Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-07-14
FIRST 800 MILES
OF FLIGHT FASTEST
OF OVERSEAS TRIP
Commander Scott Discusses
Time and Observations
Made at Various Stages.
LIGHTS MADE NEW YORK
LOOK LIKE A FAIRYLAND
UPturned Faces on Broadway
Resembled Thousands of
White Dots.
ENCOUNTER THE LOW CLOUDS
Strike Ireland at Same Point N-here
AlcoclS and Brown Landed i'm
Their Attempt.
LIGHTS MADE NEW YORK
LOOK LIKE A FAIRYLAND
ENCOUNTER THE LOW CLOUDS
Strike Ireland at Same Point Nhere
AlcoclS and Brown Landed i'm
Their Attempt.
By MAJOR G.. II. SCOTT,
Comm nutlcr OF R-31


Copyright. 1919. by Universal Serv,cel
PuLHAM 600 miles northeast OF
London). July l3-I think am a
pretty fair prophet. The night we lef.
New York I said we would take be-
tween SEVENTY and eighty hours in
crossing. We actually did it in sew.
enty-fivc hours three minutes, as
against los hours on the outward
journey.
This is exceedingly satisfactory to
me. since the last leg If the return
was made under adverse weather and
despite one broken engine
The first 500 miles OF our homeward
Journey, were the fastest. We reached
a speed of seventy-two knots. which
IL equivalent to eighty-two mules. but
didn't keep up this speed permanently
sight in New York, when we circled
the Times Tower shortly after mid
nisnt. a :. height of 2.0on feet Fellow
sSsn US lay :. fairyiand Of lignts,. and We
representing upturned faces between
ire lanes ot lights.
Us i baS Ias sver ,Hs sesS weir4sst sight any OF
airshipA,yere too noisy for. us to detect
any sound from Broadway. but we be-
iieved the people down there were Civ
ing us hearty farewell cheers
strong Wind Encountered.
We had a strong wind behind us
When we passed $50 miles south OF
Newfoundland. but as we drew east-
ward the wind veered around and got
ahead of us, though there was no great
velocity.
=. Thsreafter r,n,Ts we had light winds from
across. and lot of low clouds and
fog, which prevented our getting sight
OF any sort for twenty-four hours in
Most OF the trip across was done
above the lower cloud strata: the
sea was not visible. which made it
hard to estimate drift or speed
Just before Ireland was reached we
travelled six hours at 5000 feet. All
OF us were very cold. particularly after
York
We struck Ireland at exactly the
same spot where Aicock and Brown
landed-Clifden.
Engine Breaks Down.
The breakdown of one OF our en-
rious as 1t might appear Though this
meant loss OF one-fifth Of our driving
power when we were 1900 miles from
East Fortune. it made practically no
difference. because in a dirigible only
four engines are used normally, except
when bucking head winds. Occasion
a' Rss11y on,y nn cnree engines a are NECESSARY
and the anxiety on our outward
iXEyase, ia9nt and this return was pleasure
sen sa ton"
AS far as can remember. the most
sensational feature was when we dis:
dining room table No@dont a Iapar make sAe e
twelfth. hour rum which we took aboard
on Haziehurst Field. but he was sleep
,inng ing, for perfectly excusable cause
nave nave TO get the cooks own story on
But incidentally, wish to thank the
benefactOr who StOwau Sop,a rur,
aboard just before our departure. The
name of this .benefactor who risked
to guard us from the Arctic cold which
We we experienced when approaching
Have Much Petrol Left.
We have thousand gallons OF petrol
contrast with, the terrifying Shortage
WI while npproaching Long Island. If We
SUMPTION Of petrol was ahead lead Of S'" us
Of the crew behind we might t",SssS even
TO sum up the results OF the ,ound
trip; Trip; 1t w was not as difficult as we had
moments during a thunderstorm M oves v
Nova Scotia and when the petrol was
running low.
! was consumed with anxiety all the
time the R-34 was at Hazlehurst. he
thunderstorms would have wrencbes
her seaward In jiffy.
I am convinced beyond doubt that
the dirigible is the only type of trans
ocean voyagers. and the R-S4 Is only
a pioneer Larger and faster craft
Safety and dependable schedules In
crossing depend wholly upon petrol
carrying capacity and consistent speed
Ts Ts,,srn senenty ~ or eighty knots. We ali
biazcd the trail for shps OF quadrnpls
her size which will make transatlantic
TODAY.
What are my immediate plans?
Sleep. twice around the clock