Norwich bulletin., 1919-07-07
Incidents of Trip
 Of DirigibIe R-34

Events Were Chronicled by
 Brigadier-General Edward I Maitland, Official Observer Mfneola. N. Y.. July 6.-Not in the mere record of miles covered is to be found the real romance of the R-34s 1 aerial voyage to America The full l story of this great adventure this 1 gamble against the clements is reveal ca only through the human incidents l of the trip. chronicled in the form of a log by Brigadier General Edward M | Maitland, official observer for the 1 British air ministry.
 l This story-a Jules Verne tale come l true-WaS written while the giant diri- ], gible was leaving the ground at East Fortune, while it was passing out of 1 sight of land. while it was battling it's way across the Atlantic and eluding l electrical storms in the northland l while it was slipping safely down the shore line of Long Island to it's an- l chOrage at Mineola.
 l It is an intensely human story set ] down in simple, unaffected style. But l it is doubtful if the grea test master of English could paint more vivid pie l ture.
 In it is described the feelings of men | starting on great adventure-cheer- | fully confident in the face of hun- 1 dred dangers. In it is described the ] courage of red blooded men fighting
 
 and fog. In it is described the reso- i lute daring of men calculating cooIly | just how much fuel, already greatly i shortened, they could expend in dodS- 1 ing tempeSts winch might dash them | to destruction. In it is described the i fighting spirit of aerial adventurers 1 com atting to the last situation | which might force them to call for as i sistance. 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 anchor victoriously l safe at the end of a $500 mile voy- age.
 i When flying at night there is al- ] ways a feeling of loneliness on leaving l the ground reads an entry made after i the airship hardly had taken the air, i but it is followed almost immediately | by description of the first breakfast | in the air, which reads:
 l Tn the adjoining compartment the 1 graphophone was entertaining the crews with the latest jazz tunes" Then comes an account of sleeping ] in hammocks aboard a service airship, with a word of caution for the unwary i sleeper:
 There is only a thin outer cover of fabric on the underside of the keel l each side of the walking way and the 1 luckless individual who tips out of his hammock would Tn all probability break right through this and soon find himself in the Atlantic
 There follows a series of word pie
 
 that, in the case of Alcock and Brown, the RIA was at times floating between two layers, of wireless mes sages breaking through these--ss-.clol1d. banks to bring cheer to the adventur- CTS; of meals cooked over exhaust pipes and engine repairs made with chewing gum; of the discovery of a feline stowaway smuggIed aboard by a supersti, ious member of the crew and then the sighting of ice fields and Newfoundland, with terse observations on aerial navigation.
 Instead of finding expressed at this point exuberance of captain and crew, it remarked that the airmen think they would like to stop at EeWfound- land and Nova Scotia some time for shooting and fishing as the forests and lakes viewed from the air -Iold promise of much game and fish.
 Then comes a more anxious entry:
 "The petrol question is becoming decidedly serious
 And again:
 For some little while past there has been distinct evidences of electrical disturbances"
 Then comes a description of two thunder storms successfully evaded- "set down quite simply as they oc- cured and more or less in the form of a diary" as General Maitland promised at the head of his log.
 Distances covered were as follows: East Fortune to Trinity bay, New foundland. 2.050 sea miles; Trinity bay, lO 4NC" OihS 1.-Two oOcA miles.
 The story of the flight as entered in the log follows in part:
 "1:42 a. m: Wednesday. July 2;
 The RIA slowly arose from the hands of the landing party and was completely swallowed up in the low lying clouds at a height of 100 feet. When flying at night. possibly on ac- count of the darkness. there is always a feeling of loneliness immediately af- ter leaving the ground.
 The airship rose rapidly 1,500 feet, al which height she emerged from the Iow-lying clouds and headed straight up the Firth of Forth toward Edin- burgh.
 Tt should be borne in mind that when an airship sets out on long dis tance voyage carrying her maximum allowance of petrol she can only rise to a limited height at the outset with out throwing some of 1t overheard as ballast and that the airshiD pro- ceeds on her voyage she can, if so de- sired gradually increase her height as the petrol is consumed by the engine.
 An airship of this type when most of her petrol is consumed can rise to height of about 14.OO0 feet.
 For this reason the next few hours were one of the most anxious periods during the flight for Major Scott, the ptain of the ship. who, owing to the large amount of petrol carried (1,900 . gallons, weighing l;.S tons). had to keep the ship as low as possible and at Scotland, where the hills rise to height of over 5000 feet.
 Time a. m., July Z.
 ''Airship running on four engines 1 with 1,6OO revolutions. Forward en- zine being given a rest. Air speed 3S knots-land miles per hour made good l 56.7. Course steered 29S degrees north 62 degrees west course made ] good 39 degrees s-north Il west. Wind | northeast 15 1-3 miles per hour. 1 Height 1.500 feet. Large banks of l 1eecy clouds came rolling along from 1 the Atlantic gradually plotting out all i view of the sea. At first we were l above these clouds but gradually they | rose higher and we plowed our way l into the middle of them. :