Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-07-15
R-34 ARRIVES AT
M|NE0LA FIELD.
Dirigible, All but Cut OF Gas,
Lands on American
Soil.
DENSE FOG CAUSES DELAY
Big "BIimp" Was Under Perfect Con-
troll When She lowered Over
Roosevelt Field-Anchored in
Five Minutes.

Mineola, L. l., July S.-Another
aerial triumph was recorded when the
huge British dirigible R-34, the first
lighter-than-air machine to fly across
the Atlantic ocean, rounded out its
voyage from Europe to America and
landed at Roosevelt field here.
After being in the air exactly los
hours and u minutes from the time
it left East Fortune, Scotland, on the
history making air trip, it descended
to the ground at Mineola without mis-
hap, to the vociferous cheers of thou
sands
The distance travelled by the
"blimp," the largest airship in the
world, is computed at 1894 miles,
$500 from England to Trinity bay and
1914 from there to Mineola. When
the R-34 did arrive here it had gaso-
line enough to carry it only 80 miles
farther, and, according to the officers
of the airship, if this had been ex-
hausted the trip might have ended
disastrously.
w CA II leu TIC SpCSAuA JOuA
ney at S:4S p. m. New York time),
Tuesday last, it had a full supply,
which was considered ample to take
it back on return trip.
An aimless cruise through dense
cloudbanks over Newfoundland and
Nova Scotia, however, depleted this
supply, which became so low that it
was feared the gigantic bag would not
be able to reach Mineola. but would
have to land at Montauk Point.
That the commander and officers of
the r 81 were apprehensive was indi-
Gated by the eact that wireless mes
sage was flashed ashore requesting
that the United States navy send out
destrOyers to take it in tow If 1t
proved necessary. Fortunately it did
not require assistance and managed
to reach its goal without the slightest
mishap.
Tentative plans, as outlined by Gen.
eral Menocher, call for visits to New
York city, Philadelphia and possibly
Washington, when the big dirigible
will circle over these cities for an
hour or more.
The ''blimp" was under perfect con-
troll when she lowered over Mineola
and started to descend to American
soil. 1t came down as gracefully as
bird on the wing and settled as
snugly as could be in the center of the
spacious aviation field.
AS the great dirigible hove into
view hundreds of american soldiers
and sailors who had been specially
drilled for the task made ready to
secure it Immediately it touched terra
firlna. The first rope anchor thrown
overheard was seized by 60 men, who
fastened it to the concrete piling, and
the historic voyage of the huge airship
was at an end.
Five other anchors were thrown
over and made fast to the other moor
ing blocks.
When the R-34 had been secured
Gen. Edward NJ. Maitland of the Brit
ish royal air force, the official OBJ
server, and his companions stepped
to the ground. All were diSheveled
and on the verge of collapse, none of
them having had more than two or
three hours sleep since the voyage
began.
The British officers of the big dirigi-
BILE ran true to form when attempts
were made to interview them upon
their historic flight. They were ex-
tremely reticent, but one of them de-
clared that the trip was uneventful
and rather sweet"
Considerable praise was heard at
the field Of the expert manner in
which the American soldiers and sail
ors secured the cumbersome dirigible
to its moorings when it landed. They
had been drilled in their work, but 1t
was not expected that they could have
secured the craft in five minutes, as
they did.