The Washington times., 1930-05-31
NO REPAIRS
NEEDED ON
CRAFT
Trip Through Tropic Squalls
Tested ships Endurance;
Journey Pleases ECkener

CONTINUED From Page -
headquarters in the hangar whert
he was interviewed by a hundred
or more reporters. He was at
tired in a blue uniform and blue
cap with a gold insignia upon it
He did not appear at all ia
tigued. He smoked a cigarette
as he gave" his answers through
an interpreter.
He said the squall the Gra1
Zeppelin went through last night
between Bermuda ana the Allan
tic coast north of Florida, was the
worst the Graf Zeppelin had ever
encountered. It was even worse
than the storm on previous
transatlantic voyage which tore
fin off the ships side.
Will Sail Monday
Eckener said he planned to
take the Graf Zeppelin off for
Europe at 10 o'clock Monday
night and make one stop at
Seville, Spain, before landing al
the home port of Friederichshafen
He was asked:
what was the significance
of the voyage"
Eckener replied:
I'VE wanted to make q test
flight to determine whether 1t
was possible to take q dirigible
through the heavy squalls that
occur near the equator and we
found it was quite possible. On
the trip from Rio de Janeiro to
Pernambuco the squalls we en-
cOuntered were very heavy but
we negotiated them without
losing any ballast"
He declared he had a "ttne
trip" and that there we're no bad
consequences from the journey
He added that no repairs on the
ship are necessary.
Following Is the official passen
ger list Of the Graf as announced
today at Lakehurst by representa-
tives Of the Hamburg American
Lines:
Americans-Mrs. Harry Pierce
of New York city: Mrs. Laurs
Durston, Of Syracuse, N. r; Will
liam B. Leeds, of New York city
Joseph H. Durrell, New York city
vice president of the National City
Bank; Capt. Harry E. Shoemaker
U. S. N, Lakehurst, naval OBJ
server; George Grouse, Of Syra
cuse, and Karl H. Won Wiegand
Of the Hearst newspapers.
Kings Cousin Aboard
Spaniards - Infante Alphonso
Madrid, cousin of King Alphonsc
XIII of Spain; Colonel Herrera
chief of the Spanish air forces
DR.. Negias, physician to King AL
phonso XIII; Senor Sanchez anc
Senor Herrera.
Brazilians - Senor Matos. Bra
lillian chocolate king, and Senol
Boncas, journalist. Rio de Janeiro
British-Lady Drummond Hay
London. Hearst newspapers.
Italian Signor Mastrangelo
secretary of Italian embassy
Washington.
German-Gustaf Kauder, jour
nalist, Berlin; DR.. Badt, German
minister of transportation, anc
Captain Breithaupt. former Ger
man naval officer, Berlin.
Asked what effect the present
flight of the Graf Zeppelin woulc
have on the establishment Of {
transatlantic dirigible service
Commander Eckener said:
Seeks tC Start Line
"This trip has no effect on
the existing plans for trans
Atlantic dirigible service. But
/ hope and believe it will have
the effect of starting thought
on the establishing of diri-
gibIe line from the United
States to Brazil and other
South merican countries"
He Saiu he planned to discus!
the subject of an air line from
the United States to Brazil with
interested parties whom however
he did not name. He said he hac
no definite announcement tt
make regarding any Europe tt
South American dirigible service
He was convinced that if diri
gible line were established from
Europe to South America, il
should terminate at Pernambuco
Brazil. and that airplanes SHOULD
carry passengers further into the
interior.
Eckener declared the Graf
Zeppelin had so far travelled or
it's present trip 13,400 sea miles
or 15,077 land miles. Distance
was negotiated In 20412 hours,
The leg of the flight lust com
pleted from Pernambuco to Lake
hurst is 5000 sea miles. he said
The Graf still had 80 hours oi
fuel on board when she landed
here, If the ship had been takeT
to Havana, as originally planned
the probabilities were, he as
serted, that she would have hac
to buck severe head winds and i
would be a question whether th'
supply of fuel could last
Weather conditions between
Pernaribuco and Bermuda wa!
"O. K.," but north of Bermuda
conditions were very bad" NonC
of the passengers, however, wa
seaSick at any time during thI