indicated pretty well in the published reports,
which show that during these three years no
less than nine hundred air voyages have peen
VA