The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-07-10

IL Tess VI II - Itnl'lll III TIC blltll
at Roosevelt Field than to risk disaster
in high wind Over the Atlantic.
Mineola, July AT distance of
some 200 yards the limit to which the
visitors to Roosevelt Field are held by
the military police, the immense ship
presents innumerable possibilities and
many explanations of the probable in
terror mechanism of the monster craft
have been advanced.
Officers of the United States army and
the navy aviation sections have been
permitted to inspect the ship and Cap.
tain Samuel T. Moore of the balloon sec
tion of the army, today gave to the AS.
sociated Press representative a descrip-
ton of the first lighter-than- air ship
to cross,~the Atlantic.
The R-34 is $50 feet in length with
four cars or gondolas suspended from
the cigar shaped envelope.
The forward gondola is occupied by
the navigator and pilots and from it all
parts of the ship are controlled by means
of speaking tubes and bell signals. Here
also is the mechanism for controlling
the water ballast tanks. OF the two
pilot wheels in this forward car, the
front wheel controls the rudder, while
the side wheel controls the elevator
planes.
This car also contains the navlgator's
plotting table where he makes his charts
and here also are his navigating instru-
ments.
In the rear of the forward gondola
is the wireless room which also holds
one of the ships engines. From the
navigator's car n ladder of aluminium
runs to the ship proper above. This
ladder is enclosed and to the observer
at n distance it resembles a tube. The
two side gondolas each contain an en-
gine and are only large enough for two
men to work The rear car holds two
engines.
While the gondolas can be seen by
visitors to the field. little or nothing has
been allowed to filter out concerning the
inside of the big bag. Inside the bag
is the deck of the ship. 1t runs the
greater part of the length of the bag
and is only nine inches wide except at
it's middle, where it widens out into
compartment SX20 feet, used by the of
ficers and crew as a dining room.
The hydrogen gas, the lifting power
of the ship is carried in IS compart-
ments inside the envelope. These com
partments are at the top of the ship
and each is of about equal gas capacity
and is equipped with an automatic hand
valve for the control of the gas con
tanned in them. These gas compart-
ments are of gold beaters' skin, which
in common language is nothing more
than the Innings of intestines of calves.
When ready to start on a flight the
final initiation of these gas containers is
made This operation takes place usu-
ally at the minimum temperature of the
air when the greatest quantity of gas
can be taken into the bags. The expan-
sion of gas in the bags is relieved by
releasing water ballast at the rate of
ten per cent of water in 90 degrees of
rising temperature. Also 10 per cent
of water ballast is released in each $500
feet altitude. when the R-34 leaves the
ground it is permitted to rise to its
equilibrium or about as high as 1t can
go. on reaching its equilibrium the
engines are started and the flight be
gins.
When the R34 starts on her return
flight to England, each member of the
crew will carry Bible. the gift of the
New York Bible Society, it was an
nounced here by Dr. George William
Carter, general secretary of the society,
who made the presentations.
Mineola, July 9.-The fuel-gasoline
and oil is carried in 81 tanks. Sixteen
of these tanks are fixed to the frame
work of the bag structure and the
others are known as sliding tanks and
| can be discarded as ballast should the
occasion arise. These tanks are rang
ed along the sides of the deck except
for the ones over each gondola for the
supply of the engines.
The water ballast is carried in can
vas bags of two types. There are
| avnaryapcy hays forward and aft