How Zepp. Crews are Trained.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 270, 27 April 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

How Zepp. Crews are Trained.

Bv COUNT ZEPPELIN'S PRIVATE SECRETARY.

I should explain that after the German Government took control of the struction of Zeppel'ns the production was carried on under the supervision of the Count not merely for purposes of war, but with a view to their commercial possibilities. The Count expected great things of tile Zepoelins so far as commerce is concerned, but so fair his expectations have not boon fulfilled He told me when he was at Constance at tie beginning of the year 1910 that in thre* years' time he would have constructed a fleet of Zeppelins that would cross the Atlantic carrying goods and passengers. Business in Germany, however, did not put mucn faith in the immediate prospect of the materialisation of Zeppelins as a commercial proposition. , _ I remember on one occasion the Count invited half a dozen of the Berlin business men to Constance, among whom were Herr Brestener, the head of the great engineering firm, and Herr Ballin, the shipowner.

ZEPPELINS AS WARSHIPS.

The object of the gathfrng was to interest these men inthe project th 3 Count had then in view of constructing a fleet of Zeppelins for carrying purposes between Berlin and Hamburg. I should state at this time tlie Count was in a very different position from wli&t he was carrying on his experimental #<>rk. He was now a man with a big reputation and his financial resources were considerable. His Zeppelins srere no longer things to bo laughed at-; they had become not rneiely a practical proposition, but were regarded by the War Office and naval experts as a tremendous addition to Germany's war strength. The Count's business friends could no longer treat his project as a joke, to his face at all events, but behind his back they laughed as much at the Count s notions of a fleet of passenegr-flnd-good carrying Zeppelins as they did in* former days at the Count's efforts to build a practical and workable airship. "The Count has succeeded, 'I admit, in making airships that may betery useful to the army and navy," Herr Brestener said one day to Herr Ballm wben the two where discussing tlie Count's projects, "but he is a long way from making an airship that will carry goods and passengers across the' Atlantic —or even to Hamburg." Herr Bailin laughed, and I saw him winking as lie looked at Herr Brestener, and replied—"So long as the Cr/unt only asks me to listen to him I don't mind, and this is a very comfortable house to stay in." This was said, of course in the absence of the Count. Count Zeppeiln certainly did make- his Schloss comfortable for his guests. He had a chef that cost him over £I.OOO a year, with half a dozen assistant cooks whom he paid from £l-50 t0.£300 per annum each. Each of !iis visitors was provided with a valet, it Ji.'j did not bring his own, and a small fleet of motor-cars was at their disposal.

THE DAILY AIRSHIP

Count Zeppelin adopted the royal custom of breakfasting in his own room. His guests could break last in theirs also if they pleased, and lie would meet them alberwards in the library to bid them good-morning, just lis if he were a prince of the leigning house. Indeed the airs that the Count gave himself on the occasion of these entertainments rather amused his guests, and they put up with them, partly because the Schloss was so comfortable a place to stay at, and partly because Count Zeppelin hod become, a very important person and his friendship was a thing that might be very useful to them. The first practical result of the Count's efforts to turn his Zeppelins to commercial account was tho establishment of a daily passenger airship service between Potsdamand Berlin, a distance of about twenty miles. Two airships were employed in tiie service and each did the double journey twice a day. As a matter of fact, tins service did not pay, and 1 will presently explain why it was maintained. The faro for the return journey was £l2, and a single trip £lO. Often tho Zeppelins journeyed empty, but for the crew. When it was first established in the spring of 1910 there was a tremendous rush on the wealthy people in Berlin and Potsdam to travel in the first passenger Zeppelin, and the airship service coined money for about four weeks.

THE KAISER'S BLUNDER

Tta Kaiser and Kaiserin and a largo party from tho Imperial Castle in Berlin were tiio first passengers on the opening clay of the service, when Count Zeppelin lumself steered the airship. 1 was toi!d by one of the officers belonging to the airship that when it was passing over tlie Xeues Palais at Potsdam just after the start of its journey the Kaiser accidentally dropped overboard one of the airships flags which he took to wave over the side of the gondola a« the vessel was parsing over tho royal residence. Tho Emperor did not think much < f i; o nvidout at the time, lint ho shortly aftrwards learnt that i; wn.s regarded as an unlucky or!'urr"ii< e l>v tin- crow and

th'.s gr> atly affected tile Kaiser. who is superstitious. Ho came tor eynrd th« incident himself as an unlucky happening. Tho airship had been named the Hoh«Ti/."'!< rn. but Mie Emperor at the end o p vlie journey fold Count Zeppelin that he muist select- another name, much to the Count's annoyance, who kmnv that the r-rew would regard the renaming of the vessel as unlucky, just as sailors do the renaming of a. ship. However, the Emperor's order had to I p. obeyed, and the airship was named the Fiv derk- T., and the second ves el Frederic If. As 1 said, this pawnpr v-rvi'e u°ver paid, except tor the fir-t few weeks. Afterwards it was maintained at. a !o-s of about C7OO a wek.

Xoiiiinal'v the service was owned and cr ntr'.-'h d by a sm:i!l companv formed ly (Vault Zeppeiin. but it was in reali'v control! nl bv tho German Government, from whom it had a subsidy i-nt to ve-eti "•II exrenccs. It was maintained solev for the purpose of training officers end men f.ir Zeppelins TIJAIXTXO THE CREWS. Fiftoon men would easily have sufficed

to work the passenger lent as a matter of fact there were always twenty-live or thirty employed on eaeJi of the airships flying lietwioen Potsdam and Berlin. As soon as one crow had been trained ten of them W( re disbanded or sent bark to the airships works at Friedrichshafen. where they received a pr paratory course of training in viio sailing of airships and were specially instructed in t!ie management of its higu. Iv coni])!icati d and delicate machinery.

Tho fact of th" matter is that the G rman Government paid far nu..-e tL' nttou to lhe development < "/■■. pjx'lin as machines of war than to their commercial |*>-.-.ibi!ity. This was rather a point with the Count, who on more than one occasion coiiipla'ned to me. how the German Government hampered him in his efforts to produce airships designed especially fie commercial purposes.

"The Government," sa d the Count *o I'm' one day. a.'ter he ix turned from a visit to Friedriehshai'n "will not allow me to make any airships except those expressly d.'signed for naval and military uses. Th-sr* air-hips must In- able t-> fly at great heights, and as long as we stick at making (hem only, we shall never be able to produce a practical air-s-hip for commercial purposes.