The Washington times., 1924-10-10
Epic Flight Of Giant
Airship Described BY
Wireless From Craft

Wireless From Craft
An epic step II oeriGI aavigdtSoa
= ckrOMicled II The description D.
the proOress of the macy dmigible
Sken6ndodh during tie night hours
ds she thrust her siIvey nose into
the higher attitudes oVeY the Rocky
mouttrins and droVe as eSprsss
train speed sCestUnYd tOUnrd San
Diego. The Shenandoah q a piO-
Meeg. IN her 0,O0O-1nile trip to The
Pacific coast and return.
ABOARD THE SHENANDOAH,
oct. IOWA Fort Bliss, Tex, by
Wireless to International News
| have furnished more thrills in as
i short y time as the navigation of
the first passes OF the Rocky noun.
tains by the navy dirigible Shen.
andoAh last night.
Driving ahead At speed Of
seventy.f0lIr miles an hour with
e wind which roared through the
| airehtp'g tunnel like cAnnons ris.
| ing gradually until between the
highest peaks it was at an Alti.
tnde Of $500 feet following new
and uncharted course with only a
winding white ribbon Of highway
and Klistening black railways as
uncertain guides alximming the
| ground 30 closely that frequently
| jakked mountains almost walled In
| This I.eViathan of the skies, the
Shenandoah sailed through the
mountains, twisting, turning, ris.
/ ing, falling, like an immense bird,
until the tortuOuD Rio GfaI1de
kIistened ahead ana her nose turned
1 toward the lights Of FL PAso.
leaves Tess Plains.
The Shenandoah crossed the
Pecos river and left the Texas
| plains behind at $50 p. m. She
! was ia the foothills Of the Rockies
and in 3 few minutes mounted
from an altitude II $500 feet 20
600. Ears ana eyes 81 those
I aboard reacted 10 the rarified at
nosphere and the immense gas
bars which had been only par.
tally full during the previous days
| expanded and strained against
] their network Of cords.
with every additional rise the
pressure was Diminished ana some
expanding gas released 70 prevent
bursting the bags.
Cool air Of the mountain teps
chilled the expanding ga9 ana
served in 4 measure to counter.
act the effect OF the rafified 81.
Inosphere. More speed was added
to stop the expansion.
The half ton Of water ballast was
dropped IN q long cataract sparkling
"a the moonlight, which shone on
the bleak white hills below, on the
railroad traced like guiding line
and on the peaks thrown into
strange shapes by the moonlight,
which seemed to come forward TO
grasp the graceful intruder ana then
fall back.
The motors were driving her
through the air with 1900 horse
power and the winds were StrAintMg
at the airship, which seemed equal
to any ocean liner, 90 faithfully did
she respond to her rudders.
0,a0O Feet Altitude.
Sometimes quivering, bat always
swiftly ana surely forward she
drove, with the roar Of the winds
on taut eardrunls the only proof OF
the hurricane over the mountain
/ tops. Sierra Blanca was passed at
1918 p. m. The Shenandoah had an
altitude OF $500 feet and her trailing
shadow below was registering sixty
miles an hour over the ground. Both
roads swung into 4 long curve and
she followed these, wind whistling
against her sides, rocky wallis less
her length away on either side.
But the motors drove her forward.
she obeyed her rudders ana rose
higher and higher over the white
earth until she SCARED over the next
ridge away from the railroads which
Disappeared through q tunnel. Fort
Hancock On. the Rio Grande was
reached at 1O:a6 b. m. and the most
Of the mountain passes had been
/ negotiated.
on the right were the lights cf
~ PhBo, forty miles away and the
6henandoAh swung up the north
pank OF the Rio Grande, avoiding a
loop OF the winding river which
might encircle Mexican territory,
until the roar OF whistles, the flash
OF waiting automobile lights and q
big searchlight throwing her length
into relief against the sky evidenced
I HI 3Aso's welcome. Texas had been
CROSSED IN fOurtesn hours Of aAil.
I ing.
Commander Zachary I.anSauNne.
who navtgatod the ShAnan0oah
through the mountains, expects "a
anchor her IN San DIEGO before
dark, ending tho second length 81
the 5000 mile cruise.
y