The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-11-01
TAKES II HOURS
TO SET MARK IN
1900 MILE HOP

Continued from page onl
airship landed. Mrs. Adams being
among the first.
Crowd Jams Hangar
The passengers and crew had
great difficulty in getting out of
the hangar into which part of the
crowd had made its way while thou
sands outside cheered and bands
played deutschland Uber Allies"
and the "Star Spangled Bannc ;"
DIR. Hugo Eckener, commander
and builder of the airship, asked to
be excused from any reception for
malities until p. m. He explained
that he was thoroughly tired and
needed a rest.
Salvos from cannon in salute
reused the sleeping popu.ace of
Frtedrichshafen when the airship
approached its birthplace on. the
shore of Lake Constance about 4:3O
a. m. The people rushed for the
airdrome where crews of the Yep
pelin works were already assembled.
Large details of police and sew
eral companies Of soldiers held the
throng in check when the great gray
ship swung toward the hangar.
Bright lights shonc from the
cabin windows as the airliner sped
low and fast from the northwest.
AS crowds cheered and bands played
the Graf Zeppelin swept over the
airdrome at 1850 q. m. allowing the
eager throng but a brief glimpse of
her great form as she passed rapidly
out Of sight.
The airship again lowered over
the hangar. The motors were silent
and at sos a. m. Graf Zeppelin was
stationary over the airdrome.
Ground crews lined up as if to re-
ceive the airliner.. The crowd was
cheering madly.
Waits For Daylight
Ten minutes later, however, the
motors began to hum and the air.
ship started to cruise again. APP
parently DIR. Eckener was awaiting
better landing conditions as the
illumination at the airdrome was
not bright enough to land the huge
craft safely.
Twenty minutes elapsed and then
the airship again appeared over the
airdrome. The motors were shut
off and she was stationary. DR..
Eckener sent radio message to Of
ficials asking that the crowd be
forced back to facilitate berthing
the craft. A landing crew Of two
hundred stood by.
At 1902 a. m. the Graf Zeppelin
turned her blunt nose toward the
hangar and began to descend slow
~. Hawsers were thrown out and
the landing crew rushed to grab
them. Two minutes later they were
pulling down the ship. At 7:O6 a.
m. the craft was brought to a halt
Q few yards above the ground. Then
the ground crew began to walk her
toward the hangar while passengers
crowded at the windows and the
bands played. At 1880 q. m. the
huge airliner was berthed in her
hangar and the first commercial
Transatlantic flight was history.
Crowd Crashes Lines
The German air liner almost came
to grief on landing because thou
sands Of enthusiastic Germans
threatened to rush the gondolas and
It was only with the greatest diff
Guilty that the huge ship WAS walked
into her hangar.
The police Fad taken what APP
peared careful precautions to rope
of the crowds from tho landing
field but no sooner had the gondolas
touched the ground than the jubi-
liant mob broke through and upset
al the police calculations. When the
command was given to take the air
ship into the hangar, the crowd
trailed along and helped pull.
Dr.. Eckener when he finally
emerged from the great ship had
great difficulty in making his way
through the crowd and Afterwards
laughingly said that the most diff
cult part Of the voyage was getting
out 81 the Rondola.