East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1919-07-25
Tells or LIFE ON BIG
BRITISH OCEAN FLYER
Correspondent Describes
10S-H0ur Trip in Violent
Weather Conditions.

ship during her stay at Mineola. only
two male civilians boarded the ship
for inspection and my permission to do
so was granted as the result of pro-
mise made on the first day of her ar
rival.
Thus it is possible for The United
Press to give the first details of the
living and working accommodations on
the aircraft as seen through lands
mans eyes.
In spite of what may appear to be
hardships and discomforts, perils and
privations there were none of the
thirty members of the crew who fail
ed TO express the same admiration for
her that is felt by those who have be-
came accustomed to travel on certain
4 steamships.
Pride in Undertaking
"Of course the quarters are rather
! cramped and the conditions under
! which we live are unusual" said
Lieut.. r. d. Durrant. the radio opera
tor, but it is a splendid thing to feel
that one is part of a new transporta-
ton development-and then too it is
our duty to our country to further her
4 interests"
\ This is the spirit that kept the Off
GERS and crew cheerful during their
1Os-hour trip westward, when weather
conditions of unprecedented violence
and atmospheric changes of unusual
variety made life on the dirisihle any
thing but rosy
One OF the greatest drawbacks to
Z life on the R-3i. perhaps, is the lack
of space in which to exercise. AL
! though there is n hoard walk" coo
feet long running the length of the
a l.. tl.sa, 10, s,.,l in
ches wide and as / walked it. cat-lilte,
could not help wondering what
might happen IL some of the crew
\ took an overdose of the rum ration al
\ lowed all members of the British navy
on sea or in air, and tried to walk it
off.
Before boarding the ship. which was
constantly IN motion through the ac-
tion of the wind. although held down
nv hundreds of mon, my shoes, hat and
all matches were taken from me. Thls
was to prevent the danger OF creating
sparks through friction from the nails
in shoes. The removal of my hat was
no doubt to prevent me dashing after
!: IT should IL he blown off. n step over
the side of the 9-inch walk would land
one on the thin linen fabric which
i covers the aluminium frame thence
through It into the thin air below
Like Steel SlSyscraper
The dirigible is about $40 feet long
md is cigar shaped The framework
is of massive aluminium girders weld
y cd together similar to the structural
,rame of a steel skyscraper. This
.rane is covered with prepared linen,
ike that used on airplanes. and within
A the body thus formed are the sixteen
s'gas- bags sleeping quarters, petrol
tanks. water ballast and drinking wa
Z e~ The uaviga- ION quarters and en-
\ eines are in the gondolas which hang
y below.
q The petrol tanks which supply fuel
4 TO the engines by gravity flow, are To-
Gated beside the narrow walk and are
q held by clutches like ice tongs, which
4 can be quickly opened to drop the
= tanks overheard if necessary.
y one either side of the narrow walk
are hung fine-spun hammocks, strung
q from cross bars of the aluminium
frame. If one of the air-gobs or Of
4 ficers should become restless in sleer
and roll out. he would fall through the
4 fabric which encases the frame. and
make a swift descent to land or sea-
y Tied to each hammock is Debated
q rubber life preserver and a silken par
achlte In case of a great emergency
as fire, OF imminent destruction
through other causes, the life belt is
inflated and the parachute hooked 10
a ring in rope belt always worn. 10
q make a safe exit, thus prepared for
> descent the wearer must jump upon
a circle in the linen fabric which has
o been cut out and replaced. held by a
soft gum. This gives way and permits
him to fall through, leaving clean
round opening Instead of tear.
These "ports' are located just be-
q Meath the aluminium petrol tanks. OF
a whici. there are 81, each weighing ooo
. pounds and each containing 40 gai-
:. Ions. Sixteen of them are fixed and
: the remainder ere called slip tanks.
2 should occasion require rapid ascent
a or immediate decrease of weight for
/. flight, the slip tanks are released from
their fasteninGs and drop on and thru
the holes.
Light is Uncanny
The only light i'm the living quarters
is that which flickers through the
ereen-painted linen, an uncanny ara
continual gloom or dusk AT nfgnt
hand electric lights are used and when
the watches are changed, every four
Ir urs, these lights are used to signal
the approach of one of the crew along
H. O walk should another member oe
coming from the opposite direction.
There are no turn-outs on this narrow
gauge walk.
Amidship is the "dining hall" or
l"grand salon. or whatever facetioGs
officer may chose to call it. 1T Is SIM
lply a widening out of the walk, the
( floor space at that point measuring
j. about 10 by IS feet Here there arc
! six hinged tabl IS and tiny wash
s stand, also three tanks of distille
f. drinking water, each containing soven-
I ty gallons.
e At meal time half of the crew off
duty can squeeze into this space and
eat their prepared and previously
cooked food, buffet style. There are
no chairs on the ship. Roasts. stews.
and potatoes, a limited v3rltey of We
lgetables, coffee or cocoa comprise the
meals. They are heated when wanted
t on appliances attached to the engine
I exhaust pipes. Obviously there is no
: lafter-meal cigar or cigaret elioyed
: aboard.
e Observer Must be Acrobat