The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-03-03
BIG DIRIGIBLE
SUCCESSFULLY
FINISHES TRII'


since her flight to this country from
Germany.
Shortly befor $50 a. M, how
ever, when the snow had ceased and
the wind had died down, her silvery
hulk appeared against the brighten
ing eastern horizon and half an hour
later she had nosed down to the
field and been slowed safely away
in her hangar.
Arrived Before Midnight
Commander c. f. Rosendahl first
brought the Los Angeles over her
home field at 11:40 last night after
a 37-hour flight from Guacanayabo
bay, Cuba, where she had stopped
on her return trip from Panama:
She nosed slowly down tx the
field, but the 30-milc wind that was
blowing was too much for her main
mooring line which carried away and
she was forced to take to the air
again.
The dirigible cfuised slowly over
the field for .ome time waiting a
lull in the wind. Ominous clouds
piling up in the southwest decided
the commander to attem pit landing
before the storm broke.
Working frantically, the ground
crew, which included ev ry avail
able man at the station, had her
nearly to the doors of the big ham
gar when the snow, riding hard on
a 3O-mile-an-hour wind, swept down.
Men Fail to Hear Command
The big ship was tossing in the
grasp Of the hundred or more men
fighting to pull her ahead and the
order was given to cast off. The
five men who were carried up with
he1: evidently did not hear the COM
mands and before they knew what
was happening she was several feet
off the ground and making altitude
swiftly. They were on the opposite
side from the cabin door and it was
feared it might not BE possible to
pull them to safety. All but the
sailor who dropped were taken into
the cabin through the windows just
above them and the giant air liner
climbed to safety in the clouds.
The big airship left her hangar
here Sunday. Feb. &c, and 40 hours
later had anchored to q temporary
mast at France Field, Panam Canal
Zone, 1900 mile. away. She cast
off from the Patoka at 1890 Thurs
dav morning for her flight home.
She had to buck stronr ,eadwindc
from Charleston, S. c., which slowed
her speed end made the flying time
on the 1,400-mile trip 81 hours. The
flying time on her homeward flight,
not counting the tx hours consumed
in landing, was 63 or 20 more than
her flight to. Panama.
Follows More Inland Course
On her flight up the Atlantic
coast she followed a more inland
course than. on her downward jour-
ney, being sighted at several coast
cities. Her flight s-Lth had been
almost entirely over water as she
had headed out into tho Atlantic
after leaving New York before set
ting her course for the canal zone.
The successful completion Of her
training cruise Of over 1000 miles
marked the second ACHE ,ment Of
the Los Angeles within two months
On Jan. g she landed on the air
craft carrier Saratoga at sea, feat
never before accomplished by = dir.
igible. This was to prove the prac-
ticability Of refuelin9 airships at
sea and her present flight in all
sorts Of weather proves her dura-
bility.
Commander Rosendahl has a dis
tinguished record in aviation. He
was the surviving ranking officer Of
the Shenandoah, which fell in q
storm over Ohio in 1925.