Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-07-08
R-A's RETURN
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was left to swing with whatever
breeze might stir during the night.
With the ship aloft. the balloon
company. doughboys. veterans Of the
American Expeditionary Force.
found their first relief from many
hours Of strain and excileiii~.it. In
crews of Is each. 10 crews throughout
the day had by their own strength
kept the dirigible from escaping.
The rising sun today had expanded
the hydrogen with which the big ship
ship had been filled to capacity last
night. This expansion added eight
tons to the ships lifting power and
wrenched out the cross-girder to
which the anchorage ropes We're at
tached. The girder tore a hole about
four feet square in the outer envelope
Of the dirigible. but this has been
repaired.
At times during the day the
ground crews swinging to handlines
from the ship, were lifted bodily
from their feet as the wind blew the
ship about At no time. however.
did the R-34 get beyond the control
Of her human anchors.
Major G. j.. NJ. Pritchard, executive
officer Of the dirigIble's crew. dis
cussing the difficulties in keeping the
shin from injury. said:
We did not come anyway near los
ing the ship. and allow me to say that
it would have been all right il. we had
lost it. When we planned to come here
the British government asked the Unit
ed States government to build a shed
in which to house the ship during her
stay in this country. This the United
States government refused to do. When
the British government learned this 1t
said something equivalent to All right
Feeling that the voyage was well
worth the. risk. that it would tend to
ire ease the friendship between the
people of the United States and Eng.
land and that it would be we'll worth
the cost even If the ship were lost, the
British government authorized the
a. hit"
Tonight. in event Of any emergency
which might require their presence, 81
men in khaki were held in reserve. The
ship itself remained securely arch, r e
and only a man or two were at the
and ropes. But in the camp buildings
the balloon boys were prepared to come
trimming to the rescue should an alarm
be sounded. This alarm consists of a
series Of sirens at Mitchell and Hazla.
hurst fields. A large number Of civilian
employees Of the army also were in.
structed to come to the rescue in even,
the sirens sounded.
Brig. Gen. Lionel Charlton, British
attache in the United States, this aft.
erncon conducted Mrs. Frances B
Sayre and Mrs. William G. McAdoo
| daughters of the President. Mr.. sayre
and Mrs. Archie Miller wife Of Colonel
Miller, comm ,ndant of Hazelhurst field
through the R-a They spent three
quarters Of an hour in the ship.
No other visitors were allowed on the
| dirigible because the swaying of the
giant craft in the wind made It impra :.
ticable, and Major Scott. the command.
er. was anxious that there should be
as little interference as possible with
the mechanics who were at work over.
hauling the engines and equipment in
the limited space of her four cars.
Up to the hour of postponement OF
the flight. preparations had been under
way to have the ship loaded to ca paci-
ty by midnight. but these preparations
we're abandoned Immediately when i,
became certain that there was no pos.
sibility that the engines could be over.
Hauled in time for start tomorrow.
After the engines had been overfauled
the fuel. water ballast and hydrogen
will be taken on. weather conditions
here permitting. and the ship is ex.
pected to be in readiness by nightfa,l
Tuesday for an early getaway on
Wednesday.
The early starting hour is necessary
Major Scott said. because before sun.
rise the temperature is not SO high as
to affect the petrol supply. By start.
ing before sunrise. he explained, he
would be enabled to take on $500 gal.
Ions of fuel-''not enough to play about
WITH" he added, but a sufficient supply
TO last throughout the cruise providing
favorable westerly winds were encoun.
tered along the merchant ship trade
route which he plans to follow across