Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1924-01-18
IS
BEING GGROOMED
FOR POLAR TRIP.
Even the SkepticS Have Been
Converted Is the Claim
at Lakehurst
OFFICERS ARE ANXIOUS
To Get Away to Polar Regions
Up to Washington, the
Crew Members Say
OFFICERS ARE ANXIOUS

LAKEHURST. Jan. 1S (By The
Asso ciated Press):-Even the skep-
tics have been converted.
The Shenandoah's remarkably sue
cessful fight against one of the most
severe gales that ever struck the
Atlantic cVast, despite the fact that
her nose was torn away and she was
otherwise battered, has won for her
the commentator of those naval
officers who were inclined to doubt
the practicability of building ships
of her type and size.
That battle of Wednesday night
and early Thursday morning in
i72-mile wind which carried her to
Staten Island before she could be
turned about, however. has con-
fvinced virtually every officer at the
naval air station that the Shenan-
doah could successfully negotiate the
planned trip to the North Pole.
Most of them were inclined to re-
frain from talking for publication
on the Polar flight. They pointed
out that Washington officials would
have to decide whether the trip
would be made. There was evident
qualification when it was learned
that Secretary of the Navy DENLY
and Rear Admiral w. A. Moffatt,
chief of the Naval Bureau of Aero
nautics. had predicted that the acci-
dent to the Shenandoah would not
prevent the proposed cruise.
! Lieutenant Commander M. r.
Pierce. who was in command of the
Shenandoah on her wild fight, was
asked whether he thought any such
gale as Wednesday nights would be
! encountered on a fight to the arctic.
NO" he replied, but let's not
discuss the North Pole plans.'
He pointed out, however, that in
/ flying to the pole there would be
chosen a season normally free from
storms. Captain F. r. McCrary,
commandant of the air station, would
| not discuss the proposed flight. Most
other officers of the station expressed
the opinion, unofficially, that the
ship easily could stand any wind that
| might strike her while she was in
| the north.
Captain Anton Heinen, German
Zeppelin expert, whose advice to
those on tpard during the Shenan-
dcah's runaway cruise largely was
to port, already had expressed the
/ opinion that the ship could weather
any storm.
To what extent the Shenandoah
had been damaged has not been de-
termined and will not be until
most scrutinizing examination of her
every part has been completed by a
committee, headed by Commander
Ralph D. Weyerbacher, who super
vised her building. Captain Nc
Crary who yesterday, after the ship
had been lodged safely in her hang
ar, made casual examination of
her rips and tears, estimated it
| would take a month to repair the
evident damage. Commander Wey-
erbacher's committee will report
their findings to Washington.
LAKEHURST, Jan. 1S:-Imme-
diately after the conclusion of an in
lvestigation today by the official
board, headed by Commander Wey-
erbacher, of the extent of the dam
age suffered by the navy's airship
shenandoah when she was torn from
her steel mooring mast in gale
here Wednesday night, the Helium
gas will be withdrawn from her cells
and the huge craft will be shored up
for repairing, 1t was announced at
the air station.
| This beginning of preparations for
the proposed North Pole flight will
include removal of most OF the outer
covering, which will be replaced with
new; removal of the control car
which houses No. motor, and the
installing OF new control car which
will contain living quarters for the
crew and especially built for the
Polar trip. There will be no motor
in this new control car. the giant
craft being scheduled to make the
arctic cruke on five motors, accord
ling to Officers at the station.