Evening star., 1947-05-15
BIimp Enterprise Gets
Discharge From Navy
'Af Ceremonies Here
The Enterprise is back home from

The Enterprise Is back nome from
the wars.
The famed Goodyear blimp, which
was quartered at old Hoover Airport
from 1885 to late 1912, was dis
charged" officially after four and a
half years OF service with the Navy
in ceremonies yesterday at the Ana
costa Naval Station.
One admiral presented citation
for its wartime work. Another
promptly enrolled it in the Naval
Reserve. The airship also lost its
wartime identity as LIB, USN'
when pretty girl swung q bottle
of champagne against its prov to
-christen 1t Enterprise.
Prewar Washington residents will
remember the blimp for its flights
over the District to carry messages
for community drives of all sorts
Thousands of others viewed the city
from the air as passengers on the
ship.
Mercy Mission to Tangier.
Best known flight of the Enter
prise probably was a relief mission
in February, 1896, to deliver food
to residents of Tangier Island In
the lower Potomac River, who were
cut off from land by ice foes. Pr
loted by Karl L. Lange,. the blimr
made a one-wheel landing without
benefit of it's usual ground crew.
The Biological Survey used the
blimp to count ducks on the lower
Potomac one year, and several times
the ship went to the rescue Of ducks
with food when ice covered the river
Government officials frequently
climbed aboard the ship to make
housing studies and plan the loca-
ton of new buildings. just before
the war. the Bureau of Standards
used the blimp to test meteorological
parachutes and equipment fo1
weather observation.
Another time, in January 1886
the Enterprise was hastily dis
patched to locate the night boai
from Norfolk, which. with many
Washingtonians aboard, was five
hours late. The bIimp's crew found
the boat, talked to its skipper ano
reported back by radio.
A congressional committee chose
the blimp as its carrier when 1t flew
to locate site for the National Air
port in 1938-and the Enterprise
made the first official landing when
the airport opened in 1910.
The blirnp was about to move into
new hangar at the airport wheT
war broke out and the Navy took
over. First used as a trainer fol
instruction of flight personnel, II
later moved into submarine obser-
vation service.
Sightseeing Eliminated.
| The Enterprise win take up it.
postwar services where it left off ir
1s41, according to Frank Getty
Goodyear representative herewith
one exception That is the sightsee-
ing service which has been elm
mated because the blimp is quar-.
tered so far out of town. It's han
gar is located at Hyde Field, Md.
about Is miles from the District.
But otherwise, it will be available
for all civic programs and what
ever other use the city fathers want
it for" said MIR. Getty.
One of the Enterprises first jobs
will be to publicize the Naval Re-
serve next week during Naval Re.
serve Week
/ Christening at the ceremony yes.
lterday was done by Miss Ruby Her.
ring, 20, of 1917 First street NV.
who was chosen by men of tn,
training station as Miss NARTT
Naval Air Reserve Training Unit
The Navy officials present wert
Rear Admiral Malcolm Schoeffel
deputy chief or the Bureau OF Ord,
nance, USN, and Rear Admira
John E. Gingrich. director of tn.
| Naval Reserve.