Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-11-11
BIGGER THE CRAFT
SAFER THE FLIGHT.
Increased DirigibIe Capacity
Means More Precautions,
Says Naval Architect.

| Transoceanic travel in dirigibles will
be safe in proportion to the size OF the
! craft. William F. Gibbs, naval archi-
tect, said regarding the plan of the
United States to build two diriglbles
| of 6.50O.0O0 cubic feet capacity. In
creased capacity means more safety
devices, stronger girders and more re-
| sistance to wind and storms.
THE larger the safer, in the case OF
! dirigibles," the naval architect who re-
conditioned the Leviathan explained
Safety is a relative term, but prac|
tice will have to demonstrate just how
safe such trip is.
Mail Service First.
1.-THE first service of the dirigible will
be, in my opinion, to carry flrst-class
mail, just as the airplanes are used
on land for mail carriers. With big
ship like the Zeppelin, 100 tons capac-
ity, some of it in passenger equipment,
there is no difficulty in taking along
a lot of mail.
Then as this form of transportation
is shown to be practical, with regular
weekly trips, there will arise demand
for passenger service. A few will be
willing to pay high prices for the quick
passage"
There is no doubt in the architects
opinion that the Zeppelin ultimately
will be a practical device for flying
over the ocean, since its ability to re-
main in the air, even in the case of
accidents, makes it superior to the air.
plane for a trip over water. Mr.. Gibbs
said:
THE airplane depends on its speed
and an accident means a crash. The
dirigble can take care of itself in
complication to an amazing extent.
Even when its motion must cease for
while, which happened in the case
| of the Graf Zeppelin, it is safe.
With greater size, the Orders can
be made heavier SO that they won't
break up in wind or storm. In the
small ships they are of course lighter"
Dirigibles are unlikely to come into
use for land flights to any great extent,
the architect explained
Conditions over water are more
favorable to the dirigible than are
those over land; the ocean doesn't pro-
duce thunderstorms to the same degree
that the land does Temperature over
land varies more than it does over the
sea. The Summer sun beating down
heats up the earth; the ocean, going
temperature varies only little.
Luxuries to Be Included.
Increased size and strength are 60
ing to mean luxuries which will in
clude equipment of travellers.
Three thousand dollars may seem
a high price for trip, but it is a ques-
ton of supply and demand 1t doesn't,
obviously, cost the dirigible $4,000 to
take passenger along. But when a
ship has a small capacity and many
people want to go along-well, let's
compare it to the transatlantic tele-
phone with it's awful price of some
thing like 5000 for a phone call
ITO mention competition in connec-
ton with steamship companies is a
misnomer The dirigible has it's place.
1t is not competing with the steam
ship and the regular ship companies
are interested and not opposed to this
new idea of travel. Still I maintain
that a dirigible fight is not quite as
safe as a ride on the Leviathan. for
| instance, even though the Navy thinks
a stormproof dirigible is on the way.
That remains to be proved"