GRAF ZEPPELIN

Hokitika Guardian, 17 October 1928, Page 5

GRAF ZEPPELIN

A GREAT WELCOME. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright). NEW YORK, October 15. News from Lakphurst states that the Graf Zeppelin in her journey covered 5,600 miles. Upon the arrival of the airship, she cabled for a large quantity of fabric to repair a torn fin. ' \ The' ship was greeted by Rear-Ad-miral Moffett, aiid by high Genpaiw and American officials, also Government leaders, and thousands of people. There was a thronged field, and the people broke through the police lines to swarm about the dirigible. The police and the marines finally cleared the field. Dr Eckener, the Commander;. was the first to appear. He greeted the crowd, saying:, “1 am delighted to be here.” He received a tremendous ovation. Customs, Immigration, and Health Officers later boarded the Zeppelin and performed their duties just as they would on a liner. The dirigible’s owners feel that the flight has proved the feasibility of using gasbags for commercial transportation, despite the fact that the Zeppelin took nearly as long to--cross the ocean as-do the fast steamships. The Zeppelin has proved most difficult to place in the hangar, and sol-

diers are; still attempting-to move it

■ into: tne hangar, so as to, avoid stormy / weather,- but they probably will have to moor it to the.mast, and Ipad water ballast aboard. <

THE ROAR OF THE ENGINES

LONDON, October 15

An American eye-witness’s description of the landing of the. German zeppelin was * broadcast throughout England. The increasing roar of the Zeppelin’s engines as it approached the aerodrome was an impressive feature.

SQUABBLE AFTER LANDING

NEW YORK, October 15. As the passengers of the Zeppelin Were -leaving,, considerable unpleasantness was aroused by statements coming from, the German and the American officials that the members of tlm opposite groups had been most discourteous, although the unfamiliarity of the languages probably caused this. One passenger, Theo. stated that he was struck on the face by an official when he was alighting: He added that this was his first visit to te .United States, but had found more courtesy among natives of Albania and of Bulgaria. Dr Eckener described the accident t > the fin as “ a little bust, which never .happened before, and such as will /Soever, happen again.” He-stated that *"■ h'is son, Knute Eckener, Was the her ctf the. occasion, when he climbed on to the fin to effect the repairs'. The, passengers grouped together in an indignation meeting, and- stated that they would boycott the receptions planned for them if the U.S.A. Customs officials failed to allow, them to leave . ' quickly. However, Mr Karl Von Lewinski German Consul-General, advised the passengers that the delay was due to Dr Eckener’s command for nobody to approach the airship, and stated that he had been struck on the fare by a guard, and that the AssistantSecretary of the Navy, Mr Warner had been threatened with arrest by one of his own men.

SPAIN’S VENTURE

NEW YORK, October 15

A Lakenliurst message states: Colonel Emilio Horrea, of the Royal Spanish Navigation Department, was a passenger on the Graf Zeppelin. He announced to-night that Spanish in terests had leased the Graf Zeppelin Ifor a period of two years, with the option to buy it. • ; ■

COMMERCIAL ASPECT OF FLIGHT BERLIN, October 16. The German aviation experts, despite the popular jubilations over the Zeppelin’s flight, are awaiting , the tests of the two British air ships now nearing completion before giving their final verdict on the practicability of airships for regular passenger woi;k. They consider the Graf Zeppelin’s flight is a fine feat, but holds that it demonstrates the risks are over great, and that airships are still over-susceptible to weather conditions, which have little or no effect on the heavier-than-air machines. The flights of the two British airships next year will, therefore, be awaited with great interest, and will settle the controversy as to the usefulness of the dirigible machines as compared with a flying boat like the huge Dornierwat plane that is now being built to carry fifty passengers a. distance of 3000 miles in a non-stop flight.

COMMANDER BURNEY’S VIEWS. LONDON, October 16. Commander Burney, reviewing the flight 6 fthe Graf Zeppelin, considers that neither the Graf Zeppelin nor the airship “R 100," now nearing completion, possess sufficient speed to out. • a regular trans-Atlantic service He points out that the cruising speed of the Graf Zeppelin is 65 miles per hou. and that of the “R 100 ” will he about vfc7s miles an hour, but for the passage f against the prevailing westerly winds, lie savs, there must be a cruising speed 'of 100 miles per hour so as to complete the voyage in from two to two and a-half days, before it can become a practical commercial proposition The Airship Guarantee Company, he added, had considered this

problem. It was hoped, after “R 100” had successfully passed her trials, to construct a ship capable of cruising at the rate of 100 miles an hour, and able to cross to New York in the heaviest ,of weather without refuelling; The “R 100 ” airship was one million and a-quarter cubic feet larger than the Graf Zeppelin and she would carry one hundred passengers, instead of twenty 7 . These were the chief differnces. * *

ECKENER *' INTERVIEWED. (Received this day at 9.25. a.m.) VANCOUVER, October 16. Eckener, in the course of an interview, said: “We were forced to cut the speed down to half because the rear of the ship dipped after the lower cover had been torn away, and there was a danger of tearing away tbe upper cover. The fact that we repaired the damage in mid-Atlantic and came happily to America is a sign of the great stability of these ships. The weather was extremely bad, but four men climbed out in a terrible wind and rain, and rode the girders with the Atlantic under them, while they secured the loose ends of the fin fabric. The Graf is not the ultimate size for, transAtlantic work. We shall build them bigger and bigger until the most efficient size has been achieved.” BERLIN, October 16.

It is reported that, the Graf Zeppelin has been chartered for an Arctic trip in 3.929.

THE GREW WELCOMED

(Received this day at a.m.) NEW YORK, October 16.

The zeppelin crew is scheduled to- receive an official welcome in the city to-day, commencing with a visit to the City Hall and parade up Broadway, after which there will be a private dinner and then a theatre at which they will be given a further reception on the stage during an intermission. Eckener said to-day lie saw no signs of excitement among the passengers at the time of the accident to the fin. He stated that when they had learned what had occurred “ they raised their glasses and drank to the health oi everybody.” Eckener seemed very tired and said he had not slept for more than eight hours during the wliple of the trip. He denied there was a shortage of food aboard, but several passengers agreed the water supply almost gave out. Fortunately there was plenty of beer, wine and liquor put aboard, all of which was consumed with the exception of one bottle, when the airship landed.