The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-05-07

carrying guns TO repel attacks from
above was thought out for ships built
in 1912 and 1918, but was abandoned
for q time owing TO tho danger OF
the fame from the guns setting fire
to the shin II there should be a gas
leak anywhere near them, but appar-
emily this danger is regarded in war
time as being less than the danger
from aeroplane bombs.
The Compartment Idea.
The idea In dividing Zeppelin into
compartments is precisely that OF
bulkheading ship. Cross bracing OF
the huh is necessary TO secure rigid
fly, and by making tho cross braclng
water tight--in this case gas tight
safety~against sudden sinking is also
secured. Also, in an airship, the ends
OF the ship arc relieved OF tho ex-
cessive pressure when the ship rears
up on its tail or dives suddenly, the
pressure in a Zeppelin being taken by
the transverse bracing, where In a
single bag ship II would all be con-
centrated on one end of the bag.
The gas bags in Zeppelin are so
arrtnged that II two or three are pune
tured by she'll and lose all their gas
the ship will still keep afloat so long
OF course as the escaping gas does not
catch fire. II is even said that by
throwing overheard heavy articles,
such as bombs, ammunition, guns. etc.
the bare hull and the crew could be
kept afoat by ten or twelve compare
ments out of the original eighteen.
l have heard II said by those who
know something OF airships that the
modern Zeppelins are 80 designed that
in exetreme emergencies the whole Of
the engines can be 1ettlsoned bodily,
and we know from British official re-
ports published early in April that a
Zeppelin, which was hit either by a
bomb from an aeroplane or by sholl
from gun. dropped machinery" OF
some sort. One assumes 1t was n wire
less apparatus o rspare engine parts.
Also one knows that the big petrol
tanks fitted for long distance. raids,
are built TO be jettisoned quickly by
releasing couple of straps. All this
is with the idea of giving the crew n
sporting chance OF drifting ashore II
brought down at sea or OF being helped
into friendly territory by favoring
wind. Truly. tho Germans have plen-
ty OF foresight and leave as little as
possible TO luck aa
The original idea in making the cars
acts as boats was that the early Yep
pelins were experienced on Lake
Constance from u floating shed which
yeered with the wind, SO that the ships
were floated in and out always head
on to whatever wind might be blow
ing. Judging from the fate Of Liz In
the North Sea and ILLS in the Thames,
1t appears that the gondolas failed TO
function, but in those cases 1t ap-
pears that the hull was badly smashed
and overweighted the flotation OF the
boats; but II there was still enough
gas in the hull for 1t to keep itself
ahoat in the air, though not enough
to lift the gondolas as well, It is prob
able that the gondolas would. keep
themselves and their load aAoat on the
water. A"N
Very elaborate and cleVerly designed
machinery Is fitted in Zeppelins to
transfer gas from one gasA bag to
another, and so to keep the ship
trimmed fore and aft. II one gas bag
at one end is punctured and empties
itself, naturally that end will sink.
but 1t Is possible, II the hole is not
too big, for men to get inside that
compartment and repair the hole, after
which. gas from the other compart-
ments can be transferred to 1t and
the necessary proportions of lift re-
stored. even though the total life of
the ship be reduced. The instruments
used to indicate to the crew the ex-
act amount and pressure of gas in
each gas bag are very accurate and
delicate, and are excellent examples Of
German ingenuity.
Zeppelin Dimensions.
From examination OF the wreckage
OF lA-77, which was brought down at
Reyigny, 1T has been possible to OBJ
tain a fairly good idea of the dimen-
sions of the newer Zeppelins. There
isNpo revolutionary change from the
pre-war type; but undoubtedly the
newer ships are somewhat bigger.
The figures have been arrived at
Wy pAhiuihlhb tue ulhNl huu tAdnbNcIbG
Orders, their curves and their calcu-
lated stress limits, compared with
those OF Evil. brought down in
France in August, 1914.
The growth Of the Zebpelins may be
stated thus:
1912 type-19,50O cubic meters, 141
meters long, 1880 meters diameter.
1913 type-22,000 cubic meters, 1866
meters long, 1890 meters diameter.
1914 type-27000 cubic meters. 1853
meters long, 1858 meters diameter.
1915 type-30,o00 cubic meters,
which indicates a length Of about 160
meters, or about $40 feet, and a capac-
ity OF something over 100000 cubic
feet. m ~
That, at any rate, disposes OF the
yarns from Swiss and Scandinavian
sources about Zeppellns 400 yards
long. 4a.a se5ts
The shape of the wrecked ship was;
as previously stated more. that Of a
cigar than of cylinder. The five mo-
tors were all of the familiar Maybach
type. with a bore OF 100 millimeters,'
(roughly six and one-half inches by,
seYen inches), and giving $50 TO 200
horse power each, so that the total
horse power may be put down at
1000. ,ye 81 {i.,aeia
agt. - Fuel Consumption.
The petrol consumption OF these
engines would be about ESQ Rrammes,