The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-07-31

the floor space at that point measur.
ing about ten by fifteen feet. Here
there are six hinged tables and
tiny wash stand, also three tanks OF
distilled drinking water, each con-
tanning seventy gallons.
At mess time half of the crew of
duty can squeeze into this space and
eat their perpared and previously
cooked food. buffet style. There are
no chairs on the ship Roasts, stews,
and potatoes, a limited variety of
vegetables, coffee or cocoa comprise
the meals. They are heated when
wanted on appliances attached to the
engine exhaust pipes. Obviously
there Is no after.meal cigar or ciga-
ret enjoyed aboard.
One can stand upright traversing
the length of the ship except near
the bow and stern, where the gas
bags are nearer the bottom Of the
huge envelope. There are eighteen
hydrogen gas compartments within
the shell, with a capacity OF 100000
cubic feet. Forward and aft there
/ is long, perpendicular ladder. ex-
tending upward between bags and
reaching to the roof. The observer
is obliged to scale this narrow and
wiggly aluminium affair whenever he
wants to "take shot" at the sun in
making observation. I got half way
up but the gas fumes, increased by
the fact that the blimp was being
held to earth, forced me down pre-.
cipitately in utter disregard to the
dents made in the soles OF my stock
inged feet by the sharp metal rounds
of the ladder.
In the extreme stern, modern sani-
tary arrangements are arranged.
Hanging below the bag are four
"gondolas," or cars, one under the
bow: two. side by side. amidship,
and one under the stern. The for
ward gondola contains the bridge"
and chart room and navigators' quar-
tiers, as well as the wireless room
and forward engine.
| The navigating and pilot room,
about six feet wide and ten feet
| long, is the last word in complete
ness OF navigation appliances. By
means of speaking tubes and bells,
all parts of the ship are contracted
from this room. 1t Is through this
room that the ship Is boarded from
the ground, access above being via
another aluminium ladder.
| The two gondolas amidsh1ps,
reached from the envelope" by
small ladders, each contain single
engine worked by two men. The
after gondola has two engines and
tone propeller.
/ When the R-34 silently nosed her
way on to the field at Mineola, there
were comparatively few to receive
her, the landing crew having been
- 4
! was believed she would be forced to
land. She lowered around, however,
with an almost human appearance OF
hesitancy, as though she were look
| ing for comfortable place to lie
down. Finally, after circling few
times, coming lower by ejectfng
water ballast and through manipula-
ton of her elevating and steering
rudders, she slowed down near the
spot chosen and heaved an anchor
overheard, for all the world like the
! Leviathan coming to stop In New
York bay She then winched herself
down to an elevation that permitted
! the ropes dangling from her to be
grasped by hastily collected land
! ing party" Of more than three hun
| dred men.
Che feature Of the mammoth air.
shin that seemed to impress many
: Of the thousands who saw her, was
the peculiar silence which seemed to
mark her departure. This silence,
Of course, did not apply to the
throngs. but to the monster, as she
gracefully and maiesticalIv raised
her head and slipped swiftly upward
and away into the Right.