Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-07-26
ZEPPELINS OUT OF 1T

zEPPELINs OUT OF 1T
DIrigIble Gasbags No Match for Air
planes.
Count Zeppelin is doubtless turning
in his grave. His big gas bags have
been making little news this year and
promise to make less as time goes on.
Indeed. the latest reports from the E1i-
ropean war front indicate that their
field Of operations is practically con-
fined to the eastern shores Of the North
SEA and that they ere serving pretty
much the same function as the more
saucy little "Blimps' with which the
English patrol tho channel.
Here are some Of the reasons:
The aeroplane has outstripped the
Zeppelin as a fighter and Is even now
approaching 1t as a weight-carrler.
The Zeppelin Is too large and too slow
therefore too vulnerable. The ma
terial from which 1t Is chiefly con-
structed, rubber. Is not now to be had
in Germany and the rather remarkable
substitute which has been employed to
some extent is both unsatisfactory and
expensive. And. finally, there is reason
Ia believe the Allies have so disrupted
the German sending system"-that Is
the means Of telegraphic communica-
ton by which the Zeppelin fleets were
directed from the fatherland and from
Belgian occupied territory-that raids
on large scale will hardly be at
tempted hereafter except under the
most favoring circumstances.
The last great Zeppelin raid on Eng
land. the famous raid In which the
Germans lost nearly a third of their
llock Of giant sausages over French
territory. illustrates almost all OF the
weak points of Zeppelin's invention
and goes long way toward explaining
why they are now "blimping 1t" over
the nearer stretches Of the German
ocean.
Up Near the Stars.
On this occasion nearly score OF
the latest type airships left Germany
with their tons Of bombs to drop on
England. In order to be safe from an
tiaircraft guns and to present as dis
tant a target as possible to pursuit air
planes, they were obliged to fly at n
great height. Indeed the delicately
adjusted registering instruments on
Zeppelins have sometimes registered as
much as $4,000 feet above sea level
over five miles. AS usual, they were
directed by wireless, and got their sail
ing orders flash by flash through their
Marconi antennae.
When they reached the coast OF
England, however, forcing their way
along in the upper reaches of the at
mosphere, they ran into terrific
storm of hail, sleet and arctic temper
ature.
Their orders from German ground
stations were confused and garbled. 1t
has even been said that French wire
less operators, using the German code,
were simultaneously sending variants
on these orders, which further confus-
ed the Zeppelin commanders. At all
>eyents half dozen of them got the
ia that they were tn. .retl'In To ger
many by way Of France.
This they attempted to do. Unhap-
PLY, however, they had been through
such intense strata Of cold that their
water ballast, alcoholized though 1t
was, froze solidly. They were unable
to tighten themselves and were very
much reduced in speed. Consequently
they sagged continually toward the
ground and passed above the French
lines in broad daylight.
Bassed BY Grouse Hunter.
Soon French aviators were circling
around them like swarms Of wasps.
Several were stung to death-utteriy
destroyed. One got across to the Med
iterranean, but interned itself there
Another landed gently
in a French field. and when the ofhcer
in charge leaped out and attempted to
destroy his ship with volley from his
pistol he found himself COW
cred by the fowling piece Of an aged
French veteran out grouse hunting.
That Zeppelin, with its four 24O-
horsepower engines, and the latest ana
choicest German products for propel-
ling dirigibles, Is in the hands OF the
Allies for observation and experiment.
Therefore. 1t Is now possible to discuss
the "insides" Of the Zeppelin with
some accuracy.
The monster is undoubtedly clumsy.
In effect, It is q huge compartmented
bag $40 feet long and ITO feet high. II
the Washington monument and the
Singer building were laid on either
side of 1t, it would outreach them both.
Its ribs of aluminium, alloyed with
small percentages Of copper and iron'
are both strong and light 80 that when
100000 cubic feet of hydrogen Is
pumped into the inner balloons the
whole has a lifting capacity Of 55 TONS
These inner balloons are interesting.
They were made of fabric like cotton
and were impregnated or covered with
rubber-until the German nation could
secure no more rubber. Now they are
covered with a certain part Of the in
testines Of well-fe cattle. And 1t takes
$4,000 cattle to furnish the covering
for the inner balloons of a single Yep
pelin.
Until the German meat ration Is in
creased and until German cattle are
fed little more profusely from the
grain Of the Ukraine, the kaiser Is not
going to build many more fleets OF
Zeppelins.
EAE EANv AIlRcE SERVICE