The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-10-02
Giant Airship ZR-3
Ready to Start Flight
Across SEQ to u. S,

| -
idea Of the dirigible, inspired by the
progress made by the French in aer-
onautics.
Writer Violates Smoking Rule.
Macmillan Harden, the writer,
an intimate friend of the late Count
Zepplin and an inveterate smoker,
for years was fond of travel by air
and prior to the war he frequently
made trips. He had always to prom
| Use, however, that he would not
smoke during the flight. 1t was an
old trick of Harden's to smuggle CT
gars aboard the airships every time
he made a flight although he was al
ways cautioned to leave all tobacco
and matches on the ground. During
the flights Harden would conceal
himself in some nook of the gondola
and take short, quick smoke. On
one occasion when DR.. Hugo Eek
ener, commander of the ZR-3 on her
flight across the Atlantic, was pilot
ing dirigible on which Harden YVES
guest, the writer had promised
faithfully not to smoke He had been
in the air IL to Is hours and had
been watched SO closely that he had
no opportunity to smoke the snug
gled cigars which he had in his poe
kets. But z storm was sighted
ahead and the officers were busy at
their posts when Harden hid him
self and lighted cigar He was
soon discovered but refused to de-
sist. DR.. Eckener took the guest in
hand Either the cigar goes out or
you go out" said the commander,
glancing ct the window, with the |
ship several thousand feet in the air. |
There was no more smoking that
trip, nor on any other, for strict or
ders went out, and they stand to |
this day that Harden was never to
be allowed to step foot into any di-
rigible of the Zepplin company
Commander Would Run Train.
When the ZR-3 is delivered to the
United States the dirigible will be
commanded by Captain George w. II
Steele AS boy in Indiana and af-
forwards in Oklahoma, Captain
Steele had a longing to some day Il
become a locomotive engineer. H
Young Steele went to Oklahoma
when he was eleven years old and H
in later years his father went to
congress from Indiana and in this ii
way the son gained an appointment II
to Annapolis where his career as H
sailor began. But even to this day III
a fine, big locomotive has e strange III
fascination for me-" the captain III
said just before starting to make
the flight back with the big dirigi-
BILE, land 1 do believe l could run i
one If l could find an engineer who liz
would trust me-" lie
The ZR-3 carries no lifeboats and lie
lot even life preservers on her trip lie
lcross the Atlantic as Dr. Eckener, lie
he commander, says they are heavy, lie
axe up lot of space and besides lie
hey are not necessary in his opin- lie
on. He says lifeboats are alright lie
or sea-going vessels and sailing lie
hips but declares the ZR-3 is safer lG
han any ship that ever piled the lie
vater. lie
AcppllQS 10 bullO lTactOES. lie
With the completion of the ZR-3 liz
he Zepplin workmen who built it liz
nd who for years have been con- e
tructing things that fly, will now e
e employed in building things to
ravel on the ground. BY the treaty liz
Versailles, the great hangers at liz
'riedrichshafen must be destroyed liz
nd turning from pursuits of war lE
he plant of the Zepplin company, in IL
edition to building automobiles, BIZ |E
ycles and various other mechanical liz
fairs, will engage in the manufac- liz
ire of caterpillar tractors and most liz
the men who have been engaged liz
or more than two years in building liz
ne ZR-3 will be empoyed in this IE
ne of work. liz
Japs Interested in ZR-3. I|E
During all of the trial flights of liz
le ZR-3 among the most interested liz
the spectators has been COM |E
lission of Japanese naval officers HE
no have been in the vicinity over He
icing the construction by a German liz
oncern of several airplanes for the H
apanese government. The site of |E
lie factory is near the hangers of IE
lie Zepplin company and the japan IE
sc have watched closely the pro- IIE
ress Of construction on the big di- HE
gibles. liz