The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-01-17

Then, after being carried as far as
NewaEk, somstimes at a speed of more
than mile minute. the Shenandoah
proved herself mistress of the storms.
Under the guidance of Capt. Anton
Heinen. a veteran German Zeppelin
expert, the snip was nosed back into
the teeth of the driving rainstorm.
Slowly her propellers gained head
gay against the diminishing winds.
Nose Is Torn Oh
Back at the aviation field, where her
commander, who had been at mess
when the airship was whipped off into
the night, officials of the naval air
service waited. straining their eyes
into the inky darkness. The nose
of the Shenandoah had been torn off
completely and tapped from the mast
head at the end of her mooring chain.
This added tremendously to the diff
ficulties of maneuvering. But at $50
a m. searchnghts at the airdrome
picked out of the night the Welcome
sight OF the silver Shenandoah, safely
home.
It was the work Of three hours to
brig her down. The storm had abated.
but gusts of wind persisted in getting
into the aperture where the airship's
nose-plate had been ripped away.
a ground force of 800 men was on
hand TO help the dirigible into its nest.
Pilot Shows Skill
Maneuvering with consummate skill.
the veteran Captain Heinen brought
her gradually down. a few hundred
feet at time, cautious, now the
greater disaster had been averted, of
the least accident TO the airship.
Then the landing crew. marines and
sailors. seized the trailing ropes with
a cheer and walked the Shenandoah
across a thousand foot span to the
hangar doors.
From the gondolas. the crew that
came home safe shouted cheers and
greetings to those below.
After directing the ground crew
a megaphone, Captain Helm
en- called down to his brother officers
below:
You sons-of-guns were waiting for
to happen, weren't you"
Sends Careless Fibe
Thus the first word of mouth from
the navy's daughter of the stars.
which had been lost and found again. |
was a characteristically careless jibe,
covering up the sentiment behind.
But later today over hot coffee and
said:
I'VE nearly had the fate of Dix
nude
The French naval dirigible Dixmude |
was carried from her course by a
storm Dec 20 and was lost in the
Mediterranean with all hands, a crew
OF fifty.
The fact the Shenandoah was filled |
with helium, the non-intiammable gas
used by the United States Navy. |
alleviated somewhat the fears for her |
safety which would have been enter
tained. had she been Initiated with |
hydrogen, as was the Dixmude.
1t was shortly after darkness fell on |
the fourth day of the SHENANDOAH |
proposd seven-day test of her ability |
to ride out all weather conditions at |
her mooring mast the furious rain
storms proved too much for the dirigi- |
ble's slender structure.
Heinen Is Picturesque
Captain Heinen. picturesque figure |
in an old overcoat over blue sweater |
rolled high under his jutting red Van
Dyke beard, was aloft in the tossing |
taking his turn together with |
Lieut.. Earl H. Kincaid, Lieutenant |
Dean, Commander Pierce, |
Mayer. another former
German commander, and other Off
GERS and men-twenty-two in ALL
A terrific report, loud above the tu.
mutt of the gale, brought the officers
at mess to their feet. When they
rushed out into the storm and looked
up to where searchlights wavered
through the driving rain, marking the
mast top. the Shenandoah