Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-05-30

than-air craft. For the worlds
biggest zeppeln-two of them IN fact-are now
being built in Akron, Ohio, as part OF the ar
shin building program recommended by the naval
bureau Of uerOnautics.
This airship building program undertaken by
Uncle Sam represents the accumulation OF years
of research aud flying experience In both Europe
and America, and the expansion Of Americas
lighter-than air program came only after the mat
ter had been exhaustivey discussed ny three SEES
sions OF congress Emphasis was laid on the Tact
that America, having possession Ct vast resources
OF the noninfammable gas, helium mad onpor
tunty for construction Of airshins that no other
country had The most important airsh1p I'M
provement In recent years Is the use or helium
gas. During the World war all OF the airshps
used contained hydrogen gus which is lnflummahle
and under certain conditions explosive.
In connection with the announcement that
Uncle sam Is TO have the worlds biggest Yep 1t
is interesting to note that, although this type OF
aircraft was the invention OF German 1t really
originated In this country. Count Ferdinand
Zeppelin, for whom 1t Is named conceived the
ldea of building rigid ship while he was serv-
ing as a volunteer officer In the Union army DUR
ing the Civil war During his service he had the
opportunity of making ascensions In captive bal
ICONS at TT Smelling Mimi, and in Virginia. Later
as colonel Of cavalry during tile Franco-prus-
sian war, Zeppelin observed the use OF free bal
toons which flew over Paris during the siege OF
the French capital. From that time on he spent
most Of his leisure time studying ind designing
airships and In 1896 he retired from the army to
devote the rest OF his life to that work.
Zeppelin built his first ship In 1900 but IT was
not until 1910, after he had built and lost four
ships. that the world accepted ills Invention MS
practicable During the next -four years Ieppe-
Tins were used extensively for passenger service
and carried more than $4,000 passengers without
single accident. The outbreak of the World
war however prevented him from carrying out
Ills dream Of Il regular schedule of airship travel
between Europe and America and he died In 1911.
by this time the Zeppelin corporation had grown
TO be one of the greatest companies In Germany
and this type Of arship was extensively used for
military purposes throughout the World war; one
of the Zeppelin experts was Or. Karl Arnsten,
chief engineer ind constructor OF 10 airships. In
1924 when the Zeppelin rights for North America
were sold to an American company, Arnsten came
to this country us vice president and chief eng
neer of the Goodyear Zeppelin corporation. In
the navy competition Of 1926 Arnsteins designs
were awarded first place and on them was basee
the contract which was let last october for build
Ing the superdirlgibes which are now under con
struction In Akron.
The two superZeps will be known as th
zHS-5 and zRS-6 TO give you an idea OF VIVA
these Leviathans of the alr will look like take
took at the composite picture shown above. ]
you saw the Los Angeles during Its tour acros
# the country or II you sHw tire Gruf Zeppelin nm
narseled at these monsters OF the sky. conside