The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-10-11
YANKEE SHIPS
AREDWARFED
BY GRAF ZEPP
Transatlantic Zeppelin Is
Equipped Like a Modern
E:n. Hotel
COSTS A FORT n E
Length of German Graf Al
Nest as Great as Height of
WOolwOrth Building
COSTS A FORTU N E

Berlin, Oct. 10.-When the great
new dirigible Graf Zeppelin takes
the air at Friedrichshafen for her
first trip to America, the world will
get it's first inkling Of the real pos
sibilities of comfort, safety and lux
ury in aerial travel. 1t is named in
honor of Count Zeppelin, Graf" be-
ing German for Count"
Nothing like it has ever flown
through the air. The great Amerl-
can dirigibles Los Angeles and Shen-
andoah are far surpassed. The float
ing liner of the air is at last a re-
atty. Some idea Of it's possible speed
is given by the estimate Of DR.: Hugo
Eckener, the designer, that the big
ship could fly from Berlin to Tokyo
in four days.
To begin with, the Count Zeppelin
offers far better passenger accom-
modations than any airship yet built.
Twenty passengers can be carried,
two to room, in commodious, Pull
man-type staterooms. Their quar-
ters are electrically lighted and
heated. Electric ranges in the
kitchen provide hot meals; roomy
.avatories are fitted for hot and cold
water.
Gone are the days Of the narrow
"cat walk" which featured the Shen-
andoah's interior living quarters.
The hanging gondolas Of that air
ship are present in the Graf Zeppe-
lin, to be sure, but only to house the
five powerful motors. The control
room is built in, as in the diriRible
Los Angeles, and on the same deck
are the passenger accommodations.
776 Feet Long
The Graf Zeppelin is 776 feet long
by 100 feet in diameter-nearly 100
feet longer and nearly rs feet wider
than the Shenandoah, and 116 feet
longer than the Los Angeles. To-
wards the bow, along the bottom,
protrudes the forward end of the
cabin, running back in q straight
line and merging almost inpercep-
tibly with the keel. The great size
of the ship dwarfs the five small
gondolas so that one hardly sees
them at first glance.
Entering the cabin at the forward
end, one enters first the control
room, where captain, navigator and
helmsmen have their stations. Big
windows give unobstructed vision
straight ahead and on both sides.
Back of this comes the navigation
and chart room, extending the width
of the cabin and filled with the null
titude of dials. gauges, wheels, levers
and so on with which dirigibles are
guided.
Powerful Radio
From the rear of the navigation
room opens a hallway leading to the
back. On one side is the radio room,
where there is installed a set power.
full enough to keep the airship in
touch with land stations throughout
a transatlantic voyage. On the other
side is the kitchen, with electric
stove, coffee urn and cupboards. Be-
side the kitchen is narrow 'thwArt-
ships passageway leading to q door
: on the starboard side, through which
passengers come aboard.
The main passageway then opens
into the largest room on the ship
the main lounge, which also does
duty as a dining room. It is q lux
urious room, as little like 4 COM
partment on an airship as one could
wish. A soft carpet covers the floor.
Wide windows in the walls provide
for sightseeing; they are hung with
rich curtains. There are cushioned
arm chairs and circular tables as in
the parlor OF fine hotel. At meal
times this becomes the dining salon,
where passengers can dine As COM
fortably as in q hotel. During the
rest of the day it Is a lounge. Biz
cushioned sofas run along two walls.
From the rear Of this compart-
ment opens the passageway leading
to the staterooms. There are ten Of
these, five on each side. Each one
has an upper and = lower berth Of
the Pullman type. The walls are
papered. and there are curtains on
the windows, a built-ir table and
stool in each room. Beyond the
staterooms are too roomy wash
rooms one for men and one for
women. At the very back the pas.
sage opens into the interior of the
vast envelope itself.
Uses New Fuel
It is not alone in size and luxury
that the Graf Zeppelin is 4 new de-