The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-18

hydroplane must have brought them near to their finish.
 I realize it is difficult to save the men from the airship because it is sure to be damaged by the heavy seas. l resort to our wireless and order:
 "Sigral-mate. give the position, hydro plane 597 found 15 miles west-northwest of Sylt badly damaged. The crew is still alive. The rescue of the aviator and his assistant by L-12O would be extremely difficult in the heavy sea. Send help inn medIately by the nearest ships Within a few seconds I have an an-
 swer from one of the boats, that at top speed it is racing towards us. I am call Ing through my megaphone to the men in the wrecked hydroplane to hold out 1 The wind carries my words to them, and they understand, realizing that their com , rades are near them and that they will soon be saved
 THE RESCUE
 The first torpedo boat appears 1t ap- breaches at a reckless rate of speed. Ere nuently the waves break over the bridge in the heavy sea, The white oil smoke is pouring from her tunnels. Rougher and rougher becomes the sea. The storm IS getting worse. Slowly the hydroplane
 is sipking It's port side is already under water, and it is in danger of capsizing now with help at hand. We are throwing ropes to them, and 1 order the ship to descend even nearer the surface of the sea, so that the waves are already touch ing the cabin and pontoons L-12o must again ascend.
 Those two men down there, now hang ing to one of the pontoons, cannot let go and neither can they reach our ropes.
 Now the torpedo boat has arrived. At the same minute, as the hydroplane is I--lA tx, them. The torpedo boat is rolling heavily in the sea, but it is coming closer and closer in spite of the waves that wash over her constantly. Boat hooks are pushed out to the men, but they cannot reach them any more. They are so weak they do not dare loosen their grip.
 There, One of the mates with a rope tied around his waist dives into the sea. He reaches the men, and, with much diff ficulty ties them to the lines which are thrown from the torpedo boat. Then they are all hauled abroad where they immediately collapse from exhaustion. Too great had been the physical and men tai strain to which they had been put. With the aid of the ships doctor, woolen blankets, and good brandy, they are soon brought back to life.
 The airship and the torpedo boat turn homeward once more. All my men arel in good spirits over the rescue. To the admiralty, I send the report that the airmen have been saved by torpedo boat V-13.
 ZEPPELIN L-120 BATTLES GALE
 L-1O is still near Sylt when suddenly from the northwest dark clouds appear. Within a few minutes they come up out of the sea like a great mountain and darken the whole western horizon. With rapidity they are spreading nA,r know it is a gale. Higher and higher the waves break below us running against one another like wild beasts SO that the sea looks like big whirlpool, a mass of boiling, white foam. The gale is here. The barometer has fallen to 742 millimeters. There is no escape from the dark, angry windfilled clouds. It is not possible to go either to the right or left of them so we must hold out and go through them. It is now absolutely dark. Horizontal and vertical violent gales are tossing the L-120. Heavy rain | and hail is falling. making the airship | so much heavier. Now the gale is driving l t up, the next moment the ship is thrown l of meters down. The thermom- eter registers 6 below zero. Our wooen l and leather clothing no longer keeps out l the cold The icy wind goes through the | thickest coats and freezes our blood 1 Hardly can our stiff hands pull the con- rolling levers. |
 Ballast and more ballast is thrown over 1 ooard
 Harder and harder the rain falls on i the frame of the Zeppelin where 1t freezes | as soon as it touches our ship. The bal | ast is quickly melting away as we throw | t overheard. AS a last resort we still | nave some water in our supply tank, and | the next benZine tanks must go, and the | rest of our equipment, and then?
 As if the qtOrnl irving 10 finish I us, it is now right on us,, and we are in l the middle of it, talking hold of L-120 | and tossing us to and fro
 My men can hardly stand on their feet | They are often thrown about vainly try | ng to find something to hold
 The ship hardly minds it's rudder-and | now I grind my teeth together-does | that mean our end? One of our rudders | S out of commission, We lose control of | he ship, and the heavy wind grabs it | md throws it down.
 With all their strength, my mates are | .rying to bring the ship into position | again on an even keel. It.is of no avail. | The rudder does not mol N It is set as f held by iron. The sky y now black | and dark Another toss of the wind | throws L-120 nearer to the waves, which | ike polyp, are stretching toward us as l f to grab their victim With muscles | ike steel we are fighting for our lives | I burst. Now several of the steel trusses | are broken. A minute seems like an age i, to us and I realize the great responsi- l bility of my ship and crew, resting on 1 me. With nerves of iron I give my or | ders calmly. Slowly the bow is rising 1 The rudders work again. Our danger l has passed.
 The storm is losing it's strength, the i weather is clearing, and the sun ap- pears again. The air cruiser has not suffered heavy damage, and, thanks to the ability of my men, we got off lucky.
 and I send a wireless we will arrive in | an hour. There had been great anxiety over our fate at the port. The storm l had also worked havoc there, and they had feared that the L-120 would be lost, |
 One hour more and land is sighted II had just enough ballast to make a safe :. landing, and then the hands of hundreds of men grabbe ed the guy ropes, leading ! the giant to his resting place where he ! may stayA until a new order again calls | him out to a new fight-to new vic- | tory.
 AT THE HANGAR
 Softly and noiselessly snow Is falling | from the clouded sky It covers the | fields, trees, the great hangar and the | houses In the background As in times | of peace. all is silent.
 A guard is pacing his sentry beat with | collar turned up and his face red from | the cold. One can see far but nothing s happening. A pair of sea gulls comes sailing. shrieking, and resting on the roof of the hangar looking about for l prey. but soon they disappear in the di-