The Washington times., 1926-03-08
TRANS-SEA
AIR ROUTE
NEAR
By WILBUR MORSE JR.
ecopyright. 1895. by international
News eervfcsl

ecopyright. 1885. by international
News Service1
Al group Of American capitalists
are contemplating the establish
nent Of q trans-ocean dirigible-
line between the United States
and Europe at san early date, |"
international News Service learned
today.
The project, inspired by . few
air enthusiasts, is so near realiza-
ton, it was said, that definite
types Of ships, the frequency Of
runs and their scheduled time Of
flight are now being worked out.
Backed BY Big Money.
Godfrey Lowell Cabot, president
pf the National Aeronautical AaDo.
citation, is one Of those behind the
proposed air line.
"A fleet of dirigibIes, two or
three times as large as the Shen-
andoah, will be flying regularly
Europe, on scheduled time. by 1885,
declared Cabot.
"The undertaking Is being studied
by a group of the country's biggest
capitalists"
Names of the group planning the
line, are being closely guarded. II
Is understood here, however, that
EdseI Ford, John d. Rockefeller
and the trustees of the Guggenheim
aeronautical fund are interested.
According to Cabot, the line would
be in the nature OF a public service
corporation, with the passenger
rates low enough to assure steady
stream OF air traffic between the
continents.
Danger Minimized
"The fear of danger rather than
the cost has handicapped trans
oceanic dirigfble travel thus FAR, /"
Cabot said. But the safety OF
more and more secure. But for
fear of injury or accident, in the
past, there would have been a
great number of persons who would
have gone through the air to Eu-
rope for the sake of time-saving, :
Cabot added
1t is an old story here, thai Of
inventors dreams of gigantic dir
fgibles carrying hundreds Of passen-
gers back and forth between the
United States and Europe. in rooniy,
luxurious cabins-of lighted airships
passing one another in 1.-THE night
far out at sea-of the power and
speed of such huge vessels pushing
across the Atlantic in tV)b days.
Capital Much Interested
Making a commercial reality Of
those dreams is such new story
that the Capital buZzed with in
terest when the ambitious program
was partially revealed.
The air line would be comprised
of a fleet of ships, each having
about 100000 cubic feet capacity.
"Such ships will comfortably carry
100 passengers" Cabot continued,
with more conveniences and room
than train of Pullman cars. There
viii be runways where the passen,
gers can walk. There will be nicely
appointed dining and lounging
rooms, and the sleeping cemparr.
ments will. be as comfortable as
those on trains or ships.
The average passage from the
United States to Europe viii he be
tween one and a half and two days
The return trip will be longer, due
10 the winds which prevail, taking
perhaps between two and a half and
three days.
"The structure of trans-oceanie
liners will be better than the old
dirigibles, with the envelope better
supported, so that it will flutter less
in the wind. Metal-clad dirigibles
contemplated by the Navy, will bt
watched with interest.
"In my opinion the immediate de
velopment Of dirigibles viii be TO
ward shorter and fatter shapes
The placing of the control cabir
within the hull viii also greatly
diminish the danger OF injury ps
wind. THE control cabin of tks
Shenandoah dangled from the
framework. and its ripping OF
partly caused its crash. The con
troll cabin of the Los Angeles IS Sc
in the hull"
lA.n,.., ted h.r hand rnaHer q nau