Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-07
PICTURESQUE SCENES IN AIR.
Incidents of Dirigible's Trip Given
in Official Log.

In Official Log.
Among the comments on the trip of
the R-34 across the Atlantic. made by
| Gen. E. NJ Maitland, official observer
| for the British air ministry, were the
| following:
ct is surprising the amount of ex-
ercise one can get on board an. air
| ship of this size. The keel is about
| running about from one end to the
other. There are also steps in a YER
| tical ladder to the top of the ship for
those who feel energetic or have duty
up there. BY the time it comes ones
> turn to go to bed one generally finds
one is very sleepy and the warmth of
ones sleeping bag and the hum of the
engines soon send one to sleep.
Sea now visible at intervals
through the clouds-a deep blue in
color with big swell on. Our shadow
! on the water helps us to measure our
drift angle, which both Scott and
Cooke worked to be twenty-one de-
greeS.
"Durrant. the wireless officer. re-
ports he has been speaking to St
Johns, n. FEATHER faint, but quite
clear signals. AS we are still in touch
with East Fortune and Clifden and
have been exchanging signals with the
Azores since reaching the Irish coast
our communications seem to be quite
satisfactory.
Remarkable rainbow effects on the
clouds; one complete rainbow en-
circled the airship itself and the other,
a smaller one, encircled the shadow
Both are very vivid in their coloring.
"Scott increases height to 1000 feet
and at this height we find ourselves
we'll over the clouds and with bright
blue sky above us. The view is an
enchanting one-as far as one can
see a vast ocean of white f1eecy clouds
ending in the most perfect cloud horl-
IONS.
Two particularly fine specimens OF
windy cirrus clouds, of which Prit-
chard promptly obtained photographs
appear On our port beam, also some
cirrus ventosus' clouds-little curly
ers-all of which Harris interprets
as a first indication and infallible
sign of depression coming up from
the south.
The night is very dark. The air
ship. however, is lighted throughout,
having been fitted. All instruments
can be individually illuminated as
required. and in case of failure of
the lighting system all figures and
Indicators are radiomiZed.
The radium paint used is so
lighting installation is unnecessary.
Aerial navigation is more COM
pUcated than navigation on the sur
face of the sea. but there is no reason
why, when we know more about the
air and it's pecularities it should not
be made just as accurate.
ITO the west the clouds have lifted
and we see an extraordinarily inter-
estlng sky, black angry clouds giving
place to clouds of gray mouse color,
then bright salmon-pink clear sky.
changing lower down the horizon to
darker clouds with a rich golden lin
ing as the sun sinks below the sur
face. The sea is not visible, and is
covered by fluffy gray feather bed of
clouds. slightly undulating and ex-
tending as far as the eye can reach
The moon is just breaking through
the black clouds Immediately above
The fog bank appears to end
abruptly ten miles or so away toward
the south, where the sea appears to
be clear Of fog and a very deep blue.
Standing out conspicuously in this
nous white icy berg. The sun is
shining brightly on it's steep Sides
and we estimate it as roughly 300
yards square and $50 feet high. AS
these icebergs usually draw about
six times as much water as their
nelgnt. we wondered Whether she was
aground, as the depth Of water at
that point is only about $50 fathoms.
Another big iceberg can just be
seen in the dim distance. These are
the only two objects of any kind. sort
or description we have as yet seen
ON this journey.
Fog still clinging to the surface of
the water-water evidently must be
very cold. Extraordinary crimpy
wavelike appearance of clouds roll
ing up from the north underneath it.
Harris has never seen this before.
Pritchard took photographs.
ION port beam there is a long
stretch Of clear, blue sea sandwiched
in between wide expanses of fog on
either side looking just like a blue
river flowing between two wide snow
covered banks. Cause-a warm cur
rent Of water which prevents cloud
from hanging over it. This well il
Illustrated the rule that over cold cur
rents of water the clouds will cling
to the surface"