The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-08-24
CREW OF DIRIGIBLE
EXPECT EASY, FLIGHT
improvements IN Construction should
Add Comort to the Journey
across Atlantic.

New York, Aug 24.--Peris Of the
officers and crew of the ZR 2, which is
about to cross the Atlantic from Eng.
land to America, Just as they were
faced by the dauntless men OF the
4 a. but by reason of the increased
size OF the more modern alrship its
greater and more comfortable arrange
lnents, many fthe hardshlps of the
pioneers flyers, 1T is hoped will be
avoided.
The British R-34. the first drigiblo
to cross the Atlantic, started from
East Fortune, Scotland, on July H.
1913 and landed at Roosevelt Field
Nj nicola. l.. l., on the morning Of July
6, covering the 200 miles in lOS hours
and II minutes. She eft New York
on the return trip to Scotland on July
- and reached her home port few
day later. On January 20, 1921, the
historic craft which had cost more
! than 81 600 600 to hui d. was cut al
most in two by violent wind and left
wreck outside her acrodome near
Edinburgh.
While every precautlon Is being ia
ken to safeguard the ZR2, it is re
cal ed that despite elaborate arrange.
ments two years ago men of the R.3i
pa ised through narrowing hours when
the levlathan OF the clouds ran into
4 shallow atmospheric depression of
the coast OF Newfoundland. They
were then within few hundred miles
of their goal
The weather was terrible said
I Major G. H. Cooke. the navigating
fofilcer Of the r Ga. ut seems az
Though the atmosphere was haunted
| BY 1000 devils. We were shaken to
the caye That night we hit every
thing, heavy rain tn ok fog and aw
iyi ibility The ship seemed though
she was going to break into bits,
rising and falling like a cork On a
heavy sea. At times she seemed 10
stand up 30 degrees into,the ar.
All had been fine sailing up to that
me. The most unusual thing about
the entire trip was the extreme VOL
ence Of the bumps in regions where
they were totally unexpected con
sidered 1t almost miracle that We
completed the trip successfully after
what we went through. The weather
situation on the Atlantic must be iu-
yestigated thoroughly before air ira
vel between England and America
can be made safe and practicable.
With the limited information we have
now. transatlantic travel is highly
dangerous
The ZR2. however will be protected
al the way across by SIX weather yes.
sells each carrying special staff Of
forccasters who will radio to the dir.
igihle all the atmospheric and barome-
trio date necessary to assure her Of
the easiest possible sailing route.
Certa defects OF the R3i also
have been avoided IN the new craft
which is II feet longer than the car
lier ship and seven feet greater IN
diameter II also has q gas capacity
OF 100000 cubic feet as again the
R34's 100000, a total horsepower
Of 100 as compared with the R.3fs
$50 and cruising endurance" OF
COCO niles at go miles an hour. The
Il 81 at full speed had cruising
radlous OF lit e more than 1900
miles. i4
Aboard the R3i's sondolas, the 1--WE
cars suspended from the airshlp's
framework. the living conditions we're
rot so comfortable as provided on the
IRE. The R-34, however, had sleep
ing accommodations for the officers
and crew and an electrical apparatus
whereby meals could he cooked Hot
water was obtained from the radiat.
ors on the motors. All the gondolas