Evening star., 1928-10-11
START MADE QUICKLY.
DirigibIe in Air Two Minutes AFTER
BEING Drawn From Hangar.

DirigibIe in Air TWO MinuteS <AA'ei
Being Drawn From Hangar.
rRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany, Oc-
aoher II R.-Well on her way over
France en- route to the United STATES,
fhe giant dirigible Graf Zeppelin To-Day
Sras Sailing steadily along in dlrectlon
indicating that she would fly the SOUTH
ern route across the Atlantic py way
shortly before noon the local Aeppe-
ain wireless station lost touch Win CL1e
shin. which had set out from rIieu
richshafen at o'clock tnls moTllnae
carrying 20 passengers, mciuomg Ciiee
Americans, and a crew OF 4U'
Southern Route Seen.
AZ that hour it was believed that the
ki,in had begun communication Win
FRENCH meteorological stations ior the
r,,r,1ose of ascertaining weather conol-
tions along the West African coast anu
the southern Atlantic route. II was
assumed in Friedrichshafen that Dr.
HUGO Fckner had decided to ny the
southern route in the hope OF .pene-
fiting by better weather conoitiohS
there. ,,,,,;oI,
had prevailed around the hangaLs ~
Che last few days, the drlglpie gos away sS
Urith clocklike precision ana Win Ieos
f,,Ss at the start than it takes 10 get
Transatlantic liner away from her
pier 49, doors of
the huge hangers swung open ana prep
arations were begun to clear Cne snip.
All the members of the crew tooK IneII
nosts and then the passengers were
taken on board.
ners were attached by pulleys 10 run
ming blocks on either side. Ihe mug
craft was dragged slowly ana sVeaony
put cf the hangar.
Gets Into Air Quickly.
Within two minutes after it was free
IF the hangar the haWSers were de-
tached and 200 stalwart workmen VINO
had heen hanging to the lower gunWale
let 90. The Graf Zeppelin Immediately
ascended almost perpendicularly to an
elevation of about $50 feet. The nose
was pointed upward and the alrsnlp
rose higher as it circled over Fried
tichshafen.
Finally it headed westward over Lake
Constance. and in three minutes the
craft had disappeared from view on
what was hoped to be the third east-to-
west fight across the Atlantic in a
aiohter-than-air craft. This ship Is
named for the late Count Won Zeppelin
German airship builder and inventor,
graf being the German word for count.
Before climbing into the ship DIT.
Eckner said:
Il expect to reach New York Sunday
morning. The last weather reports,
fJated ) am. speak of heavy storms
Under these circumstances, or course,
II Is impossible to determine the eXact
route in advance. In general, however
I can say we will stick to the southern
course. fying over France and tnen
heading southwark to avoid depfeS-
sion which is moving to and fro pc
tween Newfoundland and Ireland. The
northern route is out of the question.
May Touch African Coast.
Cant. z. A. Lehman, navigation OF.
ficer. said that it was quite possible tha'
i the airship would go as Tar Soutn "a
the coast of Africa and then head iol
the Azores He said that the most IN
teresting thing about the trip, in We"
of the weather situation, was tnat hei
navigation would offer opportunities Ve
experts on board Tor interesting HleUo'
geological studies.
All sorts of wild rumors prevailed
about stowaways being Secreted aboarc
the airship. The Zeppelin company
MANAGEMENT countered these With tnt
laughing assurance that any unauthor'
lied passenger found after the star
would be dropped overheard With
parachute attached.
Two stewards were aboard to looi
after the needs of the inner man on tht
trip. There was plenty of provisions
Including veal pork chickens, Sausages
eggs, vegetables, fruit candies, tea, cot
fee. cocoa, mineral waters, beer, VIM
and schnapps. When the American
prohibition zone is reached, forbidden
iio,1ors will not be thrown overheard
but the management will have it places
under seal by customs officers at Lake
hurst.
Russian Wants to Go.
One excited Russian from Pari
rushed into the Offices at the last min
ute and put down $4,000. He SWore h
was not a bolsheviSt and did not wan
a berth, being willing to sleep in
Rangway. To his intense astonishmen
the offer was not accepted.
A 90-year-old Berlin woman wante
TO travel by Graf Zeppelin to see he
son in New York.
There were numerous offers tror
walters to serve in case the steward
decided not 10 go at the last mlEntt
:. AgQHtaspss On Page B. Column a.