Omaha daily bee., 1919-07-07

sending out the wireless call, saying
assistance might be needed.
| Lieut.. Commander Zachary Lans
downe, the American observer OIL
board the R-34, looked almost a
haggard as Major Scott, whom hi
assisted all the way across. Thu
same was true of the other five of
ficers and the twenty-three men o
the crew.
The men of the R-34 were greeted
by General Charlton, Lieut.. Col. w
F. Lucas and Maj. Hugh Fuller. rep
resenting the British government
and by Rear Admiral Glennon anc
Major General Mencher, represent
ing the American navy and war de-
partments, as we'll as by Lieut.. L
B. Clark, u. S. n. designated to re,
ceive from General Maitland the log
of the trip.
Ais Well That Ends Well"
"Alls we'll that ends we'll" was
the greeting of Admiral Glennor
before he read an official message
Of welcome from Secretary of the
Navy Daniels, welcoming the R-34
to the United States and extending
warmest congratulations upon her
wonderful achievement.
All the air voyagers were in excel
lent physical condition except that
they were very tired. They suffered
no hardships except lack of sleep
There was plenty Of food and
water
General Maitland announced the
return trip would be begun Tuesday
at 8 a. m. Full supplies of petrol
oil, hydrogen, food and water were
ready at the landing field and the
work of putting them aboard was
begun almost as soon as the dirigi-
BILE was anchored.
U. S. Navy Congratulates.
Washington, July 6.-Congratula-
tons of the United States navy upon
the successful transatlantic flight of
the British dirigible RIA were sent
to Maj. ]. H. Scott, commander of
the airship, and members of the
R-34's crew by Secretary Daniels
Immediately upon receipt of ad-
vices that the craft had landed safe
ly at Mineola.
Naval officers here had followed
the history-making flight of the
dirigible closely and made no at
tempt to conceal their great salts
faction that the representatives Of
the service which recently honored
Lieutenant Commander Read and
members of the crew of the NC-4
were able to effect the first cross
ing of the Atlantic by lighter
'than-air craft
Secretary Daniels in his message
to Major Scott asserted that the
achievement of the R-34, coming
closely after the flights of Com
mander Read, Capt. John Alcock
and Harry Hawker, would bulk large
in the history of aviation and would
do much to further the existing re-
lations between the British and
American navies.
THE American navy" said the
secretary, extends its greetings to
you and to the heroic crew of the
R-34 and congratulates you on the
success of your great flight across
the ocean"
New York, July o.-The R-34 and
her sister airship, the R-33, are the
,,,or1j'c ora,+act d;r;p;h1ac The wy, -
brought them into being, for they
originally were designed to outvie
Germany's Zeppelins and bring
death and destruction to German
cities. When they were building it
was reported that they would be
fagships OF gigantic fleet of air
craft that would be launched on
tremendous air raid on Beflin. For
this purpose they were equipped
with openings through which four
S00-pound bombs and sixteen of 120
pounds could be dropped. while on
the upper structure emplacements
were built for batteries of eight
guns.
Worlds Greatest Dirigible.
The sudden end of the world war
put a stop to the plans for raid on
Berlin and the architects of the dir
igibles turned their attention to re-
their craft for peaceful
purposes. But their plans were
again interrupted in June when the
war clouds regathered at reports
that Germany would refuse to &C
cept the allied peace terms. The
RIA was swiftly put in war trim
and started on a cruise of 1000 miles
over the Baltic and the German
coast regions. She carried no
bombs, but, equipped with rapid
firing guns, swept over the enemy's
territory at a low altitude, her
enormous shadow making a grim
threat of the possibilities.
The cruise was made without mis-
hap and when peace finally was as
sured, the CREW of the R-34 resumed
preparations for the historic flight