Evening star., 1924-10-10
VOYAGE IS THRILLING.

BY the Associated Press
L. S. S. SHENANDOAH, October 10.
Few voyages in history have fur
nished more thrills in as short time
as the navigation of the first passes
of the Rocky Mountains by the Navy
dirigible Shenandoah.
Driving ahead at a speed of a miles
an hour with wind that roared
through the tunnel-like canyons the
giant craft at times rose gradually
until between the highest peaks. it
was at an altitude of $500 feet. fol-
lowing a new and uncharted course
with only winding white ribbon of
highway and a glistening black rail-
way track as uncertain guides. At
other times it skinned the ground
so closely that frequently jagged
mountains almost walled in this
Leviathan of the skies.
Before reaching the foothills of the
Rocky Mountains the Shenandoah
passed over Ell PaSo last night. sail
ing over the mountains, twisting,
turning. rising, falling like a great
bird until the tortuous Rio Grande
River gliStened ahead. the giant craft
turned her nose toward the city'S 5
lights. lowered a while over the
border metropolis and then crossed
the Pecos River, leaving the Texas
plain behind at $50 pm.
Soon the Shenandoah was in the
foothills of the Rockies, and in a few
minutes mounted from an altitude of
2,400 feet to 5000. The ears and eyes
of those on board reacted to the rare
fed atmosphere, and the immense
bags inside the tubes, which had
been only partly full during the pre-
vious two days cruise. were con-
tracted and straining against their
network of cords. With every addi-
ished, and some expanding gas was
released to prevent bursting the bags.
The peaks, thrown in;o strange
shapes by the moonlight, seemed to
come forward to grasp the graceful
intruder and then fall back. The
motors were driving through the air
with 1,500 horsepower. and the winds
were straining at the airship, but,
like an ocean liner. she responded
faithfully to her rudders, sometimes
quivering, but always going swiftly
and surely forward. The roar of the
wind on taut eardTums was the only
proof of the hurricane over the noun
tain tops.
Bucks Headwind.
At Sierra Blanca at 10: rs pm. the
Shenandoah had an altitude of $500
feet and her trailing shadow below was
registering 60 miles an hour over the
ground Both roads swung into long
curve, and she followed with the wind
whistling against her sides. The rocky
walls stood away less than her length
on either side, but the motors drove her
forward and she obeyed her rudders
and rose higher and higher from the
jagged passes until she scared over TIL"
next ridge away from the railroad track
which disappeared through a tunnel.
Fort Hancock, on the Rio Grande, was
reached at 10 As o'clock. and most o.
the mountain passes had been nego
tiated.
The welcome of the Shenandoah b.
Ell Paso was an enthusiastic one The
craft swung up the north bank of the
Rio Grande, averting loop of the wind
ing river Soon the roar of whistles
the flash of waiting automobile lights
and a big Searchlight throwing her
length into relief against the sky evil
denced FL Paso's welcome. and that
Texas had been crossed in IA hours of
sailing.
Lieut. Commander Zachary Lans-
downe, who navigated the Shenandoah
through the mountains expects to
anchor her in San Diego before dark
tonight, ending the second leg of the
9,000-mile cruise.
Rear Admiral Moffet, chief of Navy
aeronautics, was on the bridge during
the exciting moments, and declared the
difficulties of navigation with complica-
tions of buoyancy and uncharted land
were greater than those of plotting a
warship at sea. The Shenandoah is
scheduled to leave San Diego at 10 am.
Saturday on the voyage up the Pacific
Coast to I.akeview, near Tacoma, COM
pleting the outward bound half of the
cruise.