Evening star., 1924-10-15

flne," DR.. Eckener continued. 1.-THE
last part was full of heavy weather
From am. Tuesday to 5 am. today
we battled against the weather with
a velocity of 55 to 60 miles per
hour"
COurse Is Changed.
1--WE changed our course from the
direct line We were pursuing from the
Azores to Lakehurst because we
found ourselves heading into a south
west wind which was rising and a
small low pressure area.
Monday evening we were making
As miles an hour. We headed toward
Nova Scotia into, southeast wind,
then came along at great speed along
the coast southwark, passing between
the scout cruisers Milwaukee and De-
troit, but seeing neither.
"A favoring wind pushed us toward
LAX kehurst, past Boston and on to New
York, at a rate of 80 miles an hour.
So, gentlemen, we are here"
Commercial Value Shown.
THE perfect success of the trans
atlantic flight of the ZR-3 from Ger
many to Lakehurst augurs well for
the future of commercial lighter
than-air craft" said Maurice r.
Pierce, acting commanding officer of
the Navy air station.
''We'll feel better when we have the
ZR-3 Waived of her hydrogen and
safely berthed in the 'drome, ready
to be filled with helium when it be-
comes available. She is a beauty and
will be good mate for her stable
mate, the Shenandoah. We all should
be proud to come into possession of
her"
The wives of Capt Steele, Comdr.
Klein and Maj. Kennedy and Lieut..
tOmdr. krauSS' two sisters were here
to greet the officers.
Papa, where's my dolly" shrilled
Maj. kennedys eight-year- old daugh-
ter. The major, standing in the cabin
window, reached behind him and held
up to view the walking doll that he
had brought all the way from Fried
richshafen for his daughter
Sighted at 8:16.
The glimmering bulk of the ZR-3
hove into sight of the Naval Air Sta
tion a LakehurSt at 9:16 am. today.
1t was so hours and Is minutes
since she sailed from Friedrichshafen,
Germany, bound for this country with
rs Germans and 4 Americans, and
defined for delivery at this station
as the largest dirigible ever con-
structed and flown
The ZR-3's nonstop fight was esti-
mated by officers of this station at
5000 miles
The previous records were 4,5OO
miles, set by the French dirigible
DiXmude in 1928, and $500 miles, set
by the Zeppelin L-59 during the
World War.
Carefully Selects Landing.
She appeared to be surveying crit
of ha
meath her, being particular about
where she brought her gilded self to
rest.
Thousands of persons lined the
main highway leading into the field.
Motor cars were parked in squadrons
by the roadside. Excited groups of
officers and civilians, scattered about
the airdrome, rushed to the point
where the signal bearers were head
ing.
Four hundred sailors and marines
equipped with landing tackle marched
on to the field with their officers,
ready to deploy along the drag ropes.
Motor cars laden with heavy tackle
and heroic letters in blue and canvas
We're made ready to indicate the spot
chosen for the landing.
The safe arrival of the ZR-3 from
Germany marks the fourth successful
attempt of humans to span the At
lantic Ocean in nonstop flight.
Aeronautic experts of Army and
Navy regard it as the most significant
If not the most spectacular flight
They declare that the world is wit
Messing evidence that the dirigible is
destined to be the intercontinental
passenger ship of the near future
The British team of Alcock and
Brown, both Royal Flying Corps men,
took the air at st. Johns, N. F., in
a Vfckers-Vimy biphane on June IA,
1913. Sixteen hours and twelve
minutes later, having traversed 1882
miles of sleet and fog, they plunged
with their aircraft into a bog near
Clifden, Ireland
Hardly had nations ceased to gasp
over the audacity of Alcock and
Brown when the British dirigible
R-54 rose from East Fortune, Scot
land. one day in July. She turned
her nose toward America and with
her went 80 men-one OF them
stowaway. After 10S hours the R-34
reached Mineola, Long Island
few days later she headed home
ward, arriving in England after an
uneventful passage.
Stalked BY Tragedy.
Subsequent. attempts to equal or
surpass the cruise of the RIA ended
in tragedy. The R-36, sold by Great
Britain to the United States, was
consumed by flame and explosion,
followed by a disastrous toll of life,
on trial flight under British-Amer-
lean command over Hull, England.
A like fate attended the maiden
flight of the Roma, acquired by the
United States from Italy, set up over
here and turned loose upon the air
at Aberdeen, Md. Explosion de-
Stroyed the craft over Hampton
Roads, Va, and a heavy loss of lives
country to break into big league
aeronautics.
Danger Is Lessened.
In the third major dirigible dis
aster since the R-34's flight, France
and Frenchmen were the victims.
Their proud Dixmude set out one day
last year to penetrate into Africa
and perished at sea. 1t is believed
lightning ignited her hydrogen.
The use of non-explosive helium as
a substitute for the treacherous hy-
drogen promises to make dirigible
transit of the future safer than air
plane travel is today. Officers on
this field who have seen the Shenan-
doah perform under helium witnessed
her survival of a terrific storm, and
now watching her leisurely progress
On the western rim of the United
States, declare that all the terror has
been removed from lighter-than-air
aeronautics.
They point to the recent experience
Of the blimp TC-2 at Langley Field.
A bomb exploded aboard as she was
high in the air. Had her gllStening
skin held hydrogen a bundle of
charred wreckage and a few mangled
bodies undoubtedly would have been
the result.