The daily banner., 1919-07-14
R-4 LANDS ON
BRITISH SOIL
DlTlglbIe Makes Return Trip
Without Incident.
BAND GAVE WARM WELCOME
The Voyage From Long Island to
PuIham Consumed Seventy-five
Hours

London, July 1.-THE British dirig-
ible R-34 arrived at the air station at
Pulham, completing her round trip
flight from England to the United
States and return.
The R-34 poked her nose out of the
clouds northeast of Pulham and, after
circling the flying field three times,
glided gently to the ground and ten
minutes later was housed in the dirig-
ible shed. The voyage from Long
Island was without particular Incl
dent and was completed in approx
mately seventy-five hours.
Soon after daybreak 400 men sta
toned at the airdrome were reused
from their sleep to prepare for the
landing of the transatlantic voyager.
Lookouts took position in towers and
wireless operators prepared to pick up
messages from the airship. The sun
rose bright, but soon afterward was
obscured by clouds. There was no
wind and those on watch were conf
dent that the dirigible would arrive
on time.
Shouts from those on the field greet
ed the first sight of the long gray
body low on the horizon. AS the R-34
approached the field, she dropped from
height of 5000 feet to 2000 feet The
men who were to aid the airship in
landing were ordered to their positions
and waited silently as the ship circled
the field dropping lower and lower.
When Major G. H. Scott, her COM
mander, had manoeuvered the airship
into position for the landing, the water
ballast was thrown overheard to
steady her and a rope was thrown
from the bow. The rope was grasped
by eager hands and the giant ship
moved gently across the field to the
shed where the delicate operation of
berthing her was completed quickly
and without accident.
A military band stationed on the
field played ''The Call of Duty" as the
airshfp began to settle and then chang
ed to the strains of "See, the Conquer
ing Hero Comes" As the ship was
warped into the shed the band played
"Keep the Home Fires Burning" The
crowd was too intent in watching the
ship to notice the music, while the
whirr of the prOpellers made it unaud-
ible to the men in the R-34
Tired, unshaven, but smiling men
who composed her crew quickly climb
ed from the gondola and were greeted
warmly and with many slaps on the
back by the officers and soldiers gath
cred on the field.
"The voyage home has been with
out incident" said Major Scott. "We
want breakfast"
After breakfast, and while enjoying
the belated luxury Of his little black
pipe (smoking not being permitted on
the airship), Major Scott told the
story of the return flight.
''We estimated we would make it in
from seventy to eighty hours he said
eve made it in seventy-five. When
we left we had a strong wind behind
us, and we covered the first 800 miles
! in about eight hours. When we circled
over New York we could plainly see
the crowds in Broadway waving to us
as we passed, but we could not hear
them because of the noise Of the en-
gfnes.
"South of Newfoundland we en-
, countered head winds, and our prog
ress from then on was slower. We
: Travelled at an average height Of from
, 5000 to 5000 feet and found much low
clouds and fog. Once we saw nothing
/ but fog for twenty-four hours.
Regular airship service between
Europe and America is bound to come,
and soon"