The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1928-10-18
ZEPPELIN LANDS
AT STATION SAFELY
5000 Mile Trip from Germany
to u. S. Completed in
Ill Hours
HAD MANY THRILLS
Thousands Waited at N. ].
Field 4S Hours for
Landing

LakehurSt, N. j., Oct. 1.-THE
largest airship ever built, it's sill
yer envelope containing infiamable
hydrogen, was berthed today at the
United States naval air station af-
ter completing the longest CONNER
cial flight from Europe. Three
other dirigibles inflated with nom
infamable Helium, huddled in the
hangar close beside the Graf Yep
pelin.
Smoking was sternly prohibited,
and in certain places no one was
allowed except with rubber soled
shoes least so small thing as a
spark from a nailed heel cause dis
aster.
The mighty Graf Zeppelin,
which fioated up from the Zeppelin
works at Friederichshafen last
Thursday morning with a crew of
40 men and a passenger list of 20,
landed here at 1913 p. M, yester-
day after playing tag with the ele-
ments over zig gag course es-
timated at $500 miles requiring
Ill hours, SO minutes. It was
berthed at 3 a. m. this morning
after spending most of the night
attached to a mooring mast.
The Graf Zeppelin arrived as
day was dropping away into the
dusk, just four years to day af-
ter the arrival of the navy Los
Angeles from the same starting
point. 49, .1asss -"
Yesterday, however, there were
not many more than 5000 on
hand when a gray smudge appear
ed on the darkening north hori-
zon and expanded to the proper
tions' of a gigantic fish that swan
the skies with "a stupenduous ma
jesty. It had already thrilled mil
lions in Washington, Philadelphia,
New York and other seaboard cit
lies. rt.y, ''>>.~
AS the great dirigible, now the
greatest in the world and yet
soon to be eclipsei by three other
greater ships, crossed the boundary
of the air station and dipped to-
ward the flying field, the crowd
broke into spontaneous cher.
With no lights showing except
from the yellow pane of one cabin
window, from. which the only wo-
man passenger waved a greeting
to the groundings below, the sky
moved slowly and almost silently
with muted motors to position
almost above the towering moor
ing mast.
Then with a roar like the tramp
ng Of celestial cavalry-and the
strength of 2700 horses represent
ed in the five engines swung in gon-
Idolas beneath the silver bag, the
motors were cut wide opentand the
ship was driven downward toward
the earth.
Lines were dropped and caught
by the waiting he nds of more than
500 sailors. The ship was drawn
deity down and the gumby hump
er under the control cabin rested
on solid ground.
As the dirigibfe settled on
American soil the enthusiasm of
the crowd broke all bounds and
police lines went down with a rush
as the erstwhile patient walters
threw patience to the winds and
surged close about the dirigible.
Customs inspection and difficult
ty in handling the crowds resulted
in the passengers being held prac-
tically incommunicable for hours
first in the cabins and later in that
part of the hangar turned over to
their customs service. Not until
late at night was the last piece of
baggage passed and the health of
the last passenger certified. Then
they struggled away, some to homes
and others to New York nearby
points.
They were eagerly questioned
by reporters but their replies were
necessarily limited by an agree
ment they had been forced to sign
that they would not talk about the
flight for publication for eight days
after landing. This agreement was
called for in a contract between
the Zeppelin company news syn
dictate which purchased the story
rights of the flight.