The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-05-09
Yep ARRIVES.
CUTS RECORD
BY 50 HOURS
Regular Passenger, Mail,
Freight Service to
Europe Started.
REACHES N. Y. AT DAWN
u. S. Customs Officers Meet
Passengers at Hangar
in L-akehurSt.
Copyright. 1886. by United Press,

copyright. 1896. by United Press
LAKEHURST NAVAL AIR STA
TON, N. j., May 9.-The German
dirigible Hindenburg, 803 feet of MA
jestic beauty, arrived today on the
first commercial airship flight be-
tween Europe and the United States.
Its arrival marked the Inaugural
ton of regular passenger, mail and
freight airship service between Eu-
rope and the United States, and
established date in the history
of air transport
In velvet smooth, almost noise
less flight of $500 miles from Fried
richshafen, Germany, the linden
burg Topped nearly a day and a
half from the westward airship rec
ord set by it's veteran sister ship,
Graf Zeppelin.
First of 10 Flights
The flight was one of 10 round
trips to be made this summer. It
means that within month, when
the American Clipper planes start
regular passenger service across the
Pacific, it will be possible, as an or
binary paying passenger, to travel
around the globe in a matter of
days by air.
The Hindenberg, leaving Fried
richshafen at 4:30 p. m. Wednes-
day passed up the Rhine, across
Holland, down the English Chan
mel, along the English coast, across
the Misunderstanding, without dis
turbing the flower vases in it's
cabins, torrential rain storm and
tossing air QUEENSLAND into it's
American port.
1t was sighted over Long Island
just before dawn today, in a setting
of surprising beauty, and flew up
needle-shaped Manhattan Island,
level with and almost touching the
Empire State building tower, turned
down the length of the Island again
as crowds on Broadway cheered,
and the gathering day arrived at
Lakenurst as the sun was warm
ing up.
Sighted at S:4S a. m.
1t was sighted at Lakehurst at 3:43
a. m. indianapolis tine) and two
minutes later was over the field. The
ground crew of trained Navy sea-
men and Army regulars grabbed the
landing lines and drew the ship to
the mast.
The Hindenburg made the flight
In 81 hours so minutes, and had
taken 33 hours 80 minutes from IS
hours % minutes record set by the
old Graf.
Customs, health, immigration and
agricultural quarantine men met
the ship as they would have met
an ocean liner and passed it's pass
engers and mails and freight.
There was a bus waiting to take
the passengers into their new wait
ing room in the hangar.
Shouts to Crowd
DR. Hugo Eckener, Zeppelin chief,
stood at window in the fore con-
troll cabin.
"Howdy! Howdy!" he shouted to
the cheering crowd
An indication that this was
business flight was seen when Webb
Miller, United Press staff corre-
spondent on the Hindenburg
dropped story of the complete
flight, written up to the moment
the ship approached the mast, from
a window. A customs man seized it
and would not release it until it
had been inspected.
Escorted by Sailors
Through wildly cheering crowd,
an escort of sailors led DR.. Eckener,
and Capt. Ernst Lehman, linden
burg commander. to a room in the
hangar. There they stood side by
side on dais while cameras ground
and hundred reporters fired ques-
tionS.
To Lehman, reporter said:
There has been some question
as to who was in command of the
Hindenburg."
Lehman. short, ruddy-faced, i'm
maculate in navy blue, gold
braided uniform, replied without the
slightest hesitation:
Eckener Was Adviser
II was. DR.. Eckener was aboard
in the capacity of advise. But, ;"
he added, smiling. There was
never any conflict over authority.
There always was close cooper
alton"
Eckener said nothing. All through
the interview he looked old and
tired. Lehman beaGed constantly.