Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-10-25
SHENANDOAH FORCED
To DROP CAS- TANKS
To REGAIN STABILITY
Giant DirigibIe, GARDENING
Through Darkness, Loses
Way Over Mexico


en- route to the Fort Worth, Tex,
mooring mast after some of the most
unusual adventures of her career.
The ship got badly off her course
according to reports at Douglas,
Ariz.. before she was set Alright by
. wireless from Fort Huachuca.
AS darkness settled on the Shen-
andoah above the Arizona plains. the
gas in the great BAGS was contract
ed by chilling breezes, and, becom-
ing heavier with every drop in the
tempera ure, she was forced to Jetti-
son 1.40u pounds of gasoline and re-
lease one of the tanks after having
discharged all water ballast to ac-
quire an even keel, for, with all
motors running full speed, she had
settled to an angle of fourteen de-
grees.
The dirigible was sighted over Ell
Paso at 1880 a. NJ, Mountain time.
The ship was fighting i strong
headwind, and was moving at d
speed of not more than twenty miles
an hour, according to estimates of
air officers from Fort Bliss. Appar-
emily all motors were running in
an effort to gain speed.
HEAD WINDS DELAYING
DIRIGIBLE ON JOURNEY
FORT WORTH, Tex, Oct. %
Helium plant and naval officials
here do not expect the Shenandoah
to arrive over Fort Worth. and the
mooring mast before p. M. Orig
inally, plans had been made to re-
fceive the dirigible earlier, but un-
e., ~
ed delays.
Nonstop Plan Abandoned
Hopes of a nonstop flight across
the continent, from San Diego to
Lakehurst, were abandoned when
the Shenandoah passed Ell Paso.
The winds, which would have been
necessary for such a long jump,
were not favorable, but were blow
ng from Is to 20 miles an hour
against the ship.
IN addition, almost q ton and
half of gasoline which would have
been needed for fuel, had been sac.
rificed to tighten the dirigible in
the high attitudes of the Rockies.
The Shenandoah was making 80
miles an hour over FL Paso and
Juarez, but when Fabens was reach.
gu IleI llelll5 SIlduOW Oil tuS 5Ioullu
registered a speed of SO miles an
hour.
DIRIGIBLE SAFELY PASSES
ROCKY MOUNTAIN DANGERS
ABOARD THE II. S. S. SHENAN-
DOAH, Oct. "a (Via Fort Bliss,
Tex. 1.-The last of the Rocky noun
tain barriers has been passed by the
u. S. S. Shenandoah, leaving a. clear
course for the return of the big
dirigible to her hangar at Iakehurst,
New Jersey.
Arizona and the worst of the Rock
les We're left behind safely when
Rodeo, N. NJ, was reached early
Thursday morning, although the big
ship had groaned and strained as it
drove into the eddies whirling over
the peaks, while wind currents rush
ed through the mountain passes like
water through mill races.
The shaft-houses of the copper
mines of BiSbee, AriZ., were illumi-
mated like summer amusement
park when the big dirigible unex-
pectedly found herself in a bowl of
the Isle mountains over the city
just after midnight. Peaks of noun
| tains seemed to tower around it on
all sides except the single pass
through which it had entered the
pocket in the Rockies. The moon
had been a pale crescent, and it's
feeble rays only family touched the
bottoms of the mountain passes.
The ship sped at fifty miles an
hour over the ranges of Arizona at
an altitude of $500 feet; then turn
ing southwark at Benson the Shen-
andoah followed the railroad south
east towards the Mexican border.
After short squirt, Bisbee was
seen glistening under the moonlight,
( and in a very few minutes had been
passed. The bountiful. lights Of the
mines, the sketchy outline of its
two streets, Tombstone. Canyon and
Brewery Gulch, showed that the
city was Bisbee.
Tank OF Gasoline Dropped
The nose of the ship pointed up
ward until it was on a 6,700-foot
level and another 175-pound tank of
gasoline was droppe dthrough the
sillzen bottom to tighten the load.
The Shenandoah then turned, and
was over Naco, and with another
turn, and broad swing over the
! Mexican border. she again was
speeding eastward passing Douglas
and its smelters.
The return trip across the Rockies
was almost as dramatic as the west
ward journey.
Along the $50 feet of the Shenan-
doah's glistening body. on either
side of the 9-inch cat walk, the big
gas bags seemed ready to burst
against the net work of cord as the
heYium expanded in the rarified alti-
tude.
In the navigating car Lieutenant
Commander Lansdowne, captain OF
the Shenandoah: Lieutenant Com
mander Hancock, the executive Of
eicer, and the officers on watch were
straining their eyes into the dark
ness guiding the ship as it sped on
Its uncharted course of the air.
In each of the motor gondolas en-
zines were roaring and men on duty
we're eager TO respond to the signals
which might mean the difference
between destruction or safety
Weary Men Sleep
Weary &en off duty were sleeping
In their hunks. while the deafening
roar of motors lulled the exhausted
10 sleep and drowned the voices of
those awake. Lights flicllered in the
distance through the darkened tun-
mel as officers made hourly inspec-
lions of engines and keel. and men
silently and methodica!ly sped along
The little runway measuring gaSo'
ine, shifting water ballast or stand
ng by to cut out a tank and throw
L overheard.
While the ship sped along between
he stars and the lights of the sleep
lng world below. its radio was talk
tng with unseen ears in Fort Bliss,
n towns Immediately beneath and
others thousands Of miles away.
When New Mexico was reached
The officers who had been on duty
>ver the mountains turned in. and
Lieutcnants Lawrence and Roseu'