GRAFF ZEPP

Hokitika Guardian, 2 November 1928, Page 6

GRAFF ZEPP

THE LAST STAGES

United Press Association. —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.)

(Received this day at 8 a.m.)

LONDON, November 1

The Graf Zeppelin has arrived at Friedrichshafen 'from the United States. She arrived at 7.10 o’clockin the morning. Site occupies 4335 minutes on the flight from Lakehurst (72* hours). BERLIN, Nov. 1. Tim Graf Zeppelin in the last stag<s, had considerable difficulty in keeping its hearings and repeatedly wirelessed Lo Bom-get and Friedrichshaven for directions. The weather conditions forced them to keep further south than was expected. ’Making the journey across France by way of Nantes, Tours and Dojoin the fog was so thick that they could .not be seen above Basle, though the engines were clearly heard. Finally they slowed down and hovered above Lake Constance for two hours in order to allow the weather to clear and have the benefit of daylight. When above the landing ground, the silvery hull was a striking spectacle in the glare of searchlights. The .passengers could be plainly seen at the cabin windows waving hats and handkerchiefs.

A SAFE LANDING

BERLIN. Nov. I

The Zeppelin -landed at 7.10 amid the - firing of salutes 'and/, singing" ofGerman and American national hymns including the Star Spangled Banner and Deutschland t'bor Alios. Passports and customs fm anilities wore quickly settled. The passengers were greeted with thunderous cheers and pelted with flowers as they emerged from the customs shed; also h eke nor and the erpw. Even the stowaway. Clarence was satisfactorily set fled rcccivng- a provisional passport liom the American Consul at Stuttgart in the cabin of the airship. He wa« then spirited through a side door of the customs shed in order to foil the efforts of press men. Eckcner refused to talk into a- microphone, as did a woman passenger, Mrs Adams, but the landing broadcast was beard by millions of listeners in Central Europe. Before going to bed Eckcner emphasised the dense fog of the last stages had made navigation difficult. He added that the Zeppelin stood the test excellently. You should have seen tho steamers we met rolling in heavy seas. AVe had not the slightest trouble with the engines.

THE STOWAWAY

(Received this day at 0.25. a.m.) BERLIN, Nov. 1.

While other passengers descended the ladder from the Graf Zeppelin. Clarence, Terhune squirmed through a porthole and two police awaiting him took him to the office of tho directors. Meanwhile the spectators had been shouting: “Where is the stowaway?” From then on Clarence became the hero of the occasion and was besieged by autograph hunters. He was busy signing albums in hundreds while the others had breakfast and slept. Terhune said he was refusing aP jobs and intended to return to the dear old United States within a wV-

PARTICULARS OF CRUISE. BERLIN, Nov. 1

The Zeppelin’s average cruising speed was just under sixty miles hourly, throughout the four thousand miles. Eckener clearly recognises this is inadequate to compete with liners.

“The Graf Zepponlin is finished as far as regular passenger service is concerned. AVe must build quicker and stronger airships.” lie added. Roth trips were entirely luckless in encountering the worst possible weather. The storm over Newfoundland was terrible and brought the airship almost to a- standstill lor two boms, though the engines 'were running all out. The ship heaved, rocked, and trembled and only with Iho greatest difficulty succeeded in manoeuvring to a less hostile region.

President J I indonburg telegraphed a welcome, inviting -Eckejior to. Berlin. It is believed lie will go next week.