Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-07-07
World. Greatest oirieibIe.

her sister aiYship, the R-33, are the
worlds greatest dirigibles. The war
brought them into being, for they
originally were designed to out vie
Germany's Zeppelins and bring death
and destruction to German cities
When they were building it was
reported that they would be the nag
ships Of gigantic fleet or aircraft
that would be launched ON a tre-
mendous air raid on Berlin. For ttfs
purpose they were equipped with
openings thru which. four SOC ponnt
bombs and sixteen : Of. 100 pound.
could be dropped. swhile on the upper
structure emplaeements were built fol
batteries of eight guns.
The sudden end of the world wal
put a stop to the plans for a raid on
Berlin and the architects of the
diristbles turned their attention to re-
modelling their craft for peaceful pur-
poses. But their plans were again in
teErupted in June when the war clouds
re-gathered at reports that Germany
would refuse to accept the allied peace
terms. The R-34 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
tbombs, but. equipped with rapid firing
guns, swept over the enemy's terri.
tory at low altitude. her enormous
| shadow making grim threat of the
possibilities.
The cruise was made without mis-.
hap and when peace finally was as.
tsured the crew of the R-34 resumed
n rnv no vsaf ffN,, fAv - 4
America. Originally. it was planned
| that the voyage should be made by the
R-33 also, but it was decided that toe
much time would be needed to re-
model the sister ship.
The R34 was built in Inchinnan. q
little village near Glasgow. In size she
| rivals all but the very largest ocean
liners. Her length is $40 feet. hel
beam seventy-nine feet and from the
bottom of her lowest gondola to the
top of the gas bag. measures 70 feet
Her measurements are very closely
those Of the liner Adriatic and If she
was stood on end she would overtor
the famous Singer building by twenty.
seven feet. Two million cubic feet. OF
hydrogen gas are imprisoned in the
enormous balloon. Her resemblance
to a monstrous fish is heightened b,
the fact that she is painted silve,
color. proved by experiment to be the
most successful in resisting the actor
OF the sun in expanding the gas bag.
| The driving power OF the airship Is
supplied by five Sunbeam motors with
a total Of 1000 horsepower, sufficient
to give speed Of close to seventy
miles an hour in favorable weather
To feed these motors the airship car.
ries between 1900 and 5000 gallons OF
gasolene. weighing sixteen tons ant
giving her cruising radius OF 1906
nautical miles or considerably more
than, the distance between Europe and
America and return Her lifting
capacity is fifty nine tons, of which
twenty and one-half tons is dis.
Ichargeable weight. or weight which
can be disposed. Of from the ship.
Five .gondolas are swung from tht
gas bag, connected by a 800-foot plat.
Form, IN these cars there are com
Portable accommod dations for crew o
thirty with sleeping quarters for hall
that number Radiators on top Of the
motors supply them with hot water
and electric stoves assure them Of hot
meals. Communication with mothe,
earth is provided for by a wireles.
equipment with a receiving radius o.
| / 500 miles.