New Britain herald., 1929-05-18

DepaTtuFc OL the Leppelln, ellHeI for Friedrichshafen or elsewhere remained problematical.
 Sabotage Suspected
 Friedrichshafen, Germany. May IS R-A feeling that sabotage was responsible for the failure of four of the Graf Zeppelin's motors almost at the outset of its projected trans- atlantic flight grew here today.
 Officials of the Zeppelin corpora ton declined to comment on the suggestion which others put forward with considerable frankness, al- though they admitted perplexity over the abrupt end of the Graf's flight.
 Director Oesterle of the Dornier Airplane Works openly made the ga botage charge.
 "Why should the same thing hap pen to two crankshafts"" he asked. T have been with motors for years and can't conceive of such duplicate tragedies. No. there has been dirty work somewhere" (At the time he was unaware that the motor failure was quadruplicated).
 Dr. Ludwig Duerr, the Zeppelin's constructor, said he and the May bach motor experts were mystlhed as to the cause of the engine fail- ures. He did not believe it was due to overstrain.
 "When machines have successfully negotiated 0,000,0eO revolutions we generally assume that the element of fatigue has been eliminated he said.
 Arrest Nine "Stowaways"
 Meanwhile nine men arrested dur ing the week after actions which subjected them to suspicion as would be stowaways were being held in strict confinement, It was known they were to be subjected to rigid examination.
 pr. Duerr left here lst night for Cuers to join the Zeppelin. He ar. ranged before he left for the load ing of four reserve motors for the dirigible and the other supplies which pr. Eckener required. These were shipped on the first fast train bound for Toulon.
 Must Remain . Week
 Pending investigation of the Zep- pelin's condition nothing more than speculation was possible in predic- ton as to the dirigible's immediate future. It was believed it would be necessary for it to remain at Cuers for at least q week or ten days. but whether It would start back to Fried richshafen or continue it's American flight was not known.
 The matter of the 32,000 which passengers paid for passage seemed in some doubt today. Under the terms of booking no passenger may claim a refund of passage money CT damages because the Zeppelin fai:- ed to reach it's goal. More than 38 hours flying could be checked against the tickets and no announce ment was made as to whether they would be good for another flight.
 With anxiety over the fate of the airship and it's cargo ended. the thought here today con cerned the blow to Germany's pres- tige as an aeronautic leader and the possible setback to lighter-than-air craft transportation due to the mis- hap.
 The rank and file in Friedrichsha- fen were still amazed over the fact that the airship. which twice had safely crossed the ocean. made two trips to the Orient, with greater mileage than that to America and had taken to the air countless times for practice purposes should now suddenly have proven unable even to reach it's moorings again.
 Nobody blamed Dr. Eckener. He was regarded as much hero in failure as in success. The feeling was that an investigation would be sufficient to ,indicate the airshi2, it's motors, and its constructors.
 The suggestion of sabotage was made also in New York by F. W. Fon Meister. American representa- tive of the airship's owners wno said:
 ''I have had lot Of experience with those engines. The disabling of so many at the same time is ex- traordinary. To my mind it sus- gests sabotage"
 Toulon. May IS UP)-The crip- pied dirigible Graf Zeppelin lay Eloored in the hangar of the Cuers- Pierrefitte airport here today like a chained monster, her strength con- pletely spent
 The passengers and the members of the ships crew. for whom an at tempted transatlantic cruise to the United States was turned into a har. ing from their weird experience sickly. nerve shattered. but happy and thankful.
 Some Of them never expected to live through the ordeal. A the tempest-tossed colossus Of the air rode through the skies at the mercy of winds mistrals and storms. many of the passengers thought death was certain. that the ship either would be dashed 10 the ground or be car ried out 10 sea.
 officials Hurrying to Craft
 Officials of the Zeppelin line were speeding toward Toulon today te make minute examination of the motors whose failure had threatened to cause the worst Zeppelin disas. ter since the war.
 Dr. Ludwig Duerr. constructor o' Ithe giant airship. was on the wa, here from Friedrichshafen to stud, the machinery. When the Graf Zep. ls :. \