The sun., 1919-07-07
Favoring Wind Saves Big
Dirfgible From Danger
of Disaster.
PETROL ALMOST GONE
Parachute Jumper Leaps
From Bag as Airship
Arrives.
PERFECT LANDING MADE
Major Scott Predicts Voyage
Back Will Be Made In
20 Hours. i
PERFECT LANDING MADE

For 5000 miles the giant British !
dirigible R-34 gamely fought her way |
against head winds, fogs and thunder !
storms which threatened her. Then !
when less than 200 miles from Min ,
cola, the one place where she could
land with fair safety in this country,
it seemed that her brave struggle
against the elements was futile, not
because her weary, red eyed crew was
weakening, but because her petrol
supply was almost gone.
But suddenly, just before daybreak
yesterday as If weary Of the strug-
gle against the aerial cruiser and her
undaunted crew, the wind suddenly
shifted to following breeze and the
R-34 floated triumphantly in off the
Atlantic to Roosevelt Field, Mineol8,
after 10S hours and IL minutes in the
air, more than four and half days
Her mooring rope struck the soil Of
tine field at 0:52 A. NJ.
During all ner vicissitudes, despite
her calls for ships TO stand by, the
R-34 had accepted no offer of tow,
and 1t was her own hve engines which
brought her across. The time of this
aerial liner, which carried thirty-one
passengers and members Of the crew,
was more than an hour faster than
the fastest eastward passage of the
record holding Mauretania, despite
the fact that the airship travelled
about thousand miles further.
Major Scott's Prophecy.
Weary and a bit stiff and creaky
after the days and nights of unceas-
Ing vigilance and heavy weighted re-
sponsibility Major G. H. Scott. COM
mander Of the ship, was nevertheless
quick TO defend his craft despite her
failure to arrive on the Fourth Of
July. as originally scheduled.
We'll go back to England in
seventy hours or less" he declared.
and there was quiet determination
amounting almost to absolute con-
fidence in his voice. THE start will
probably he made an hour before
dawn on Tuesday. We're here under
our own power. and we're going home
the same way"
The coming of the R.34. an event
which has brought visitors to the
gates of the three flying fields at
Miueola-Roosevelt. Mitchell and Ha-
zelhurst-for some days was unex-
pected by the navy authorities in
charge of the handling of the R-34
and also by Lieut.-Col. Frederick
Lucas, the Royal Air Force man who
Is here to look after the preparations
for her reception.
All Saturday night and early yes
terd0y morning the radio stations and
telephones of the three fields we're
busy re!aying messages from and
TO the great dirigible. which was then
slowly, almost imperceptibly, fighting
her way down the coast from New.
foundland. Many were the reports re-
ceived and many the plans discussed
for aiding the slow moving airship or
supplying her with fuel
Anxiety at the Field.
There was little rest for Lieut.. Fl.
w. Hoyt, in charge OF the naval avia-
tion section attached TO the field. and
his assistants. Yesterday morning
from midnight on 1t became more and
more apparent to the anxious officers
and 10 Lieut.-Col. Lucas that unless
gas0lene could soon he sent to the
R-34 she would be compelled to take
her chances on some landing field or
plain where she would find no skilled
dirigible men who could make her
| fast before she crushed herself
against the ground In attempting to
land.
AS the night wore on the long
shanty on Roosevelt Field which Is
the headquarters of the naval airmen
became more and more a place of low
voiced discussion and less a place OF
sleep as radio after radio came hurry
ing in indicating that the R-34 must
soon land TO replenish her petrol sup
ply or fnce almost certain disaster
when, with engines cold and hydrogen
far reduced, she slowly settled to the
ground or the sea.
] Several messages were despatched