Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-01-18
BROUGHT BACK
TO HER HANGAR

Lakehurst. n. j., Jan. 17.-(By A.
. P)-The Shenandoah, largest air
! ship in the world. poked her nose in
, to her hangar at the naval air sta
ton at 1924 o'clock this morning after
| completing the most remarkable
flight a ship of her type ever made
The flight was q fight against the
most stubborn element of nature
wind that blew at ~ miles an hour
at times.
This gale twisted the giant craft
| from her towering mornings mast at
| 6.52 o'clock last night, and swept
| her on mad chase up the Atlantic
| coast to Staten Island, New York
City, where Captain Anton Heinen,
in command when she broke away,
turned her nose into the teeth of the
storm and manouvered her back to
her home port.
Help was impossible and all the
awe struck sailors and marines
could do was watch the airship drift
into the storm. At that time the wind
! was blowing from the southeast at
about 60 or 65 miles an hour. There
was some consolation for those left
behind in the fact that the gale
would carry the craft inland instead
of eastward.
1t was the cool-headed work done in
few seconds that saved the Shenan-
doah from destruction when the giant
airship was torn from her mooring
mast by 72-mile gale that swept the
Atlantic coast last night and carried
her on careening chase to New York
City. itswas asserted tonight by those
who made the erratic fight.
When the gust of wind tore the ma
vy's pride from her 165-foot mooring
mast with crash that could be heard
above the storm. those on board in
stictively did the right thing. They
leaped for the levers that released the
ballast and instead of crashing to the
earth the ship stood still for a moment.
shuddered and started to float away in
the storm. The officers on board de-
clared the ship started to drop and
they believed they were within six
feet of the ground when she started
to rise.
And 1t was the same cool-headed
work throughout the seven-hour fight
against the elements that permitted
the Shenandoah to Outright the storm
and return to her hangar early this
morning. Sailing a whole ship in
storm like that of last night would be
no easy task. and the work of those or
board was made doubly difficult by the
fact that her nose had been torn away
and part Of her sides ripped to
shreds.
The Shenandoah was in command of
Lieutenant Commander NJ. r. Pierce of
Portland. Maine. when she broke away.
Captain Anton Heinen. formerly of Ger
many. and leading expert in lighter
than-air craft, who has applied for
United States citizenship. was on board
as pilot and advisor. It was to Captain
Heinen that many gave a great part
Of the credi. for the ships safe return
and to him that other officers on board
looked for advice. Both Lieute. Com.
Pierce and Captain Heinen said the
ship started to drop when she first
broke away. and they. with Lieutenant
E. II. Kincaid of White SULPHUR
Springs. W. Va. were the first. to leap
for the ballast levers.
The testimony of Captain McCrary
and Lieut.. Com. Pierce to the air
worthiness of the Shenandoah was add
ed to by Captain Heinen. veteran Of a
hundred flights. who declared he never
rode stauncher ship nor a more
severe gale. and he paid tribute to the
ships American construction and
American materials and her American
crew.
mo other ship" he said would have
survived such a storm with such a
handicap"