Salt Lake Telegram | 1929-09-29 | Page 38 | Dr. Eckener

2 r di i r BV BY Hugh Allen Copyright 1929 19 1929 NEA Service Inc Ine THE A T STORY OF TH THE LIF LIFE OF OFTIE THE E COMMANDER COMMAND R OF THE ZEPP ZEPPELINS CHAPTER CHAPTER X X p. p L 0 JS It was wasa i gt great at day for Friedrichshafen when vII en the word around around J jn t 1 1923 that Zeppelin was to b build t ther airship Jm im s hai been lard hard in the village since the he and N Nordstern r were tak taken n away and the gre gret t ZeppelIn fac fac- 4 fit s j for fur Friedrichshafen h had d become a Zeppelin town and the tile p rise and d decline line of Zeppelin fortu fortunes es affected t all aU the tile Inhabitants The three great hangars each one orie larg larger r than he the e next ext the the ones like ike outgrown cocoons ma marked ked the e. e skyline e e eyen en more distinctively than the ty twin in t towers of I th W the T. T king of f W Wurtemburg's rg's summer c castle nearby on 4 the lake front oo Here were located the the Mi hops pi where r canvas and silk sUk and b boater a er skin were cr made mad into rs l coverings oy a and d. d ga gas cells and lightweight ht dural formed into cir et Nearby by ver vere the Maybach Engine engino plant plaint th the D al airplane lane Ic ct r ry a arid d other sub 2 l ot ost o of the h male alo population of or had been employed Intone no of the Zeppelin plants In the s1 slack ck postwar days days' s Eckener Colsman Coisman and and the tIle oth others rs had had used d th their i ut- ut BJ ingenuity nult to give employment t to air amany many P people Q as possible try try- 1 gj to hold t together together- se hl the J r S i that had bad been used sed tomake to make girder Tarts 1 arts were we're v re diverted 11 t al p J ut utensils Ma May May- w Was waa b building g automobiles o le arid and nd boal o engines es the g gear r pl plant lt was w e building gears Io for o What cUsto- cUsto s find lind tho n Berlin was SIl leased to to o. o a l here th the 0 va t dt already ond rs mt it n n ri novel v vl cs effects 1 But the mark as still Bun working J Its way downward c b industry was vas g- g gat at halt speed or l less ss X er w r bt many an people who vho automobiles People r ri not teven even buy ne new kitchen hen S. S i iten ten s. s until they had to j yV Ie I. 9 a v J S f r of the thel company company rode rodo to vork J on bi bicycles l 8 A L A small man white white- 1 1 t near hear nc th tho offices as garage At each r rack ck was name e of the nian to which which- that ac te was was' assigned neaU neatly l lettered the C ma S 1 S 'S h an f Guerr and sa io on em 5 rule J. J i P there th re was vas as widespread Ja Ini with t t n w b t at last lul the l e lih hopa ps- ps MI n up The m men hui leJ ck to- to old places place oi many of be from W warr r rr b but t tb e In For 1 Yen even moro oreth l t the i J. J 8 en ot tension lon w wa wal s th the S ct t. t that th that i. i J Jw e. e w Zeppelin would woul 1 S from th the hangar 7 0 i 1 r r I I of ot the airship It was was as the pre pro cursor of days S 'S The Tho ship which was was' to t. be built for tor the he American navy In acc accord accordance rd- rd ance With Lloyd Georges George's suggestion suggestion tion Uon and tho the approval of ot President Harding was to bo be no larger than the largest t. t ope previously b built which limited its size to 2 cubic feet but Dr Eckener was d de- de t t it should be the best ship Zeppelin had yet built It was to be lie b called caled the ZB T There cr were many conC conferences with Duerr construction construction con con- head headS with Arnstein de designer designer de- de e- e signer arid azid chief engineer W wIth Maybach T Iho ho he e energies of ot the staff released el all anxious to p put t. t i into to effect the improvements that they had been working out in the tho dr ng room in in the fo four foOr r years years' of or enforced idleness Arnst Arn- Arn st wa was to build the control car into the l hull bull un of or r the ship instead of suspending it on n outriggers outriggers' thus reducing red air afro resistance and nd m making l. l S the o. control car an integral part o of the tho ship was Vas certain hec he i c uld increase In re se sethe the the tuel ueL efficiency of of his his his' ne new motors getting better speed d a antI and d V was S anxious anxious' to p put t In hl reverse g gears ars' ars so that one or more motors motors' might be set In tnt reverse reverse at S tho the time of ot 1 landing g t to check l ck a 0 too precipitate descent an arid and Sr SOr so adding gr greater ter safety At At 1 last st in the late Into summer ner of ot 1924 the great