The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1919-04-25
Correspondent Gives interesting
Description Of Trip Over
Eternal City.
WONDERFUL SCENE uNFOLDs
Plan TO Mako Aerial Tours os City an
Attractive Fsaeure for Nl<itors
sxhsn Nermai csrdItlons Es.
turn---.Trlp Ia Marvellous !.
Experience.
~ LLOYD ALLEN.
Western Newspaper Union 8taf Cor
rsanondeyt

BY LLOYD ALLEN.
Western Newspaper Union 8taf Cor
respondent.
Copyright. 1919. BY WesterH Newspaper Unioa.l
Home.-When you make that long
promised European trip to see the
great baftlefields OF France and Italy
and get to Rome you Will undoubtedly
have the opportunity Of inspecting The
Eternal City from the deck lof dlri-
gibls.
BY the time Europe has set In house
ln ORDER and has recovered Sufficiently
from war TO make tourists comfortable
Rome will be featuring an aerial tour
Of the city which no one will care TO
miss. even though the cost ees the trip
may be something like $40
Instead Of numbering through ths
streets In the oid-time rubberneck wag-
ons, or la a taxi. you will be able 10
lounge comfortably In well padded
seats of an alrsiin and see ct fairly
close range the layout Of Rome witi'
Its glories OF ancient and nodera archi-
lecture and ali tile same tilne feel per-
fecfiy safe, because dirig1hls Sgspve@
along with even less vibrations .khan d
Pullnan sleeper or American parior
car.
have just landed from anch an In.
spectlon OF Rome. Except FOR few
moments uneasiness while the dirigi-
BILE was leaving the ground the trip
was marvellous experience aud AL.
most absolutely free from any anxious
moments, even though the big ship
sailed along 700 feet In the -s..an at
times. II was war craft. hus:4 far
scout dufy, and capable OF carrying 30
persons and WAS nothing like. the COM
Portable passenger airships iiiut are
nov being planned and which viii soon
be III actual operation not only In
Rome but in other European capitals
as we'll.
The big factories and the men who
designed these ships are now turning
their thoughts 10 the possibilities or
passenger traffic and they know that
Americans are galns to be some OF
their best customers 1uidng tho asiays
of enormous tourist traffic that ase 10
come. la Italy, nv well as Ffancesand
England, II h taken for granted that
the day or air travel In here,
Nc Chance for Civilians Now.
Just now, nf course, ciyiilansTfsnd II
Impossible 10 lis over Rome. al even
sisit Honle for thai matter, unless
they have special business there. All
transportation facilities are being nse,
10 demubilize sections OF the asefiiies
and there Ia general congestion Jn raia.
ways and hotels But this reconAiruc.
tion period IL not expected Gsk. hast
Inany months.
Az guests Of the Italian government
and armed with special permit 10 fly,
our party of American newspaper men,
eight In number were taken up at mid
afternoon for une-hour flight In
which our ship did flgnreseight
course over Rome, flying directly above
the magnificent structure of st. Peters,
the Quirinal palace. the Coliseum and
the newer monumental editice In, &htfe
| marble aud gold that has been erected
to commemorate the creation of neW
Italy, the vast editice af simple and
severe architecture Of the monument
to Victor Emmanuel III.
In automobiles we were rushed out
OF Rome through the ancient city
walls. some OF which were built during
the days OF the old Roman republic,
across the gardenlike campagna Of
| green fields and fiocks OF sheep to an
immense airdrome In the prairie land.
| The whole OF the interior Was one
yast room In which three dirigibles
were rnoored safe from rain and storm.
BS means OF portable staircase on
wheels we climbed into the swinging
basket Of the tairlgible and took places
where we could find them around the
three gasoline engines, 12-cyiInder
Flats. each attached to separate pro.
peller.
Carries Crew OF Seven.
Leather coats lined with sheepskin
were distributed. although the weathes
on the ground was springlike, Seven
1tAiA10 AAAly llG6 eUAAGNsSN tIE VIEW
OF tha ahiE,. The officers used mega
phones at times to shout orders to the
CREW and to communicate with ths
small army OF soldiers thai held the
guide ropes on the ground, NJ
Once the party WAS aboard the diri
gsble was guided out through grea'
pair OF rolling doors into q lawniiks
meadow. There, with nose pointed Il
the wind. the engines were started
I with a terrific roar,
The dnal sand hags were thrown
fgOEn pile On deck and the ship start
81 ascending without sresnor. Tn
leas one looked as the ground sh,
sensation Of moving was not Notice
able.
watched for 3 Dew snomentg CHI,
! manner fn which ggs engine naal
timed up oas OF the three rnutory
| aboard. and WIS startled few aecosilii
| sskar % end that we had moved sky
1 swaTd ass0ut 800 feet.
1 TA@ hsaaSrea odd helpers ON a)ai
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