The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-08-27
Disaster Is Prevented
BY GEORGE H. BEALE,

United Press staff Correspondent
MINES FIELD, LOS ANGELES,
Aug. 27.-The German Graf Zep-
pelin escaped disaster by only few
feet here today as it started con-
quest of the North American con-
tinent, the final lap of its race
around the world.
The great dirigible, victorious over
the storms of the Atlanic and Pa
cific oceans and the hazards of
Europe and Asia, almost met ruin
in the network of high tension wires
which surround the airport.
Taking off at 3:15 a. m. eastern
standard tine) for Lakehurst, N. j.,
where twenty days ago isshegall its
20,000-mile fight around the globe,
the dirigible failed to gain altitude
as quickly as anticipated and for a
few minutes seemed headed straight
for disaster as it approached the
wires.
Mastery Handling
Only the mastery handling and
coolness of the veteran airman,
Commander Hugo Eckener, already
suffering a slight illness from the
strain of his long flight, saved the
Zeppelin and avoided what might
have been a tragic death for the
forty -one members of the crew and
the sixteen passengers.
While the 125,O00 persons at the
airport gasped as the dirigible
neared the deadly wires, the COM
mander lifted his ship suddenly,
swerved dangerously and cleared the
wires by a Scant ten feet.
In view Of the fact the Graf was
moving so slowly, experts we're
unanimous In their praise Of the
skillful maneuver.
Hopes to Set Record
The experts believed that a strata
Of cold air was responsible for the
situation.
Eckener apparently had intended
to permit the gas in his craft to
lift it to a sufficient height to clear
the wires. Something, however,
probably a cold draught, held the
Zeppelin lower to the ground, with
the tail almost touching. AS the
motors took hold the dirigible's tail
still was low.
Aware that the tail was not high
enough to pass over the wires, Eek
ener leveled out his ship and drove
its nose directly toward the net
work, bringing the tail UP. Then
he once again elevated the nose and
the ship passed on safely.
Commander Eckener, who only
eighteen hours before had landed
his craft here after completing the
first air passenger crossing of the
Pacific from Toxic, hoped TO reach
Lakehurst from Toxic within ten
days and thereby break the present
record of twenty-three days for q
round-the- world trip established in
1928 by John Henry Mears and thu
late Captain G. B. D. Collyer.
Fly Over FL Paso
DR.. Eckener and his passenger
came to the airport from a civic
banquet at which the famous COM
mander spoke briefly TO more than
thousand guests. He expressed
qualification Of state and federal
cooperation in making his visit
success.
The Zeppelin must reach Lake
hurst by p. m. eastern standard
time) Thursday. to break the Mears-
Collyers record of twenty three days
around the world
Statisticians estimated, however,
that if the Zeppelin averaged even
sixty miles an hour considerably
less than its average speed it would
arrive in Lakehurst long before that
hour.
The route which DR.. Eckener ex-
pected to follow for the first nine
hours Of the 2,600-mile fight to
Lakehurst was by way of Indio, Cal.
Yuma and Tucson, Ariz., and FL
Paso, Tex. Weather condition made
the remainder Of the routs un-
certain