Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-07-07

pictures of cloud formations, show
ing that, as in the case of Alcock
and Brown, the R-34 was at times
floating between two layers; of wire
| less messages breaking through these
cloud banks to bring cheer to h
adventurers; of meals cooked over
Hexhaust pipes and engine repairs
made with chewing gum. of the dis
covery of a feline stowaway SNUG
gled aboard by a superstitious mem
/ Der of the crew-and then the tight
ing of ice fields and Newfoundland
with terse observations on aerial
navigation.
Instead of finding expressed at
this point exuberance of captain and
crew, it is remarked that the air
men think they would like to stop
at Newfoundland and Nova Scotia
some time for shooting and fishing,
as the forests and lakes viewed from
the air hold promise of much game
and fish.
Then comes a more anxious entry:
THE petrol question is becoming
decidedly serious"
And again:
For some little while past there
lhhS t0tAA
trical disturbances"
: Evade Thunderstorms
Then m a description of two
thunderstorms successfully evaded
-"set down quite simply as they
occurred and more or less in the
form of a diary" as General Matt
land promised at the head of his
log.
The story of the flight as entered
in the log follows in part:
"1:42 A. NJ. Wednesday, July a.
The R-34 slowly arose from the
hands of the landing party and vas
completely swallowed up in the low
lying clouds at a height of 100 feet.
When flying at night, possibly on
account of the darkness, there is
always a feeling of loneliness i'm
mediately after leaving the ground.
The airship rose rapidly 1900
feet, at which height she emerged
from the low lying clouds and head
ed straight up the Firth of Forth
toward Edinburgh.
1T should be borne in mind that
when an airship sets out on a long
distance voyage carrying her maxi
mum allowance of petrol she can
only rise to a limited height at the
outset without throwing some of it
overheard as ballast and that as the
airship proceeds on her voyage she
can. if so desired gradually increase
her height as the petrol is consumed
{ by the engine.
Anxious Hours
IAN airship of this type when
most of her petrol is consumed can
rise to a height OF about $4,000 feet.
For this reason the next few
hours were one of the most anxious
periods during the flight for Major
Scott, the captain of the ship, VINO,
owing to the large amount OF petroi
carried (4,900 gallons weighing 1913
tons) had to keep the ship as low
as possible and at the same time pass
over northern Scotland where the
hills rise to a height Of over S,OOO
crime 6 A. NJ, July 2.-Airship
~unning on four engines with l,6OO
revolutions. Forward engine being
given a rest. Air speed 80 KNOTS
| land miles per hour made good 56.l
| Course steered 29S degrees-north
62 degrees west course mad good ~
degrees-north II west. Wind
northeast Is 1-3 miles per hour.
Height 1900 feet. Large banks of
ieecy cloud came rolling along from
the Atlantic gradually blotting out
all view of the sea. At first we we're
above these clouds but gradually
they rose higher and we plowed our
way into the middle of them.
Seven A. M.-Nothing but dense
fog estimated by Harris, the mete-
geological officer, to go down to
within fifty feet of the water and up
to a height of about 5000 feet.
Suddenly we catch a glimpse of
the sea through n hole in the clouds.
"A few minutes later we find our
J selves above the clouds. our height
still being 1900 feet, and beneath a
cloudy sky with clouds at above g.
900 feet. We are therefore in be-
tween two layers of clouds.
Breakfast Menu
$50 A. M.-Breakfast in crew
space up in the keel consisted or
cold ham, one hard boiled egg each,
bread and butter and hot tea. We
breakfast in two watches, generally
about fifteen in each.
Conversation during breakfast
reverted to recent flight up the Bal
tic and in the adjoining compart-
ment the praphophone was enter
tanning the crews to the latest Jazz
tunes, such as The Wild, Wild Wo-
men,
I'll A. M. - Wind is east seven
miles per hour and so we are max
ing good 40 miles per hour and rest
ing three engines.
Cooke is now on the top of the
airship taking observations of the
sun, using the cloud horizon with a
sextant. The sun is visible to him
but not to us, the top of the ship be-
ing eighty-hve feet above us down
here in the fore control cabin.
"12 Noon.-Watch off duty turned
in for their routine four hours sleep
before coming on for their next per-
iod of duty-only two hours in this
case.
THE sleeping arrangements con
sist of a hammock for each of the
men off watch suspended from the
main ridge girder of the triangular
internal keel which runs from end ia
end of the ship.
. Getting into ones hammock is
rather an acrobatic feat--preventing
oneself from falling out is a thing
one must be careful about in a serv-
ice airship like the R-34. There is
only a thin outer cover of fabrica or
the underside of the keel on each
side of the walking way and luckless
individual who tips out of his ham
mock would in all probability break
right through this and soon find
himself in the Atlantic.
"3.15 p. M.-Sea now visible al
intervals through the clouds-a deep
blue in color with a big swell on.
"Durant, the wireless officer. re-
ports he has just been speaking to
st. Johns, n. F., rather faint but
quite clear signals.
s4 m u NJ cam a.. -