The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1916-12-08
Built Of Aluminium, It Is $50 Feet
Long, but Weighs Only
so Tons.
-FOUR GONDOLAs FOR CREW
5rttish Experts Estimate Cost Of Cen
struetion OF Giant Airshlp Recent.
Iy Brought Down In Essex at o.,
25o,ooo--prIven by Six
EnelnEa

London. 1t was not long after the
battle with ZeppelIns last September
before the British air service experts
discovered that the airshlp brought
down In flames represented the htest
type OF enemy raiders--the snper-zep'
peIin---as superior In size, engine pow
er, armament aud bomb-carrying ca
pacity over the first Zeppelins as the
latest big U-boats are over the original
little submarines.
The deductions of the experts have
shown that Germanys super Zeppe-
lin has engines aggregating 40 horse
power, as against $40 horse power In
the original Zeppelin. It'ls $50 feet
long and " feet In Enthusiastically
larger 10 bulk that giant ocean liner
of the type OF the Lusitania, though
of Infinitely less weight. OF course.
The enormous envelope, although de-
stroyrd in the fire. that plugged. the
Zeppelin down TO wreck In Essex. has
been estimated from the aluminium and
steel and copper wire structural work
that remains 10 have been OF cnpac.
Ivy 20 store 100000 cubic feet ot gas
three times as much as the capacity
OF the earlier Zeppelins. then supposed
10 be the last word In air monsters
Larger Than Lusitsnia
What inspired admiration and won
der In the minds OF all who visited
the wreck was the Incredible delIcacy
OF the workmanship that created some
thing larger than the Lusitania 10 float
in the air. and which against the tens
of thousands OF tons weight of the
Lusltanln, with engines, guns, bombs
and ALL the super.ZeppeIn Is figured
MS weighing only SO tons. The whole
aluminium and wire structure weighed
only. the experts report, nine tons
An English reporter who visited the
wreck writes:
'"rhe externals OF the airship her
outer fabrics and gas bags, were de-
stroyed, but all the essentials remain,
bill the elaborate contrIvances OF at
tack, all the gear for operating the
engines all the tackle for maneuyer.
Ing the ship.
THE skeleton Of the monster IL not
visible until you draw very close to II.
II Is a strange, spldery affair OF deli.
cate trellls work IN silvery metal, with
no sheen and no tinkle but Il sepulchral
rustic The girders are OF almost In.
conceivable llghtncss. What looks Il
prodiglously bulky portion OF the
framework can be lifted with one
hand, Instead Of Weighing hun
dredweight II scales few pounds.
The whole structure seems like a de-
vice from another world and another
age"
The Four Gondolaa
Swung under the huge gas envelope
were four gondola shaped compart-
ments, hooded. with nperturcs for the
use u the iiaSigatnrs nffsf Eu,,,e-s and.
observers" gundca mt the Zeppe-
lin'S nose, two depending side by side,
IN the center, and the third md Larry.
est eondola about thirty feet In length
aft. Her six engines distributed
among the gondolas are tigured To have
been able to send the monster along In
calm weather az * miles IN hour.
The goudolas prt Nale Ut stout alum-
mum, but the do not figure
that hoat-Sha' they are. they
could float Su unless The avi,
ntprs had timr nautle the fly
Ink boats OF tb a. aIament IN u de