The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-06
ASKS FOR ASSISTANCE

New ork, July 5.-Battling her way south short of fuel and with an elec- trical storm raging across her path, the huge British dirigible, the RIA, was tonight in the vicinity of St John, N. B., still about 800 miles from her goal at Mineola, N. Y.
 At the same time American war ships were rushing at top speed up the Maine coast in answer to wireless calls from the giant airship to the Navy Department at Washington. After long fight with fogs and con- trary winds, the commander of the dirigible flashed message that his petrol supply was falling rapidly and assistance might be needed
 In answer to the message the American naval authorities ordered the converted yacht Eatilla the near est available vessel, to start from Ma chias Bay, Me Scarcely had the yacht cleared when she was followed by the submarine chaser No. 407 from Bar Harbor. and shortly afterward the United States destroyer Stevens steamed out of Boston harbor under forced draught
 From St. Johns a cordon of British trawlers was thrown out and in the stormy Bay of Fundy the French cruiser Somme answered the summons starting south in an effort to cross the path of the airship.
 All day long every wireless station from the northern coast of New Foundland to the mouth Of the Hud- son was manned by eager listeners and watchers who strained eye and eager for sight or signal of the trav- eler of the skies. but only once did she emerge long enough from the nnists to be recognized. This glimpse was caught from the little Nova Scotia town of Parrsboro, 35 miles west of Halifax. the town at which the Han1- l@y-Page, in flight from Harbor Grace, N F., to Mineola, N Y, made forced landing early today The mammo th airship passed directly over the light house of the port at 2:15 o'clock this afternoon
 When first sighted she appeared to be down by the head, but before she had passed out of sight had apparently righted herself and was proceeding on an even keel Sailor watchers esti- mated she was making about 25 knots an hour. The first intimation of pos sible trouble was contained in wire less message intercepted at Il a. m. and addressed to the British admiralty. in which Major Scott, commander of the dirigible, reported that his fuel was getting low Three previous mes sages. giving position, had concluded with a cheery "all we'll"
 Five minutes after the message tC the admiralty, Commander Zackary Lansdowne. U. s. N, invited to take , part in the flight as a courtesy to the American government, sent a query to the Navy Department on behalf of Major Scott, asking if destroyer could proceed to the Bay of Fundy If required" In less than three hours another message asked Washington if destroyeTs were coming and two hours 1nf "A IL. the Navy Department asked that de- stroyers meet the super-Zeppelin "a. earliest possible moment"
 Earlier in the day wireless experts had expressed the opinion something had gone wrong with the R-3fs re- ceiving wireless apparatus and this opinion was confirmed by the appar- ent difficulty in communicating to the airship word that the American naval authorities were doing everything in their power to render the assistance asked for.