The Nome nugget., 1924-01-26

the traii which count zeppelin blaZed
 In fact. when one of the ZR-1 afi1- cers was asked how this dirigible differed from the German ships, he pointed up to the star and circle in- laughingly:
 That's painted red. white and blue. but the Germans painted their insignia red. white and black"
 Yet. Commander R D. Weyer- bacher. the engineer officer who has had charge of the construction since his return from a thorough inspec- ton of the Zeppelin factories and engineering laboratories, explained that the ZR-1 was not a duplicate of wartime Zeppelin, but had worked into its construction the en- gineering lessons and developments o, postwar experiments. It's lines show the progress of that evolution ir which a great log-shaped struc- ture has been tapered down to graceful shape that slips through the air with minimum of resist ance.
 "The ZR-3. which is being built for us in Germany" said Command CT Weyerbacher. twill embody still more of these postwar develop ments'
 Some of these would be drawn. he said from the building of the ZR2. the great dirigible which was built for Us in London. hut which broke in the air and fell flaming to the ground with great loss of life. This sacrifice of human life was not who'll ly in vain. he explained. as many of the novel features embodied in the ZR-2 were excellent and sound and cnly failed because they were car ried too far.
 The ZR-3 will come to America as part of the German reparations and will be larger than the ZR1. It will bn d demonstration by the Zeppelin engineers of the best they are cap- able of. It is now nearing comple- tion and it is to be flown across the Atlantic by an American crew with in few months.
 Unlike the ZR-1 it will be a com mercial airship and will have no ar rlament AS yet the ZR-1 carries no bomb-dropping apparatus or guns bu, these will be mounted later. As T commercial carrier the airship has certain advantages over the air plane. It's potential carrying capac- ity and cruising distance are greater. It can remain aloft when it's engines stop. It comes to stop before landing. It can remain stationary in the air.
 A ring in the nose of the ship fas- tens to swivel socket on the mast and holds the ship so that the crew may enter her by means of the mast elevators. while fuel is carried up pipe lines in the mast.
 The officers at the naval air sta tion estimate that the airship will be as valuab to the navy for scouting as from three to six first-class cruis- CTS. A first-class cruiser costs ap- proximately s40.OOO,OOO. The esti- mated cost of the ZR-1 is around 5000. 900.
 The ship went through good many tests even before it was allow ed to take the air. While it was still in it's shed a pressure of five tons was jammed against the nose, which gave the inches under strain and returned to normal. Another test consisted of suspending the ship at both ends while eight tons of ball. last was moved into the center of it's framework. thus stimulating a tremendous strain thrown on it in the air by some sharp maneuver The 6SO-foot frame bent but one and one fourth inches, and when the ballast was evenly distributed again the frame went back to within one sixteenth of an inch from where it had been before. These facts are re- garded as proofs of great strength.
 If this flight proves as successful as the naval aviation experts feel sure it will. there is every reason to believe that some day soon every large American city will have it's fleet of airships to take vacationists on a cooling trip to the arctic re- gions. .-
 Philadelphia. Pittsburg and other cities in the same latitude are 5000 miles from the North Pole. The ZR- is expected to make seventy-five