New-York tribune., 1919-07-03
Craft Kept Steadily ON
True Course in Spite of
|. Mist; Average Speed Is
More Than Forty Knots
Cruisers ON Watch
If Aid Is Needed
Start Made in Gale, but
Conditions Get Better;
Women Aid Launching

LONDON, July 2 (By The Associ-
ated Press) British dirigible
R-34 at 6:10 o'clock this evening
Greenwich mean time (2:1O p. m.
Wednesday, New York tine), was
nearly 700 miles out to sea in her
flight to America. The ship had
reached So degrees SO minutes north
latitude and 20 degrees west longi.
tude.
The R-34, answering a wireless
question by East Fortune as to
whether it was receiving adequats
weather reports, replied:
eyes. We are in touch with Ponta
Delgada. ST. Johns and Clifden
{Irelandi
The dirigible is due at Hemp.
stead. Lcng Island, at noon July 4.
| The Air Ministry has received :.
report from Commander Scott that
at 20:15 Greenwich mean time (4:15
p. m. New York ti1ne), the R-34
was flying westward at 80 knots,
1000 feet above the sea.
At this height the R-34 was above
the clouds and enjoying brilliant
sunshine.
NeaD York Tribums
Special Cable Serutce
- Copyright. 1919. New York Tribune Incl
EAST FORTUNE. Scotland, July o.
| The British R-34 is far out at sea to-
night on her 6,00O-mile journey to
America and back, the most momentous
voyage ever undertaken by an airship.
Wireless Link Maintained
The wireless has kept in touch with
/ swung forward through the banks of
fog off the Irish coast at an average
speed OF more than forty knots. De-
spite the handicaps of weather that
she met in the getaway, the reports
coming back all day have indicated
that she held true to her course, swing
ing slightly to the southwark as she
| ploughed along into the west. Each
successive bulletin from the mander
has plotted new point on the great
circle course he had laid out for the
| ship.
Two British battle-cruisers. the
Tiger and the Rcnown, are in mid
Atlantic, ready to give the d:rgible
any guidance or assistance she may
need
The great craft rose from, her aero
drome here at 1:4a o'clock this morn
Ing. Darkness and mist robbed the
departure Of much of its romance, and
only handful of spectators cheered
as the ship swung away from her moor
ings and vanished in the gathering fog,
with roar Of her perfectly tuned
propellers. The weather was none too
favorable for the start, bat the R-s4
mastered the climatic difficulties ard
gilded away westward under good con.
troll.
Women Aid Departure
Six hundred mechanics and 100
women of the R. A. F. brough. the
dirlglble out Of her steel shed shortly
after l o'clock. The south wind sweeu-
ing across the Scottish moors caught
the ship as she emerged and swept
her against the enormous vttad shield
winch had been erected ag q protec-
ton against blasts from the north but
the starting party, under the direc-
tion Of Major Scott in the forward
car. dragged her clear
The huge calcium lights atop the
hangars cast an eerie glow over the
! gigantic silver envelope and the alu-
minum fittings of the gondolas The
k-34 shone brightly for a minute and
a Fos fov =.
rapidly across the rolling fields To =
position about half mile from the
shed: AS the airship was then facing
IN the direction of Norway, it took
some manouvring to get it headed
right.
Start Made Promptly
Three-quarters of an hour after she
had been hauled from the hangar the
clear notes of bugle were heard. The
mechanics and "wrafs" slipped the
ropes. The R-34 rose vertically into
the night and almost instantly became
an indefinite outline. The propeliers
swiftly off toward America.
Hall an hour later the R-34 roared
over Edinburg. where the fog blotted
out the beams of the searchlieht,
which were to have guided ner. She
didn't need this guidance, however. g.,
her navigator held her on true
course.
LONDON, July 2 (By The Associate,
Press), when the dirigible R-S4 vos,
from hero early to-day she strucI
straight west. flying at better than hal
.. speed. Before dawn che had passet
:. the north coast Of Irsiand, shifting he,
course somewhat during the day 70 tn,
southwest