Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-08
GRAF IS AVERAGING
100 MILES AN HOUR
Passes Nantucket Shoals and
Proceeds East Over Sea
on World Flight.
Continued From First Page.)

",
moved with complete precision
-Four hundred blue clad sailors tug
ged at ropes dropped from the enor-
nous frame OF the mistress Of the
ocean skies. The Zeppelin stirred with
sound like great sigh and moved
slowly stern-first from the hangar.
and then the band burst into melody:
Its Long. Long Trail a-Windine
TO the Land Of My Dreams"
and the old song in this playing con-
tanned as much truth as poetry, for
this fight around the world was a
dream that had been burning in the
heart of DR.. Eckener, the ships COM
mander, for many years. 1t was a
great day for DR.. Eckener. and before
the hustle of last preparations for the
take-off he was in high spirits, laughing
and joking with reporters, poking fell
low officers in the ribs and acting like
boy for all that he will be 60 years
old next Sunday, when in all probability
he will be flying over Berlin.
Before the ship was walked out of the
hangar, the % passengers were put
aboard. 81 men and one woman. AS the
ship was drawn into the open the upper
structure of the hangar was revealed
like great spider web. the web where
the little plumbers apprentice had been
caught like fly as he prepared to let
himself down by rope to the narrow
runway along the top of the Zeppelin's
Silvered frame. 1t seemed as the ship
left that score Of lightning bugs had
been trapped in the Web for sailors with
flashlights were still crawling about the
lofty rafters looking for other possible
StowaWays.
Over New York Hour Later.
An hour later to the minute it passed
over Times Square and so headed up
g..
great circle route to Germany and its
first stop on the world fight.
At Cape Race. N. F.. DR.. Eckener ex-
pected to head his craft once more
over the ocean that it had already
crossed three times, and will cross again
after completion OF the world flight less
than month after its take-off.
From Friedrichshafen the course lies
over the Siberian wastes to Toxic, where
refueling will be followed b. a flight 10
Les Angeles across the Pacific. and
then, the fuel tanks once more replen-
ished, the craft will cross the United
States to the end Of its long, long trail
here and the realization of DR.. Ecke-
ner's years-old dream.
The Crafts passengers were mixed
crowd. There were two titled Britishers,
Lady Grace Drummond Hay and Sir
George Hubert Wilkins, both acting as
reporters; William B. Leeds, American
millionaire husband of the former
Princess Xenia of Russia, who was Just
going along for the ride; Lieut. John
Richardson, official observer for the
American Navy; his superior. Lieut..
Comdr Charles E. Rosenedahl. who
business men, reporters and photog-
raphers.
Morris Climbs Aboard.
Several of the passengers seemed
overcome with difidence about their
adventure, and the complete passenger
list was not available until just before
the Graf sailed At the last moment
Nelson Morris of Chicago climbed
aboard and so gave first intimation
that he was going to make the east
ward fight as well as the westward
crossing of the Atlantic completed by
the dirigihle last Sunday.
Others who showed such modesty
that it was almost impossible to get
verification of their inclusion on the
passenger list were H. A. Godfrey,
Brooklyn banker, and M. Cooper, de-
scendant of J. Feninore Cooper, nov
eliSt. Joachim Richard of Boston, who
made the last westward passage and
who was booked for the world tour,
but finally decided to go as far as
Friedrichshafen.
In late afternoon, before the passer-
gers had arrived. the commander OF
the dirigible received reporters in the
Navy flight Office. Questions were
hurled at him from so mouths at once
and he had joking answer for almost
every one.
Suppose" one reporter said. "that
there is some mishap while you are
flving between Germany and Toxic,
have any provisions been made Tor
emergency repairs?"
Provisions DR.. Eckener repeated.
What provisions could be made? That
is wild country. 1t Is not ike Ne"
York"
Won Meister Explains.
What would happen" William Won
Meister, American representative OF tn
Zeppelin works interrupted, lis that the
ship would have to be brought down TO
earth and aid would be sought from
whatever inhabitants the country might
haye-Russian, Mongolas, savages."
But you do not have to feel anxious
for us about those savages," DR.. Eckener
cut in with a sly raising OF his eye
broWS.
1--WE have great big guns in this ship
and if those savages try anything With
US, Oh, no, ho!"
For a moment the reporters thought
they had stumbled on story, but they
remembered that the Graf Zeppelin was
a commercial ship, which could not by
any possibility have hidden arsenal,
and DR.. Eckener joined in their laugh
ter.
The Graf commander said that If the
winds now predicted developed he would
follow the Great Circle course over the
Atlantic. At any rate, he planned to
proceed to Cape Race, Newfoundland,
and decide on the basis of weather re-
ports received there the course Of his
future flight.
If we can follow the Great Circle"
he said, I'VE should cross from coast
to coast in not more than so hours.
We should probably sight land first of
the southern shore of England"
He said that every four hours after
leaving he would report his position TO
Friedrichshafen, Lakehurst and the
Government radio station at Arlington.
R00KEn I'M 0PIIMKEM