reat ship was ready rendy for delivery to AmerIca As As- this thin ship was built C C. p. p TX D Job was not completed com corn plated until iirilli 10 had turned the tho ship over to th the navy at take Hake hurst hirst r t. t f Who Wh w was s going going- to fly the ship yer c-yer OverT err a asked ed Harry American representative of ot the flu company curiously company d during Ute the sum um- um mer iner I I 1 will fly It over mys myself said I i Eckener er simp simply I r will JU take Lehmann Flemming an and ana Von Yon Schiller a my chief officers cers Vi looked his Ids a astonish l n py I. I 5 S lice s. s wa was wag fully competent to take tak comma d. d Each Indeed ha had t flown airships over oyer thousands of ot Tallies n the senior h had hd d P pi piloted close to a a. thousand flights And yet the doctor 1 Y was to fly himself himself him him- self and to take his three best pilots pi pilots pi- pi lots with him 4 Th American ventured a a. protest pro pro- test It UIt Is your eggs in one ono baskets basket he be said If It misfortune misfortune tune should meet the ship on the way across who would carry arry on cm the work The prudent thing would bet be bei I pt i t send end one of ot the oth other r pilots over i with the ship to to hold something In reserve reserve Dr Eckener arose from his hI great I chair stared down across across' across the d desk sk at nt the American n. n I I I have lull full confidence In Jn my ship he said sald tr We Ve have put the best of ot our engineering experience into It it No one oho may say that we ourselves of- of people all have bave lack of ot confidence In our vessel 1 I shall take the the ship hip across mys myself l sS a aOn On tl the tho morning of O October tober 12 m men n walked the new ship out of iol th tho hangar for tor final o otho on or th the tho field lcM The severe severo test flights ts over r Germany and up Into Sweden satisfied Dr Dr Eckener that Arn- Arn c calculation u as to stresses lift and nd pressure had b been en correct that Duerr's Duerr had bad been sturdy and depend dependable ble that the tho new MaY ach motors co could be be berC ber r re relied rC- rC lied on n to carry arry the tho ship safely ly on Its long l ng trip trip across the Atlantic iIan ic Fou roar Four American mer officers Captain Georgo V. Steele Commander M E. E Krause Commander J J. H. H Kline KUne Jr and Frank M M. Kennedy were were the only passengers passengers' As Steele and lat later rUne Kline were to command the slIp lp O Once ce It It passed Into nto American hands the flight would be bo good training for them Dr Dl Eckener bridge g gave ve a po signal toyon toon chiller Schiller Stand Standby by for tor mega mega- phoned Von S Schiller hUler F Forty m men n standing at the hand r rails rails- Us around the control car cam SOO men holding to spider web ropes came caino to attention Ease up o oh rear lines Uries said Von Schiller The Tho lines s slackened Then Hands Ha ds oft off S Tho ship poised l a Do ml ute th then J began slowly se to settle to earth Hands Rands on A little b ballast llast was rel released ased Again the tho weigh off Hands uHa ds off ft S This time tinie tIle the 3 3 moved slowly skyward yon Von Schiller signaled d to Dr Eckener hurried back alongside arear p car ready to swing on but watching to tho the last moment moment- that no mishap should mar the takeoff takeoff take take- off White While bands blared and b ri- ri W I t all aU over Gern Germany cheered an and d waved frantic farewells the veteran vetera n commander lo looked ked out the window m made d de dea a final t I appraisal of ot t the ships ship's hl s nf equilibrium no nodded Jn ini satisfaction called Hoch up UI shi a C C The idling till now in low lowr r urt into a a sudden roar The ship moved forward vard heading headin g i Into to the wind swung out but over over Zeppelin Zeppelin Zeppelin Zep Zep- village out over the lake cir circled circled cl cled d back over over the tho city set it its Us s rudd rudders rs in a westward course coune Church bells sent sent- up up the final fina l greeting from froni earth leder B odin Good luck A 0 The lo flight to was was' under r w way J S The rhe dream of ot the old count was wa wasat wasat waat s at at- last to bo be rea realized lz d The big ship cro Atlantic tlc c S and ani wa vas landed a at Lakehurst o on n 15 v October r ne Shortly after its its' delivery to th the e American navy it ft w was s' s christened th the e Log Xoa Angeles and is 19 the navy navy's s only of big dirigible i S to 16 Be BeC Bo C Con l u TOMORROW F Four foul tir long years gear s of idleness raising g of f fund funds and n id sd d b Ibl X