Evening star., 1926-04-17

which was rapidly approaching. At
|:oO there was megaphone announce
ment- that the airship was arriving.
ana all eyes were strained westward
into the darkness.
Ships Light Visible.
The minutes passed--nothing, moth
ing. Then suddenly far down on the
western horizon, below the faint
stormy moon. there glowed a tiny light
In the sky. Hardly 1t was seen when
so swift was the airship's f1ight-the
dark bulk Of the machine showed
against the sky, swoopfng down to
reconnoiter the landing. Down within
bO meters OF the ground she came,
amid the cheers of the crowd; then it
swung UP again in a wide circle.
She doesn't like her first look at
Russia and Is going on to the pole" !"
cried a beared old peasant, but round
she came and hovered over the air
drome. At exactly $40 pm. the
motors stopped and the ship came
lower and lower toward the ground,
standing silvery gray in the light of
the huge log fires built at intervals
across the field.
Suddenly the hangar that had been
ness.
Something had gone wrong with a
fuse. Then they dropped two ropes
from the airship. Each was seized by
90 or more soldiers, scrambling like
pigmies in the high. deep snow. their
peaked cloth helmets showing up
against the freight. There was no
wind. and NJ. Khalturin's arrange
ments worked perfectly.
Steady. now"' he bloomed through
the megaphone. Hold tight-pull on
the left-pull on the right-prepare to
support the gondola." and 100 more
men rushed forward to carry, as II
seemed. a fragile shell upon their
shoulders.
Pulled Up to Hangar.
After an hours maneuverfng the
ship was pulled stern-first before the
entrance of the hangar, where oil
lamps replaced the still dormant elec-
tricity.
Careful now-it is a critical mo.
ment!" shouted NJ. Khalturin. Lower
it a bit more-pull to the right
steady-pull her in" and. yard by
yard, the long. shining cigarlike air
ship slid silently into the hangar.
exhausted. Buffeted by a tempest
lost In the clouds-for 13 hours-de-
'prived, none knows why, of radio
communication with the land. unable
to lie or sit or smoke, they had had
a cruel journey over the Baltic Sea
and the snow-clad lands Of Latvia and
Esthonia.
Almost mechanically they respond
ed to the greetings Of the italian
naval attache, Signor Miraglia, and
Consul Bombier1, the Norwegian con-
sui, Platow, and other officials. Rus
sian and foreign. At 1890 O'Clock
they piled into rough peasant sleighs
to make a wear, jolting trip to
Gatchina, Where-a startling contrast
they were lodged IN the imperial
bed chambers with priceless carpets.
wood and painted ceilings and the fur
niture that was the gift of French
kings to the Russian car.
Get First Real Rest.
Col. Umberto Mobile. the commander
of the ship. and Lieut.. Riiser-I Isarsen,
second in command, expressed the ut
most satisfaction over the airship's
over difficult conditions
and with the Russian arrangements
for the landing. They warmly thank
ed and congratulated NJ. Khalturin
and NJ. Zinovief-no relation Of the
president of the Communist Interna-
Of the Leningrad
air district, for the manner in which
the ship was maneuvered into the
hangar.
Then they went to sleep.
This Is the first real rest for six
days" said Col. Mobile, land don't
wake me tomorrow"
(CopyriRht,. 1925. b. the New York Times
and St. Louis Globe Democrat