Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-09
R-N TOSTART
TRIP TOMORROW
Return Voyage of DirigibIe to
Begin at MineoIa at
Early Hour.
GUARDED BY AMERICANS

By the Associated Press.
MINEOLA, N. V. July 9-The Brit
ish dirigible R-34 will start on its re-
turn flight before daybreak tomor-
row. it was announced positively this
afternoon by Maj. G.. II. Scott. her
commander. He expects to get away.
he said. between 3 and o'clock.
The crew of the R-S4 enjoyed a
night off last night. but the 600 men
of the Army and Navy aviation units
were held in nearby barracks to be
called in case the big bag became I'M
manageable. Scarcely any wind was
blowing early today, and it was pre-
dicted that all danger of disaster
from winds had passed
Although Maj. Scott declared that
the airship was ready to start at any
time the weather reports were favor
able, mechanics were busy again to-
day inspecting the ships engines and
other machinery, already in perfect
condition.
Description of Dirigib1e.
At distance of some zoo yards, the
limits to which the visitors to Roose-
welt Field are held by the military
police. the immense airship presents
innumerable possibilities, and many
explanations of the probab bic interior
been advanced. Officers of the United
States Army and the Navy aviation
sections have been permitted to in
spect the ship, and Capt Samuel T.
Moore of the balloon section of the
Army today gave the Associated
Press representative description of
the first lighter-than-air ship to
cross the Atlantic
over all the RIA is $40 feet in
length. with four cars, or gondolas.
suspended from the cigar shaped en-
velope. The forward gondola is oc-
cupied by the navigator and pilots,
and from it all parts of the ship are
controlled by means of speaking
tubes and bell signals. Here also is
the mechanism for controlling the
water ballast tanks. OF the two
pilot wheels in this forward car the
front wheel controls the rudder,
while the side wheel controls the ele-
vator planes. This car also contains
the navigator's plotting table. where
he makes his charts. and here also
tire his navigating instruments.
In the rear of the forward gondola
is the witness room. which also holds
one of the ships engines. From the
navigator's car ladder of aluminium
runs to the ship proper above. This
ladder is inclosed and to the observer
at a distance it resembles tube.
Each of the two side gondolas con-
tains an engine and they are only
large enough for two men to work.
The rear car holds two engines.
While the gondoias can be seen by
visitors to the field. little or nothing
corning the inside of the big bag.
Inside the bag is the deck Of the ship.
This runs the greater part of the
length of the bag and is only nine
where it widens out into compar.-
ment eight by twenty feet, used by
the officers and crew as dining sa-
loon.
Storage of Hydrogen Gas.
The hydrogen gas-the lifting
cen compartments inside the en-
the top of the ship and are of about
equal gas capacity. Each is equipped
with an automatic hand valve for the
control of the gas contained in them.
These gas compartments are of gold
uage Is nothing more than the lin
ings of intestines Of calves. When
ready to start on flight the final
imitation of these gas containers is
made. This operation takes place
usually at the minimum temperature
of the air, when the greatest quantity
of gas can be taken into the bags.
The expansion of gas in the bags is
relieved by releasing water ballast at
the rate of 10 per cent of water in
20 degrees of rising temperature.
Also 10 per cent of water ballast is
released in each $500 feet of alti-
tude.
When the RIA leaves the ground. it
is permitted to rise to it's equilibrium,
or about as high as 1t can go. On
reaching its equilibrium the engines
are started and the flight begins. The
and Oils carried in
eighty-one tanks. Sixteen of these
tanks are fixed to the framework of
the bag structure and the others are
known as sliding tanks and can be
discarded as ballast should the occa-
sion arise. These tanks are ranged
along the sides of the deck. except for
the ones over each gondola for the
supply of the engines.
Water Ballast Arrangement.
The water ballast Is carried in can
vas bags OF two types. There are
eight emergency bags, four forward
and four aft, which may be emptied
in emergency because they can not be
Six other water bags are
controlled by levers and their con-
tents can be released as desired. The
water ballast contains alcohol in suf-
fcient amount to prevent freezing in
high attitudes. The ship also carries
crew each tank containing seventy
gallons.
The dining room contains three
tables capable of being raised to the
upper frame work when not in use.
The room is large enough to permit
half of the crew to eat at time. The
food is pre-cooked and heated as want
ed by appliances attached to the ex-
haust pipes of the engine. Meals are
served la buffet--that is, the diners
stand at cupboard, there being no
chairs aboard the ship.
The men of the crew sleep in light
hammocks along the sides of the deck
and in case a sleeper falls from his
net there is nothing to prevent his
falling through the bag to death
Fore and aft on the top of the bag
are cockpits for the observers These
pits are reached by aluminium ladders
some seventy feet in length
Baggage of the crew is strapped to
the frame work. The officers were
permitted to bring to America, in addi-
ton to two changes of ship clothes,
only their dress uniforms. For every
person aboard there also is a para
chute and a life preserver These are
hung along the passageway or deck
All members of the crew wear rubber
soled shoes to prevent the possibility
of striking a spark, which would mean
damage and possible disaster to the
bag.
Prospects that the R-34 would get
away between midnight tonight and
IN. tomorrow seemed brighter this
forenoon, when w. r. Gregg, a
weather expert sent here from Wash
ington, announced that the heavy
southeast gale of yesterday had
changed to light west winds. This
situation was favorable and would
continue probably for forty-eig hit
hours he said.