New-York tribune., 1919-07-04
Favorable Conditions in
Mid Ocean Succeeded
by Storm as Aviators
Approach u. S. Coast
Time of Arrival
Still Uncertain
ALL Depends ON Weather,
Say Experts; Wind May
Continue for Two Days

SA' JO1lN ., N. r., FRIDAY, July a.
Although communication with the Brit
ish dirigblc was being maintained
early to-day by the radio station here,
the exact whereabouts of the airship
was not known to the station officials
at 2:30 G. M. 7. this morning (1O:3O
=. M, Thursday, New York time). No
reports of the airship's position have
been received. in the last four and one
half hours.
Officials here reported last evening
that the dirigiblc was within 400 miles
of Newfoundland.
LONDON, July (By The Associated
Press).-The British dirigible R-34,
which started yesterday on 5000
mile journey across the Atlantic to
New York City and return, met storms
off the coast of Newfoundland this
afternoon and apparently has been
blown far off it's course.
The British cruiser Tiger, in mid-At-
lantic attending the fier, reported to
the Air Ministry that at $3.50 G. M. T.
(2:e0 p. m. New York time) the dirig-
ible was in latitude Sd degrees 20 min
utes north, longitude 40 degrees vest
Point approximately 700 miles north
east of Newfoundland and 500 miles
south os Greenland
At 1856 G. M. T. (about midnight
New York time) the report to the Air
Ministry gave the position of the air
ship as latitude 81 degrees 10 minutes
north, longitude 40 degrees 80 minutes
west This point lies 15O miles south
of that fixed in the earlier report.
According to these reports the dirg-
lble, after swerving earlier in the day
far to the northwest and heading tow
ard Laborador, suddenly turned direct
ly south And in the succeeding ten
hours covered only the Intervening $50
miles.
Whether the detection In her course
New York beyond Friday was not Ger
tain tonight. An announcement from
the Air Ministry early in the day in
dicated that the dirigible would touch
at st. John 8 Friday morning and
would make Hazelhurst Field, Long
Island, early Saturday. But the Ad-
miralty sent broadcast wireless
based on messages from the airship
fixing July as the probable date of
arrival in New York and stating that
the mammoth ship was expected to
complete her return trip to East Fort
une, Scotland, by the following Monday
Cruisers Report Progress
The two British cruisers, Renown
and Tiger, that through the day have
followed in the wake Of the dirigible
to render aid in case of need, have
reported the airship's progress from
time to time.
Apparently all is we'll aboard the
dirigible, for, though communication
has been maintained with her through
out the flight, no word Of distress has
been received by the waiting radio
stations.
Weather reports up to noon con-
t'nueH to be good, although the pres
ence of low pressure area off New
foundlund loomed threatcningly. Major
General j. E. B. Seeley, speaking in the
House of Commons this afternoon, ex-
pressed hope that following wind
would soon be struck that would aid
the ship into port.
'@reral Seely said the R-34 was
carrying messages which would be
dropped ut st. Johns. At o'clock this
morning, he said, the dirigiblc had COW
cred 1.oo5 miles, or one third of the
journey to New York. General Scely
SAID that reports from the airshp to
the Ministry indicated that much val
uablc information of the heretofore un-
chartered air currents of the Atlantic
was being obtained and that as a result
the possibilities Of overseas air traffic
would be revealed. He expressed
hope that the flight would "bind still
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