New Britain herald., 1924-10-15
Giant Dirigible Cheered By Thousands As She Slowly Descends At Landing Field Off, cers And Crew In Best Of Health And Spirits. ~
Wives of American Offi- cers on Board Welcome Them - One Delights Hubby With Cup. of Coffee" Best in Year," Says He. a A2sfhsi ,


 Oct. 16.-The cabin of the ZR-3 came lightly to rest upon the earth at Lakehurst field at 9:55 a. m. today.
 She completed her journey. from Friedrichshafen, Ger many, a distance estimated at 5000 miles, in 81 hours, 25 minutes. Beautiful Landing
 She made beautiful landing. Appearing over the northern edge of this naavl air station at 9:16 a. m., she drove straight over the air. drome to the far edge of the field. where she headed around and skirt ed the station for a quarter of its circumference. before nosing down. ward into the breeze and coming to a stop before the 'drome.
 She looked like silver -gilded ball on Christmas tree as she settled Ht5Itt biOWIy 50 that she looked like an inanimats object, suspended there by some in- visible force betwixt the earth and the haze.
 Descends Gracefully Thirty four minutes after she was sighted her motors stopped their roaring. For a moment she drifteG easily, bobbing up and down like a small boat in rolling swell. Always she dropped inperceptibly lower.
 Straight past the red and white signal on the ground which indicated her chosen landing place, she glided. The motors spit clouds of black smoke as the engines went into re- verse.
 Again she lowered until the crowd which surrounded her in thousands. sent up a great shout: She's going to sail right into the airdrome."
 Ropes Are Dropped But the pilot of the ZR-3 con. templated no such spectacular ex- hibition. When within 200 yards of the towering 'drome a trap door Topped open from the bottom of the main cabin and bundle of rope as large as a barrel plummeted down. ward.
 Another trapdoor opened and an- other coil Of rope thudded below. Signal horns and bells footed SO. = where out of the sight in the giant craft overhead. whisths shrilled be- low. Sailors and marines hooked their spider web rope harnesses into | the trailing towlines of the dirigible and almost without effort drew her gently down.
 The ZR-3 was here. safe. A mighty shout went up from the thousands who had trudged the duty field to greet the big ship.
 Too Much Noise
 Please don't make so much noise," shouted Commander J. H. Klein, Jr., commander of the Lake hurst naval station and passenger on the ZR-3, as he leaned from a for- ward cabin port. The din of well come was silenced instantly and 8 clear, sharp order of the navigators to the grounding crew rang out dis tinctly,
 Dr. Hugo Eckencr. smiling but stern voiced, was recognized by a little group of German citizens who crowded around the state police and sailor guards to shout their congrat- ulations.
 Major F. NJ. Kennedy, in the uni- form of the United States army. stood at another port hole smiling as he bowed happily 10 the crowd.
 Americans and Germans
 Then, one after another, as the more exacting duties of the landing were completed, all four of the American officers aboard the dirigi- be were presented to view, side by side with the German navigators in the cabin ports.
 All looked glowingly happy of course. They were clean-shaven; their uniforms were spick and span. They did not even look tired. They appeared in no hurry to leave the ship.
 The doors at the east end of the 'drome had been drawn apart to re- ceive the visitor. She landed near those doors, but because of a slight change in the direction of the breeze it was decided to lead her across the western threshold instead.
 Taken Into Building
 So, slowly yet majestically, she was eased the length Of the great build Ing, swung around at the western portal and headed for the dim-lit cavern which is to be her home.