The Washington times., 1924-01-17

THERING Of GALE
A GREAT TRIUMPH
Continued from First Pasel

leap had been torn away, causing
several rents in the outer bag. but
beyond that no other damage could
be found.
Another examination Of all parts
Of the air vessel Is in progress today,
Officers Congratulated.
Lieut.. Comdr. Maurice G. Pierce.
Lieut.. Comdr. j. L. Dean, Lieul,
Comdr. E. H. Kincaid, Capt. Anton.
Heinen and the other officers and
men on. board were heartily con-
graduated on the manner they had
handled the vessel during her dah-
gerous Journey. They said that al
no time did they fear for their
safety nor that Of the ship. Thelt
only anxiety was how long they
would be compelled to remain In the
air.
The slight damage caused by the
breaking loose of the Shenandoah
will not change the plans of the
Navy Department to send her upon
her sensational polar voyage, 1t was
said.
Carried Due North.
Shenandoah was carried due north
in the teeth of terrific wind. Sh6
was sighted over Summit, N. j., at
SI5 o'clock. Twenty-Five minutes
later the huge gray form Of the
balloon was discerned against stormy
skies over Madison. Ten minutes
later she was drifting over West-
field. From Westfield the airship
turned to q northeasterly course.
Residents Of Newark sighted the
balloon over that city at 10 o'clock.
She remained in view for some
time, evidently fighting with all tho
strength Of her motors to buck the
wind and turn inland. From
Newark the dirigible disappeared
in the direction Of Bayonne,
HOvered Near BayOnne.
For q long while the airship
hovered over the vicinity of Bay.
onne. At 1890 the Shenandoah.
began drifting over the Killvonkull
narrow neck Of water separating
the New Jersey coast from Staten
Island.
At this time the dirigible was
plainly visible to the soldiers on
Governors Island, Headquarters of
the department Of the East, U. s. A.
Shortly after II o'clock the bal
loon was being carried over Staten
Island in the direction Of New York
city. At 11:1O the ship passed over
Tottenville, Staten Island. Twenty
minutes later the airship was visible
over Great Kills. Persons on the
ground thought she was in distress
and that something had happened
to one Of the motors. The giantess
Of the aky was fighting a valiant
sky battle with her engines pound.
ing at full speed.
At 11:45 the ship crossed over
Grant City, on the south shore of
Staten Island. She had been car
ried closer Seaward despite the e.
forts of the crew.
Just after midnight the wind
shifted somewhat, and. taking ad.
vantage of this favorable circum-
stance, the crew made q supreme
effort to head back home. A short
time later the Shenandoah was
again travelling toward Lakehurst,
having recroSsed the KillVonkull.
Shortly before o'clock the air
ship passed Keyport, N. j., travel
ing slowly but under control. At
1:45 the Shenandoah was over Free
hold, N. J.
In Radio Touch.
Throughout all this adventurous
and dramatic voyage the wireless
operator on. board kept in constant
touch with the Lakehurst station.
He repeated over and over:
"All well. What are weather
prospectS?"
After leaving Freehold. the re-
hurst seemed easy enough. The
and the great vessel was visible to
thousands on the ground. AS she
approached Lakehurst from Free
hold, the Shenandoah Travelled at
an altitude of about 800 feet.
At 2:30 the Shenandoah had
reached the Lakehurst depot but
did not try to land at once. She
lowered in the air for nearly an
hour before making the landing.
100000 See Life Battle.
Air officers said that IL the fore
part of the ship had not been torn,
making a buttress for the wind,
the airship likely would have been
under full control all the time she
was in the air. AS it was the wind,
blowing at terrific velocity, got into
the torn parts Of the bag covering,
making 1t difficult to control the
vessel.
During the dramatic journey prob
ably 100000 people saw the
Shenandoah fighting for her life.
During the night all radio enter.
tainments in the New York and New
Jersey district were called off so as
not to interfere with the wireless
communication Of the Shenandoah.
Thousands Of amateur owners OF
radio outfits tuned up their instru-
ments and listened in to the conver.
sation between the airship and the
Lakehurst air depot.
Captain Heinen, Of the Zeppelin
Works at Friedrichahafen, Germany,
was theoretically in command Of the
Shenandoah owing to his perfect
knowledge Of the dirigibles Of this
type. He said that the crew wa
hampered at times by fog banks.
They kept the vessel as close to the
ground as compatible with safety.
The Shenandoah was formerly the
ZR-1, and her construction cost So
100000. She is capable of q speed
Of seventy miles an hour.
For four days before the accident
the airship had been lashed to a new
fashioned mooring mast at tho air
depot. They were testing our this
style Of mooring mast with q view
to using 1t later on in the Polar voy.
age If its use was found necessary.
The weather had been compare
lively calm as the great shin swung
I'm the breeze untiI Wednaada . ~ = ex~,.