New Britain herald., 1923-10-03
.zR.I FROM CHICAGO
 IN JUST IF HOURS
Makes Record Flleht-Lands at
 Lakehurst This Morning
SEE GREAT POSSIBILITIES
Could Have Carried Tons of Mev. ehandise-frip shows What Can He Done in Line of Aerial Passenger Transportation.

Transportation.
 L.akehurst. x, j.. Oct, s.-complet- ing A record trip to st, Louis and re. turn the navy dirigihle zR-i nosed her way out Of a bank Of clouds with in sight or her home hangar at the naval aviation held here at 6;os this morning.
 Within 90 minutes the big ship which apparently had been travelling at less than 10 miles an hour when sighted, gracefully circled the field and began slow descent. her re- splendent silver sides tlnged with the gold of the sun of dawn. A great crowd had gathered to view the tri- umphal return.
 Lands at 8:ts 4. M.
 The ZR-i Leyiathan's record breaking trip was officially at an end at s:4S when she landed.
 Rear Admiral W. A. Moffett, chief of the bureau Of acronautics who joined the flight at St. Louis, was the first to leap to earth as the control car skinned the grass of the land ing field. Behind him. with the pre- cision of naval etiquette, came Com mandcrs Frank T.. McCrary and Ralph D. Meycrbacher.
 Three hundred sailors and marines greeted them with salutes and cheers HIS they manned the landing gear of the big bag and lowed it gently to- ward it's berth. The rear admiral's flag dropped from the stern glistenlns with the morning dew of the clouds
 1T Hours. 49 Minutes.
 The trip, from the cast-away here and 49 minutes The ship covered approximately 2.20o miles during 4s hours actually in the air. Her maxi mum speed was 7s miles an hour a speed which Rear Admiral Moffett believed a world record for lighter than air craft.
 "A trip most satisfactory in every respect, declared the admiral. We made the run from Chicago in exactly 12 hours on 654 gallons of gasoline, at fuel cost of perhaps $50. The fuel consumed by an cx- press train over the same mileage would have cost much more.
 We have given people an ;ies which can be accomplished with | dirigibles. The ZR-1 could have car [ ried eight tons of merchandise besides [ the cargo she bore on this trip.
 Bigger Things Coming.
 She has demonstrated the possi- bilities of the dirigible in speeding up industrial and passenger transporta- tion. Within year the ZR-1 prob- ably will fly to the Panama canal zone, Cuba and Bermuda. Remcm- Der, this was only a trial trip. Big ger things are coming"
 Part of the crew of 42-navigators. officers and enlisted men--were off duty and snoozing away in their ham, mocks on the cat walks when the massive ship reached port. So stead fly did the liner blow through the air and so screnely did she lower her self over the hangar that not until the noisy welcome of the shore" crew reached their ears were the sleepers awakened.
 The ZR-1 showed what she was made of" was the announcement of
  engineer of the vessel, grinning broadly as he stroled alongside the towering bag, stretching his cramped limbs We started with six motors running and we returned with them 
 Fairly Smooth Sailing. I1
 Except for the bumpy weather en- countered early on the trip we had smooth sailing all the way On the , return we maintained about fO00 feet altitude. The crew worked in three regulation ship-board watches. Men off duty slept as peacefully in the cabins as they would at home. Ad- ( miral Moffet retired at 10 last night \ IS we were sailing over Indiana and slept like top
 The first message to be received | 1irect from the ZR-1 on her home g ward flight reached tho naval air sta- I ion here by radio at 4:15 a. m. It t aid: [ Have crossed Susquehanna river T ,ear Williamsport, Going so knots s ln hour. McCrary." t
 To Be Re-Christened. b A q. m. reveille was sounded by f he station buger and in half an c lour the 300 sailors and marines of ( he land crew were straining eyes t' At 6;oS a shout went u ID as the zR-1, her silver body mot a led with reddish gold from the early C un, slipped between grayish clouds nd headed eastward. Three min c ties after she reached position ? ircctly over the field her drag lines U Fere picked up by the andsmen. . A happy crew was given several v avs shore leave" at the special re- u uest of Admiral Moffett. Next i, Wednesday. Mrs. Denby, wife of the | ecretary of the navy. will re-christen he dirigible. 'Shenandosh"-dau sr of the stars.