The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1919-07-10
THRILLING STORY OF AIRAIENS
GAMBLE AGAINST ELEMENTS.
Log oi the R-3i Wonderful Word Pic
rlre OF Lille High Up in the Air
Amid Clouds.

: &ineola, July 6-Not in the mere
lecord of miles covered is to be found
the real romance Of the R-34's aerial
voyage to America. The fall story
OF this great adventure, this gamble
against the elements, is revealed only
through the human incidents of the
TRIP, cnronicled in the form of log
by Brig. Gen. Edward M. Maitland,
official obserN er for the Bntish air
ministry.
The story-a Jules Verne tale come
true-was written while the giant
dirigible was leaving the ground at
East Fortune, while it was passing
out of sight of land, while it was bat
tling its way across the Atlantic and
eluding electrical storms in the north
land, while it was slipping safely down
the shoreline OF Long Island to its
anchorage at Mineola.
Intensely Human Story.
1t is an intensely human story, set
down in simple, unaffected style.
In it is described the feelings OF
men starting On a great adventure
cheerfully confident in the face Of a
hundred dangers. In it is described
the courage of red-blooded men fight
ing their way through an ocean OF
cloud and fog. In it is described the
resolute daring Of men calculating
coolly, just how much fuel, already
greatly shortened, they could expend
in lodging tempests which might dash
them to destruction. In it is de-
scribed the fighting spirit Of aerial
adventures combating to the last a
situation which might force them to
call for assistance. But nothing IS
to be found in the log of the great joy
which must have surged up in every
mans heart when they dropped an
chor VIGOROUSLY safe at the end of a
3,600-mile voyage.
Flying at Night.
when flying attn light there is al
ways feeling of loneliness ON Ieay-
ing the ground" reads an entry made
after the airship hardly had taken
the air but it is followed almost i'm
mediately by description OF
the first breakfast in the air, which
ends.'
"In the adjoining compartment the
graphophone was entertaining the
crews with the latest jazz tunes"
Then comes an account of sleeping in
hammocks aboard service airship,
with a word of caution for the un-
wary sleeper. There is only thin
outer cover of fabric on the under
side of the keel on each side of the
walking way and the uckless indi-
vidual who tips out of his hammock
would in all probability break right
through this and soon find himself In
the Atlantic.
Word Pictures.
There follows a series of word pic
lures of cloud formations, showing
as in the case of Alcock and
Brown the R-4 at times floating be-
tween two layers; of wireless mes
sages breaking through these cloud
banks to bring cheer to the adven-
turers; of meals cooked over the ex-
haust pipes and engine repairs made
with chewing gum; of the discovery
of a feline stoway smuggled abroad
by superstitious member Of the crew
and then the sighting of ice fields and
with terse observa-
tions on aereal navigation.
True Sportsmen,
Instead of finding expressed az this
point enberance of the captain and
crew, it is remarked that the airmen
think they would like to stop at Ne"5-
foundland and Nova Scotia SOME time
for shooting and fishing, as the forest
and lakes viewed from the air hn'i
promise of much game and fish.
Then comes a more anxious entry
The petrol question is becoming
decidedly serious" And again: ''!'2r
some little while past there has been
distinct evidence of electrical distrub-
ances."
Then comes a description Of two
thunderstorms successfully eVaded
-"set down quite simply as they oc-
Cured and more or less in the fc''-'l
of dairy" as Gen. Maitland prnmfs-