The Washington times., 1928-10-11
CONTINUED from First Page)

flying yachts which the German
Lufthansa planned to send across
the ocean this autumn.
The first goal of the Graf Zeppelin
on this maiden voyage is Lakehurst,
N. j., where it will greet its sister
ship, the Los Angeles.
Officials at the field estimated
that the Zeppelin would reach Lake.
hurst in about so hours. This would
bring it to its destination Saturday
afternoon.
The Graf Zeppelin Is commanded
by DIR. Hugo Eckener, who also
built and guided across the Los
Angeles. Lieut.. Commander RoSen-
dahl, commander of the Los Angeles,
is & passenger aboard the Count.
Altogether. three nations, Germany
America and England. are repre-
scented among the passengers.
One Woman Aboard
England is represented by wo-
mantle only woman on board
Lady Drummond Hay. equally noted
for her beauty and her Journalistic
achievements. Others among the
passengers are Kari Fl Won Vie
gand, European director of the
Hearst newspapers: Ludwig Dit
man, of the Berlin Academy OF
Art: Theodore Mateikoff. another
noted German artist; Rolf Brandt,
of the BerIiner LokalanZeiger; Ber-
nard Kellermann, of the Vossiche
Zeitung; Robert Hartmann. Metro
Goldwyn-Mayer News and Inter
national News Reel photographer;
Frederick Gilfallen, Robert Reiner,
OF Weehawken, N. j.; Count Bra
denstein- Zeppelin; Herr Grezynski,
Prussian minister of interior; Herr
Bradenburg. chief of the German
air ministry; Herr Kaas, member OF
the German Reichstag; Herr Mayer,
photographer for Ufa, the biggest
German movie concern; Walter
KleffeI. journalist; Herr Won Tyscka.
director OF an insurance company;
Herr Optiz of the ZeisS Optical
Works. and Herr Berk, of the Tele-
funken Wireless Company.
Many Turned Away
Hundreds of applicants stormed
the Zeppelin offices during the pre-
ceding months in an effort to De-
come the first regular transatlantic
air passenger in history, but only
lucky and much envied few were
chosen.
Don't call them daring, whatever
YOU do" DR.. Eskener laughingly re-
marked just before the start. They
are just as safe and just as comfort
able az they would be on big ocean
liner--if not more so. That Is the
point. This ship is regular passen-
ger ship, intended to open up COM
mercial transatlantic air line. But
you cannot run a commercial ocean
line for heroes only. Therefore, this
ship is built for the general travel.
ing public. Nobody likes to take his
life in his hands whenever he goes
on a trip. Well, he need not when
he boards this vessel. Our special
trip are just to show how safe the
boat really is"
"A Pounds Baggage
It was still dawn when DR..
Eckener ordered the ship cleared for
the start. The crew scampered
aboard and was Immediately lost In
the interior and the five gondolas
of the mighty monster.
There had been some slight
changes in the iHteriOr, the chief
one being the reduction of the size
of the ventilators so that the
crew would not suffer so much from
the cold.
When all the passengers were on
the passengers lined up along the
windows of the front cabin that
seems to grow out of the body
of the craft. The baggage Of the
passengers had already been slowed
away. This was confined to Al
pounds per passenger although it
was understood that Lady Drum
mond Hay was allowed to exceed
this limit.
When all the passengers were on
board the ship was weighed and
found not wanting" Then the
sand bags that held it down were
shaken off and the water ballast
adjusted. 1t floated loosely within
its anchorage.
ThOWn Into Air
"Los," shouted DR.. Eckener, and
hundred of hands gripped the land
ing ropes and slowly the ship was
floated from the hall, clearing the
edges Of the roof by inches, so it
seemed. Tight ropes fastened to the
wheels that ran on rails insured a
straight course for the ship so 1t
would not bump the narrow walls.
Only few were admitted to
watch these preliminaries. But out.
side thousands who had waited
since midnight we're milling about