The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-07-07
Romantic Log of the R-34

estimated by Harris, the meteorological
Of the wafer and up to a height of about
5000 feet. Suddenly We catch a glimpse Of
the sea sh.u hole In the clouds and l,t i Is Is
the south, which is what was estimated
BY Scott, captain, and Cooke. the navigat-
"A few minutes later we find ourselves
above the clouds, our height still being
1900 feet, and beneath cloudy sky with
fore, in between two layers of clouds,
condition which Alcock and Brown
c cSsR in their recent fight tSom the west
Take Cloud Observations.
IAN excellent cloud horizon now pre-
at once takes advantage. These observa-
lions, IL the cloud horizon is quite fiat.
but cannot be regarded as ACCURATE unless
one can also obtain check on the sun
by the day or the moon and stars by
Cooke reckons it is easy to make as
much as fifty mile error in locating
ones position when using cloud horizon
IL &. m:-still blowing our way thru
the fog at 1900 feet. Sea completely hid
den by clouds and no visibility whatsoever.
Stopped forward and two aft engines and
G CINE at is6o revolutions. These are Civ.
ng Us pe an hour RSs 81 the arsSps
efficient speed as she only consumes on
the two engines twenty-five gallons OF
petrol per hour.
Easy Speed of 90 Miles.
wind is east. seven miles per hour. so
we are making good forty miles per hour
Cooke is now ON top of the airshlp TAX
ing observations Of the sun, using the cloud
horizon with sextant. The sun Is visible
being eight-five feet above us down here in
the fore control cabin. Our position is
reckoned to be latitude IS degrees. ID min
minutes west, which Is equivalent to 400
| miles from our starting point at East For
/ tune and 200 miles out in the Atlantic from
the northwest coast Of Ireland.
I'VE are in wireless touch with East
Fortune, Ciifden. OH the west coast of Ire
message wishing US good luck are received
and others.
IL As A. m.ALunch. Excellent beef stew
and potatoes, chocolate and cold water
"12 noon--Watch off duty turned in for
their routine four hours sleep before com
Ing on for their next period Of duty-only
two hours in this case-as It is the first
of the two dog watches.
Sleeping in Hammocks.
:'The sleeping arrangements consist Of
hammock for each of the men off watch.
| suspended from the main ridge girder of
the triangular internal keel which runs
from end to end Of the ship. In these keels
are situated the eighty one petrol tanks.
each OF seventy -one gallons. opposite the
| living quarters for officers and men and
storing arrangements for lubricating oil for
the engines, water ballast food and drink
Ing water for the crew.
Life in the keel OF n large rigid airship
little noise Of vibration except one is di-
rectly over the power units-a total absence
Of wind and except in the early hours of
rounding atmosphere
Getting into ones hammock is rather
an acrobatic feat especially II 1t is slung
vxr1fh
preventing oneself from falling out is a
thing one must be careful about in a
service sS,r airs. atirTship Ike the R-34; There is
underside of the keel on each side of the
walking way and the luckless individual
who tips. out Of his hammock would. in
all probability, break right thru this and
soon find himself in the Atlantic.
Talk to Two Continents. Ga
so: 10 p. n.-Durrant the wireless Of
ileer, reports he has Just been speaking
70 st. Johns, n. F., rather faint, but quite
clear signals. As we are are still in touch
with East Fortune and Citizen and have
neen exchanging signals with the Azores
since reaching the Irish coast, our COM
niunlca IONS seem to be quite satisfactory.
clonds one c6 5n1nSSw rffGets on the
cled the airship itself and the other ono
"a smaller oneIencircled the shadow.
Both are very vivid in their colorings.
Il p m.-StiI in fog and low clouds
and no sea visible. We have hardly seen
any sign Of the Atlantic since leaving
way across
Head, outward bound from Belfast, destin.
alton Montreal, picked up our wireless on
their Marconi spark set. which has
range of only thirty miles. She heard us
but did not see us ms We were well above
and completely hidden by the clouds She
gave US her position as latitude 81 de-
grees ~ minutes north, longitude is de-
grees 20 minutes west. =
80 .: m.-Messages were received from
nown. which had been previorsly sent bv
the admiralty out into the Atlantic to as.
sise US with weather reports and general
Over the Clouds.
Scott increases height to 1000 feet and
az TINS height We find ourselves well over
above us. The view is an enchanting one
as Tar as one can sea vast ocean Of
white fleecy clouds ending In the most per-
Two particularly fine specimens of
windy cirrus clouds, of which Pritchard
promptly obtained photographs. appear on
clords-little curly clouds like a black
cocks tail feathers-all OF which Harris
lnterprets as first indication and infall-
ihle sign Of depression coming up from
40 p. m.-put back clock one-half
Time nov. $40 p. m. Position, latitude. 81
degrees, % minutes north; longitude. 20
I'VE have covered $40 sea miles. meas.
ured IN a direct line. in seventeen hours"
0:oo p. m.-Wireless message from air
ministry. via Ciifden states:
Conditions unchanged in British
Isles Anti-cyclone persistent in eastern
A;ts i Ia new depression entering At
This confirms Harris forecast and is
an admirable proof Of the value of cloud
forecasting.
- p. m.-The clouds have risen 10 our
height and we are now driving away thru
them with no signs Of the sky above or
wind is northeast by east and helping us
slightly. Airship not very heavy owning
to change in temperature and y degrees
down by the stern. Running on ali five
engines at 1900 revolutions Height, 1900
IS p. m.--we are Just on top of the
clouds. The sun is very low down in
western horizon and We are steering
straight for It. making Pr.tchArd at me
elevators curse himself for not having
eren keel.
IS 30 p. m.--scott decided 10 go down
underneath the clouds and increases speed
IN all engines to 1900 revolutions ~ do