Norwich bulletin., 1919-07-07

Britain's super dirigibIe R-34. the first lighter than air machine to cross the Atlantic Ocean, anchored here at
 Roosevelt flying field at 9.54 a. to- day C1-54 D. m. Greenwich meantime) ! after an aerial voyage of 10S hours
 and F minutes which covered $500
 miles
 Passing through dense banks of
 cloud. with the sln and sea visible
 only at rare intervals. the. R34 was forced to cruise 05o knots to reach
 Trinity Bay. N- F.. from East For tune. Scotland. and 1,oS0 knots from there to Mineola-
 When the super-Zeppelin arrived here she had left only enough petrol to keep her moving ninety minutes longer Her crew, almost sleepless for four and half days. were weary all most to the point of exhaustion but happy at the successful completion of their epoch making trip The return voyage probably will be started at 8 a. m- Tuesday but the exact hour has not been set.
 Haggard. unshaven. their eyes bIoodshot from the long vigil and lines of care bitten deep ino their I faces. Major c. H. Scott the com mander. and his officers showed plain ly the effects of the anxious hours , through which they lived yesterday while they were cruising ove~ the far reaches of Canada and the Bay of Funday, beset by fog. heavy winds and terrific electrical storms.
 Tt seemed as though the atmos- phere was haunted by 5000 devils" said Lieutenant Cry Harris, the meteorological officer.
 With the RIA long overdue at it's destination. with it's petrol supply running low and buffeted by strong head winds. Major Scott decided yes te-day while over the Bay of F'undy To send a wireless call to the Ameri- can navy department to be prepared l16 This was merely a measure of pre- caution and did not indicate dis coura cement. While destroyers and submarine chasers were racing to her assistance. the R-34 was plugging on steadily ahead on the way to Mineola. Once clear of the Bay of Fundy. the atmospheric hoodoo which had beset the craft from the time it took the air was gra adually left in it's wake.
 The R-34 headed southwest out across the Atlantic along the coast of Maine, her nose pointed for Cape Cod, with the United States destroyer Bancroft hanging on her tail and in constant wireless communication with her The bulldog navy craft stuck close in the wake of the air monster, running under forced draft. until Cape Cod was reached and then the dirigi- bIe cut across lots.
 It had been decided on the voy- age along the coast that unless a fla vOring wind came up the R34 would be forced to land at MontauS Point and early this morning a wireless message was sent out making that an nouncement- With the Cape left be- hind. however. fortune finally favored the balloon and the wind veered to her favor. Headed straight for Montaulx Point she ran true and before the tip of Long Island was reached it was decided to go to Mineola. With the goal almost in sight, the R-34 flew majesticaliy above the island and T-. -1-l s--I~4 for Roosevelt Field. 100 miles away.
 As she cruised over Riverhead the dirigible came within range of the wireless telephone installed at Roose- welt Field by the navy radio service and perfect communication was es- tabIshed- During the night the wire less calls from the R-34 were received by the radio station in New York.
 Over the wireless phone it was ex- plained to Major Scott that a large part of the crew assembled to assist him ip landing had been sent to Mon tauk Point in motor trucks in the ex- pectation that he would tie up there and that consequently preparations for receiving him had not quite been completed.
 The mammoth balloon. To, king like a huge flying fish. was sighted in the distance about o'clock and fifteen minutes later was over Roosevelt Field. She cruised about in a circle at height of about 1000 feet until word was teleDhoned that everything was in req adiness for the landing.
 While the RIA was c1rcling the field at a great height, Major Pr't- chard jumled off with parachute. He landed safely near headquarters and smilingly hurried indoors before an ambulance. that had been rushed to the scene. could reach him. This was nearly a half hour before the dirigible came to anchor.
 Lieutenant Hoyt, U. s. s. the ground 1fTf had Tod force of more than 500 soldiers and sailors ready for instant action as the R-34 circled lower and lower. When she was only 200 feet. above the ground a huge hawser was let go from under her nose British on-commisioned officers with American soldiers and sailors shouted gleefully as they seiz- ed the rope and hung on like grim death
 Then water ballast was dropped from the forward end of the dirfgible and her nose tipped. Then she began to descend. Five more guide lines were them the water ballast was drop ping from the stern. Tn both opera tions at bow and stern the landing crews were drenched by the cascading water Major Scott directed all the details of the landing and it was carried out as smoothly as though the inexperienced crew had been anchor ing dirigibles all their lives.
 The hawsers were attached to con- crete blocks, two at each end and one at either side in the center. When the great ship was safely anchored all the ropes except the ones at her nose were cut loose so she could swing with the wind like a shin at anchor The i landing crews will stand by all through the night to hold her safe.
 The first man to step ashore" was Major Scott He obviously was tired out but happy. On his face was sev- i eraI days growth of beard and he ! showed plainly the strain he had been | under. He wore the regulation air l costume Short and chunky and typi- | cally British. the military skipper of l the huge sirship. shook hands with