The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1919-07-10
BRITISH DIRIGIBLE
CROSSES ATLANTIC
BRITISH AIRSHIP MAKES sue
CESSFUL 3,60O-MILE TRIP
Crew of 500 Soldiers and Sailors
Makes Safe Landing at MineOla-
Ship Had Fuel for Only 80 Minutes
More When Landing Was Made.


Mineola, N ", July 6.-Great Brit
aims super-dirgible R-34, the first
lighter than air machine to cross the
Atlantic Ocean, anchored here at
Roosevelt flying field at 1854 am.
today 1:54 p. m. Greenwich time),
after an aerial voyage of 1O8 hours
and IL minutes, which covered $500
miles.
Passing through dense banks of
cloud, with the sun and sea visible
only at rare intervals, the R-34 was
forced to cruise $500 miles to reach
Trinity Bay, N. F., from East For
tune, Scotland, and 1914 miles from
there to Mineola.
When the super-Zeppelin arrived
here she had left only enough petrol
to keep her moving 80 minutes longer.
Her crew, almost sleepless for four
and a half days, were weary almost
to the point of exhaustion, but happy
at the successful completion of their
epoch-making trip. The return voy-
age will start Wednesday at 8 am.
Haggard, unshaven, their eyes
bloodshot from the long vigil and
lines of care bitten deeply in their
faces, Maj. Scott, the commander,
and his officers showed plainly the
effects Of the anxious hours through
which they lived yesterday while
they were cruising over the far
reaches Of Canada and the Bay of
Fundy, beset by fog, heavy winds and
terrific electrical storms.
at seemed as though the atmos-
phere was haunted by 5000 devils"
said Lieut.. Guy Harris, the meteoro-
logical officer.
With the R-34 long overdue at its
destination, petrol supply running low
and buffeted by strong head winds,
Maj. Scott decided yesterday while
over the Bay of Fundy to send wire
less call to the American navy de-
partment to be prepared to give as
sistance if it were needed. This was
merely a measure of precaution and
did not indicate Encouragement.
While destroyers and submarine
chasers were racing to her assistance
the R-34 was plugging steadily ahead
on the way to Mineola. Once clear of
the Bay of Fundy the atmospheric
hoodoo which had beset the craft from
the time it took the air was gradually
left in its wake.
The R-34 headed southwest out
across the Atlantic along the coast
of Maine, her nose pointed for Cape
Cod, with the United States destroyer
Bancroft hanging on her tail and in
constant wireless communication with
her. The destroyer stuck close in
the wake Of the air monster, running
under forced draft, until Cape Cod
was reached, and the nthe dirigible
cut across lots.
1t had been decided on the voyage
along the coast that unless a favoring
wind came up the R-34 would be fore
ed to land at Montauk Point, and
early this morning wireless mes
sage was sent out making that an
nouncement. With the cape left be-
hind, however, fortune finally favored
the dirigible and the wind veered to
her favor. Headed straight for Mon
tauk Point she ran true, and before
the tip end of Long Islnad was reach
ed it was decided to go on to Mineola.
With the goal almost in sight, the
R-34 flew majestically above the is
land and headed straight down the
center of it for Roosevelt Field, 100
miles away.
AS she came over Riverhead the
dirigible came within range of the
wireless telephone installed at Roose-
welt Field by the navy radio service
and perfect communication was es-
tablished. During the night the wire
less calls from the R-34 were received
by the navy radio station in New
York.
Over the wireless telephone it was
explained to Maj. Scott that a large
part of the crew, assembled to assist
him in landing, had been sent to Mon
tauk Point in motor trucks in the
expectation that he would tie up there
and that consequently preparations
for receiving him had not quite been
completed.
The mammoth balloon was sighted
in the distance about 8 o'clock, and Is
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