Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1921-04-02
Plan to Fly Giant Dirigibes From
London to America, Aus
traIia and Africa.
SPEED 60 MILES AN HOUR
Craft, With 100 Passengers Aboard,
Expected to Fly From England
to California In Four Days
Commercial Airshlp Is Al.
ready a Success.

London.-Plans are now under dis
cusslon here for linking up all parts
of the world by passenger air routes.
on which giant drigibles, flying two
miles above the surface at 60 miles an
hour. will Join London With North
America. Australia. India and South
Africa. II these plans are carried
out air liners 500 feet long. equipped
with berths, dining rooms smoking
rooms, libraries and observation plat
forms, will speed from England To
San Francisco IN four days, stopping
to discharge passengers and mails at
New York and Chicago Each ship
will carry 100 passengers, and the fare
will be only 30 per cent more than
present steamship rates. Ships capa-
BILE OF this service are now in com
mission and Il trial passenger flight
will be made TO Egypt by II British
government airShip 10 determine the
feasibility of opening such passenger
routes.
The commercial airShip already
has proved It's success said Sir Ire
vor D;rNSon of NlckerS. Limited,
when asked whether he thought the
plan practicable NickcrS. Limited.
is now building airships for the Brit
ish government and Sir Trevor is an
expert on the lighter-than-air craft.
"Day Of Passenger Liner Here"
"The success of the R-34 showed
the possibilities of ii transatlantic
service" he continued. 1T is now only
question Of building more and larger
ships and equippIng suitable landing
fields. sheds and mooring stations on
both sides of the Atlantic. The air
ships are speedy. safe and reliable.
They can carry large carg"eS. have
wide cruising range and can ride out
almost any weather
The day of the passenger air liner
is here. and II the task of organizing
air routes is undertaken by big iinan-
clal interests IL should be possible To
begin n regular passenger service over
Europe within six months with the
ships and bases already in existence.
The American service would require
somewhat larger ships and landing
stations in North America But IL
could be in operation In less than
three years We need such service,
and believe that it will come"
The R-34 is the type of craft Sus-
gestcd for the proposed service, but
the contemplated ships. although
built on the R-3l lines. would be much
larger and have a far greater cruising
radius Ii Is said that rigid airship
could be built that would be LEO
feet long, carrying l36 tons Of freight
or passengers. ana having maximum
range Of 1870 miles cruising radius
Maitland Supports Project.
Brig. Gen. l.. NJ. Maitland. who
commanded the R-3i in the trnn>at-
lantic hight. is believer ia the plan
for world air routes.
Even the existing urShIp Of to-day
can be regarded n a reasonably safe
public conveyance he says. They
already have proved themselves capa-
Bile o: flying through practically any
type of weather and the lar-cr air
ships Of the future fitted with more
powerful machinery. necessarily Will
be even safer Fn-S do not prove "a
real menace 10 airShpS. aS with the
present methods of navigation IL Is
not necessary 10 see the ground in
fylns between bases. Ii is true that al
present the most violent forms OF clec-
tric storms are I'm undouhted danger
TO all forms of aircraft. hut AT the
most this danger appears TO be less
than the danger Of rocky coasts and
shadows To the Seagoing ship.
"Airshlps Of this type Of the R-3s.
which is now being built AT Bedford,
ar the German LII, would be capable
Of flying from England 10 Egypt, n
distance of 200 miles. without n stop
In two and one-half days These
ships would carry about 81 passen-
gers. with 100 pounds of baggage for
each passenger, and about two tons
of mail and merchandise. To put II
another way. II tons would he avail
able for passengers, mails or mcr-
chandisc.
Comfort In aerial travel Is essen
tlal If il is to have any extended fu
ture. The advantage of speed is
thrown away II the passenger IS
physically or nervouSly exhausted on
landing. But ample accommodations
can be provided for day and night
travel"
sieepers Are Provided.
A proposed car has been designed by
Beardmorc. at Dalmuir in which spe-
cial attention has been given To the
importance OF giving each passenger a
good view. The windows are So ar
ranged that passengers can see both
outward and vertically downward
should they wish 10 do so. The pasSen-
gers SIT facing each other with n table
between them. rather like large Pull
loan car. II they wish. they can ar
range the chairs and tables for bridge
"CIqarQrs are nr+.s'ifed In the -