The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-01-23
Bi STEVE HANNAGAN
NEA Service Staff Writer

Cop, right, 1924, by NEA Service.)
Lakchurst. ~ J.. Jan. 23.-Only a
few hours before the Nays Shen-
andoah was torn from its giant
mooring mast here. the writer visit
ed the scene to conduct an lnves-
tigation for NEA Service and The
Tribune into what was being done
to mike the queen of the air fit
| for the proposed North Pole flight in
June.
Nervously the ship was swinging
from its "American Eiffel Tower
mooring station l72 feet above
rround-as variable in its movements
as a weather vahe.
The water pipes on the ship were
frozen--just as they might be this
summer in the Arctic circle. Water is
the modern ballast designed to keep
| this much -hcraldcd ship in balance.
As the winds lifted or tipped the
| flying flagship of the Navy. the COM
handing officer aboard shufflcd his
men from station to station as hu-
man ballast just as juggler might
toss rubber balls about.
During one Of these eccentric
movements Of the ship it nearly
broke from its moorings. The stern
became light and rose until the tail
was pointing practically to the Zen
it'll, with the nose strongly Juggling
to release itsclf-just as giant fish
might try to throw off the hook in
its mouth.
There was a call to action. The
writer was on the landing platform of
the mooring mast--165 feet from the
ground where he had 4 closeup view
of operations. The crew was keyed
to the emergency 1t was feared the
ship might break loose then.
-Four men start aft" shouted the
commander.
They did. Feet began to pound
along the small keelway.
"SiX men start aft"
More pounding feet.
: Eight men-now ten!" rang out.
1t sounded like the charge of the
light brigade echoing within the re-
ccsses of the ship.
,, "Hold it," blared forth from the
commanders cabin.
The shuffling halted.
,, "Stand by for stern line to make
: the ship fast below!' was the COM
I mand flashed to the ground crew
which modified in u jiffy from a
, lolling "at rest position in the
i, warming rays of the sun.
n After Commute fight the ship
was again OH an even keel.
G 1t was the worst scare the crew
G experienced until it finally was blown
r away on the wings Of u 60-m mile an
$ hour gale.
r Yet the same juggling act Was
v staged with each puff Of wind.
t This is an unusual day for the
e ship" said Commander +. r. Nc
It Crazy. Don't think it's like this all
n the time"
"Ill bet | ran ten miles up and
down that ship today helping to keep
it in balance" spoke l75 pounds OF
the human ballast as he went of
watch.
NJ Yea, and most of it was like
mountain climbing" chirped his com
~ panion.
Rubber-soled shoes make the mer
+ as sure-footed as cats as they climb
=. about the ship which is $50 feet long
:, 78 feet in diameter, SO feet over all
"a with gas capacity of 2,148,OOO cubic
W feet, total weight of 77,05O pound.
n and a cruising range of 1000 miles
20 After riding about l4O feet I'D il
70 an elevator and then shining lad
~ der found myself on landing plat
- form, 165 feet above ground It il
>, from this floor that the members O.
10 the crew ofthe Shenandoah walk tn,
~ gangplank into the big ship.
i There were prospects of tria
:. flight when l arrived at the field
,s Naturally enough l wanted to take :
n ride in lightcr-than- craft,
y, new experience
N But Commander McCrary flatly re
y. fused to carry me. Any additional
weight might throw the ship off bal
ance, he explained.
! watched the maneuvers-men 90
ing and coming as unconcernedly a
II they were on the ground; saw tn
- effort with which the ship was con
trolled as it shifted in the breeze
- heard the comments of the mem
"a was then | decided the Shenandoah
~ would be one type of aircraft O
= which l would never care to riae.
- And riding on the waves Of the al
~, ~ holds no terror for me. A summc
~, ~ ago rode thousands of miles alct
10 with Captain Edward v. Kicker
~ hacker, Americas Ace. We cxper
~ enced forced landings-and crasl
a Yet, if l were to ride the ZR-l
H. would be with Suicidal intent--an
ct life is still sweet to me. =
would you be willing to fly I
the North PMn in tho ZP p, ~ IL