Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-28
GRAF ZEPPELIN'S
ARCTIC RENDEZVOUS
KEPT WITH MALlGlN
Continued From First Page)

no Enthusiastically twilight-Whlch
completely upSets our normal routine OF
life. And then there is the time change
aboard the ship. Everybody's watch is
telling different time-some Middle Eu-
ropean. some Greenwich, some sun time.
The ocean is q spectacular sight when
viewed from aloft in the twilight. Wslch
is night. The white sea is an amending
sheet of quicksilver, and frightening
the general sense of weirdness strong
wind howls about the ghostlike pilots
bridge. White wells of mist and shreds
of cloud give the landscape, by night,
an utterably ghoulish. dreamlike char
acter
Nobody seems to think Of sleep all
are so thrilled by this great adventure
and the polar christening Of the Graf
Zeppelin. which DR.. Eckener arranged
to perform with all solemnity. I
Weather Improves.
The ships company are in excellent
spirits And We were all glad to find
Monday morning that weather condi-
tons had improved over night.
To return to our departure Sunday
from Leningrad. our start was slightly
DELAYED owing to shortage of drink
ing water. which had to be brought
from the city to the flying field.
We received a singularly cool fare
we'll from the German representatives
in Leningrad. in contrast to the warm
attitude of the Russians. Neither the
German Ambassador nor the consul
general was present at the departure
for the Arctic. although the Ambassador
and three of his staff had come espe-
IL lI,. AEnennuF
Eckener. however, smiled philosophically
and refused to make any comment.
An amusing incident occurred over
Lake Ladoga Prof Walter BaSse, our
senior geodetic expert. dropped val
liable camera overheard. AS 1t fell into
Europes largest lake we hoped this sac
rifice would soften the heart Of the
Arctic god.
See First Snow.
We saw our first snow on the west
coast of Kanin Peninsula. The north
ernmost point of that peninsula surely
must be one of the most solitary places
in the world in which to maintain a
garrison. Eight soldiers guard this
frozen outpost of civilization, and live
there amid incredible hardships. Leav-
ing Kanin behind We steered course
| direct for Franz Josef land for our rem
devious with the Malgin.
I quote now from the ships diary
! giving entries made with our departure
| from Leningrad:
AN hour after departure froom Len
| ingrad the Graf Zeppelin was sailing
over the blue mirror of Ladoga Lake.
| Thereafter the landscape underwent an
abrupt change. approaching more the
| Siberian character.
Dense. primeval forests surrounded
the entire horizon in grandiose monot-
ony. alternating with the vast swamp
| lands of Taiga For hours the ship
! sailed along without sighting single
human being. Such rare persons as
were yislle appeared to run away
| across the fields as If the Graf Zeppelin
and those aboard were the embodiment
/ Of the devil.
! Charts New Hill.
"The country is marvelously and un-
ilnaginably great. East OF the CITY OF
/ Szejatosere was charted l,200-foot
| hill which Is not on any map. This
was christened Spitzerberg by DR.
| Eckener.
Arrived over Petrosaeodsk. on Gull
F., Omega, a place thoroughly Siberian In
character, and observed that opposite
| the church are well-kept foot ball
, grounds. Reached Whitesa soon after
and saw beneath us a flotilla OF lum-
| Der ships. Two Of these were German
They blew their sirens like mad AND
men aboard frantically waved handker-
| chiefs.
! Next came Archangel. a fantastic
/ looking city built almost entirely o.
wood, or. more correctly speaking. un.
dressed tree trunks. Only the churcnes
and public buildings are OF stone: Inc
| population, roughly estimated at 4U,ooo
is distributed over countless lslanos III
the delta of the River Dvina.
Sight Floating Lumber.
Flying over Archangel we sighted ar
enormmous stock of lumber, an un'
| known number of millions OF cuoit
metres Great masses of floating lum'
Der seemed to follow us like no"lne
islands.
After leaving Archangel the Ora
Zeppelin began moving through tnlcf
veil of mist, and for the first time since
the departure from Friedrichsha1en rar
into q squat. But this was soon pass
ed and finally the polar circle wa.
crossed The occasion was celebrated
with an enormous meal Of ham, sau'
sages, cheese. chocolate and CAKES
washed down with generous measure!
Of wine. Prof Gustave Ljungdahl, oul
Swedish geo-nlagnetist, sang toudpin'
Swedish folksongs.
(Copyrisht, 1881, by the North American
| Newspaper Alliance, Incl
/
Al YTo.J. D...:-., na m Ad