The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-07-10
Huge DirigibIe OFF on Return
Trip to England.
Was $50 Miles Out After
Twelve Hours Flying.
MAkING 60 MILES AN HOUR
Hopes to Make 3,2OO-MiIe TriI
in 20 Hours.
Big 'Blimp' Flies Over Gotham,
Giving Broadway a Thrill.
BULLETIN,

BULLETIN.
New York, July 1O.-A radio mes
sage received here at D. m. from the
R-34 said she was making good time
and had covered $50 miles in twelve
hours. The message did not give her
position.
A later message placed the R-S4 450
miles east and slightly north of New
York at 10:13 a. m, making good 5S
knots.'
Washington. July 10. - Wireless
messages to the navy at 1912 a. m.
reported the R-34, the giant dirigible
which started on its return voyage to
Scotland late Wednesday night. about
525 miles east of Mineola, making
speed of So miles an hour.
Washington, July 1O.-The British
dfrigible R-34 was 345 miles due east
of New York on her return trip to
Scotland at 7:10 a. m. Washington
the navy department. The message
said: "R-34 position at 11:10 G. NJ.
T.. latitude 40:15 north, longitude
$3.50 west"
Halifax. N s., July 1o.-The R-s4
was reported by the harrington wire
less station as within range at IL
o'clock Halifax time Go o'clock New
York time). harrington is 127 miles
| southwest of here.
Mineola. L. l., July 10.-The British
dirigible R-34, which left on her re-
turn voyage to England at midnight.
was about 400 miles out at 7:10 this
morning, New York time.
A message from the airship received
at the naval radio station here at that
hour gave her position as 40.15 north
latitude and $3.50 west longitude.
That would locate her at a point about
| $50 miles southwest of Sydney. N. s..
and 500 miles directly east of Mineola.
Started at 55-Mile Speed.
Shortly after the R-34's getaway she
reported a speed of SIS miles an hour.
Her location at 11:10 a. m. Greenwich
time G:10 a. m New York time) in-
dicated her speed had been increased
to. about go miles an hour.
lThe decision to start last night in
stead of waiting until 4 O'Clock this
morning-as announced yesterday
afternoon-was reached by Maj. G. H
Scott, commander, at 10:15 p. m. 1t
was occasioned by receipt of an Off
cial weather bureau bulletin urging
haste because of the approach of a
storm. By II o'clock. the officers and
4 crew had donned their flying clothes
of sheepskin and everything was in
readiness. Brig. Gen. Maitland. the
only one of the British officers absent
from Roosevelt field. was hastily sum-
moned by telephone.
Put 25-Pound Mail Sack Aboard.
A 25-pound sack of mail was placed
| aboard. Maitland had come aboard at
! 1880 and Lieut.. J. j. Quinn, in charge
of the departure, gave the signal to
| the 500 men clinging to the guy ropes
| and gondolas to swing her around TO
head into tie wind. The big airship
was slowly turned until she pointed
| A
11:40 "all clear was signalled and the
! hydrogen gas, which had been flow
| ing into the balloonettes thru a ten
/ inch hose. was cut off. At 11:55 bells
| tinkled thruout the length of the craft
| Then-''let goi'
The R-34s last tie to American soil
! was severed and she slowly rose to a
/ height of about rs feet. hesitated. then
rose again to fully 500 feet. The en-
gines were started and she moved
majesticaliy toward Manhattan.
Gives Broadway Thrill.
When the airship passed over
+. Brooklyn at a height of about 2.OOO
feet she was picked out OF the dark
| ness by & number of searchlights from
! the Sperry building. An instant later
1 the lights from the Brooklyn navy
! yard added to the white glare on heI
, under body. The R-34 passed over
the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges
/ InGn turned 10 the lcll anu pdoSCN
over Broadway, giving thousands OF
persons in the heart of theater and
cafe district thrill. She proceeded
| as far as Times Square. then turned
about in graceful circle and headed
southeastward.
At 1880 the dirigible passed over
Roosevelt field and put out to sea. Az
she flew over the field her wireless
rasped out: ''Alrs we'll"
About an hour after the R-34 disap.
| peared from view she sent the follow
ing message: "All o. K. on board
Bound for England"
At 2:20 a. m. she reported: "Cours'
! 80 true. Speed 40 knots (about 81
miles an hour). Going we'll"
Hopes for 7O-Hour Trip.
The R-34 will take the so-callet
southern route" on her return to Eas
Fortune, Scotland. The total distance
is about $500 miles. 1900 of which
will be open sea. With the wind aid
ing instead of retarding the craft. Scot
hoped to complete the voyage II
seventy hours.
In her westward flight. the R-34 re
quired 1OS hours and 10 minutes tC
! make the 5000 miles. 2,200 of which
were over open sea.
Col. william H. Hensley replaced
Lieut. Commander Zachary Lans
downe as American observer on th'
R-3f. His wife and 10-year-old son
William H. Hensley, jr-. viewed the de
parture from the roof of a New Yorl
hotel.