The Washington herald., 1919-07-06
R-34 Exhausts Petrol On
Way to MineoIa and
Asks Navy for Rescue
Ships to Tow Her hts
Boston Harbor.
REQUESTS FUEL AND
GAS BE SENT CHATHAM
U. 5. Deshoyers Ranging
Maine Coast IN Effort to
Locate Helpless Air Liner
Before Dawn - Severe
Storm Raging.

An o call sent broadcast BY the
British dirigible R-5l was received By
the Navy Department last night
The message said: Rush help. Max
ing for Boston from Bay of Pundy
at thirty-three knots Come quickly.
Gasoline giving out Send ships"
The navy radio station learned the
R-34 was battling with a fierce electric
storm The message was received at
s.Ss O'Clock. at the radio tower Al
OttercliIe. Ne.
Shortly after the distress message
the corumnadant at Boston Navy Yard
sent the following:
Sending out all available craft IN
yard 10 assist R-S4 Enable % go
communication Bancroft or Stevem
Uhe destroyers which went To tn
rescue) since they left"
The partial failure of the v1ressz
made navy officials here bereve q.
storm was severe. Considerable fass
wss felt for the fate OF the bag dfr1s-
fble
The R-s4 viii attempt TO Land q
Chatham. Mass. ear+y this mmntnE
according TO a wireless message ~
ceived by the Navy Department h>st
night
Following is the message:
'E-s4 wishes lGrd Chatham Car
sou supply hydrogen aud - gAnons
gasoiine early tomorrow morning
CSigned) R-34."
The radiogram was badly gar
hled in transmission and was De-
ciphered with difficulty.
Only Gas supply 81 MineoIa-
The message was rushed -
Roosevelt Field. Mineola, y y
where the decision with regard 10
sending gasoline and gas for the
big balloon TO Chatham. Mass
must be made, it was stated. Gas
in containers is ready at Roosevelt;
Field.
Although destroyers and other
navy craft were at sea last night
seeking to reach the R-34 and take
her in tow there was no assurance
they would succeed II was said
the dirigible was having difficulty
in making out its bearings, and q
il did not reach Chatham. II would
probably be unable to shoot the
sun" before 10 O'Clock this morning
to make its exact location known
to the rescue ships.
Navy Sends Reseuers.
wireless messages exchanged be
tween the airship and the Navy De-
partment told of the gasoline sup
ply running low, and Of the fear
that the R-S4 might have to be ta-
ken in tow to save her from being
blown out to sea
The following vessels were ordered
by the Navy Department TO proceed
to the assistance Of the dirigihle: The
steam yacht Yatilla. which left Cross
Island. Ne. at 1880 p. m; the de-
stroyers Stevens and Bancroft. which
ssiled from Boston navy yard. ana
the submarine chaser f07, which pro-
ceeded from Bar Harbor. Me.
Messages More Urgent.
There was an increasing urgency
manifest in the messages that came
into the Navy building here. from
the airship. One that came Al sos
p. m. said:
Position noon. 18th meridian time.
latitude 452l north. longitude 800
west. Course southwest true. Speed
twenty knots. Standing down coast
New Brunswick and Maine. Petrol
running short Please have destroy
ers meet Us at earliest possible time
"CSigned) SCOTT.
Comm ander OF the R-SL"
Weather reports from the Maine
coast were received with deep anxiety
last night. With darkness coming on
Il was feared the rescue craft might
have difficulty in locating the dir1g1ble.
or in getting her in tow after she was
found, and there was a possibility that
dawn, after a night OF strong winds,
might find the huge balloon far on
its course, with not enough fuel 20
reach a rendezvous with the Ameri-
can navy craft.