Evening star., 1936-05-10
REFUEL ZEPPELIN
. FOR FLIGHT BACK
Start Tomorrow Planned by
Officers-SpectatorS
Help Moor Ship.
sy the Associated Press.

LAhEH L, N. N1oy O"A~AS
berthed after few exciting moments
at the end of her record-break1ng
fight from Germany. the mighty Yep
pelin Hindenburg tonight was refueled
for the homeward journey
A half hundred civilians Sprang to
the ropes when shift in the wind
threatened to tear the great airliner
from the hands of small landing
crew of sailors
Her powerful motors purrlng Win
smooth rhythm, the newest and great
est of Germany's sky cruisers settled
majestically down at the Naval Ar
Station as the morning sun rose over
the horizon.
Bearing 81 passengers. crew OF DO
and a cargo of mail and freight, the
Zeppelin had Spanned the 4,38l lano
miles between FriedrichShafen and
Lakehurst in 81 hours 81 minutes. 1t
left the German base at $3.50 am.
Eastern standard time) wednesday
and reached the air station, its United
States port, at 5:23 ain. today.
Curious Inspect Ship.
Shortly after it was berthed in the
hangar. the crowds of curious started
to wend their way past the ship. The
group of approximately 1000 that wit
messed the early arrival was expected
to be dwarfed tomorrow during the
eight hours the station will hold open
house
Preparations for the return flight.
scheduled for Monday night, went
ahead. Hydrogen gas to replace that
lost in the two-and-one-half-day
passage and in the necessary "valving"
at the landing, was to be ksplaced
tonight
Passengers, interviewed after they
had cleared the customs and COM
pleted with other regulations, eX-
pressed satisfaction with the perform
ance of the ship and termed the pas
sage smooth
BY its performance the Hindenburg
succeeded the famous Graf Zeppelin.
another German craft, as world queen
of the airways. To make room for 1t,
the Los Angeles, third German-made
ship that had successful career be-
fore it 1as decommissioned four years
an outdoor mooring mast.
Although built a dozen years ago,
air station officers said the Los An
geles remained in flying condition.
The only thing that kept it out of the
skies, was the official ground order.
Three other Navy dirigibleS. the
Shenandoah. the Akron and the Ma
con-all built in this country, crashed
in storms with resultant loss of life.
Officers Praise Ship.
Several station officers, including
Conldr. Charles E. Rosendahl, the
commandant and Lieut. Comdr. Scott
E Peck, naval observer on the record
trip, praised the Hindenburg's per-
formance and remarked the ship was
much stronger" than the Akron or
Macon. Peck placed the blame for
this on the fact the Navy used helium,
rather than hydrogen. pointing out
the greater lifting power of the latter
gas made it possible for the Germans
TO use heavier and stronger materials.
With our helium we had to use
lighter and consequently weaker ma
terialS. With us it was always a bat
tie against weight With the Ger
mans it was merely battle against
fire. The Germans have won their
battle"
The earlier arrival of the Hinden-
burg-it was 20 minutes ahead of the
time radioed in advance-caused some
fears a mishap might occur in the
closing minutes of its fight.
the regular landing crew at the sta
ton we're in the rnooring circle as the
big snip dropped quietly toward the
earth. The 200 regulars from the
Army, who were to augment the staff,
were not on hand.
Officers on the ground signaled the
ship to pass by" and circle for an
other landing, but the signal was not
noted by those aboard. The hydrogen
was Waived" out and the gondola
touched the ground lightly as water
ballast was dumped both fore and aft.
Spectators Lend Hand.
The blue jackets. who had already
grabbed the landing lines, were un-
able to hold the ship and officers
shouted to nearby spectators to lend
hand. About so men responded and
the additional weight was sufficient
to keep the ship in line.
The soldiers came on the double
quick and relieved the volunteers as
the nose of the ship was pulled into
the mooring mast by an electric
winch.
The dirigible's appearance over New
York just as the first rays of dawn
were lighting the Eastern sky was
signaled by hoarse blast of ships
whistles in the harbor.
Approximately 1000 persons watt
ing in Battery Park, at the lower end
OF Manhattan, cheered the great ship
as it glided silently overhead, its
single searchlight giving it the ap-
pearance OF one-eyed phantom.
Up Broadway to Central Park the