THE " HINDENBURG."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 136, 10 June 1936, Page 9

THE " HINDENBURG."

. HISTORICAL MASS. LOADING THE SHIP. FANTASTIC RUMOURS. I (By LADY DRUMMOND HAY.) I (ID FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, May 5. The Pope has decided that the passenger saloon of the giant Zeppelin Hindenburg is a "place of dignity and of history" and that the groat airship is so steady that the sacrificial wine will not be spilled. These are the two conditions which must be assured before the Catholic Church permits Mijss to be celebrated in any place except a consecrated building. So for the first time in history Mass will be said and sung in the air during the flight to Lakehurst. The Rev. Paul Schulte/ the famous flying padre, arrived here to-day to be a passenger, bringing with him a Papal document authorising the celebration of Mass in the Hindenburg. Church music from the magnificent grand piano in the passenger 'saloon will rise heavenward as the hundred souls who have trusted themselves to this celestial monster of man's making enthrone their God in the first hours of dawn or the starry moonlit night. Father Paul hae not yet decided whether this historical Mass shall be eaid during the day or at night, but he wants it to be "over the ocean." He added quizzically that "it would probably be the first time that a religious service aboard a ship is attended l>y all the passengers." The flying padre, so called because he is a pilot and organised an extensive flying service for missionary posts in Africa, has brought with him from Rome a special medallion of St. Christopher, patron saint of travellers, which, the

Pope has sent to the Hindenburg withf: J his blessing. It was delivered to Dr. |! Eckener to-day. ' British Honour for Eckener. The Hindenburg is scheduled to take • off from the Loewenthal Aerodrome tomorrow night' about eight o'clock. The start has been fixed for that hour to permit the embarkation of the last mail sacks coming by special 'planes. Philatelists all over the world are | interested in the special stamps issued: for this first North Atlantic flight as an | experiment in inaugurating commercial air traffic between Europe and America. A large quantity of mail will be weighed here to-morrow. "It is too soon to forecast the route j the 'Hindenburg'. will, keep after we j reach the English Channel," said Dr. | Eckener to-day. "The weather map j I to-day is most favourable for a far nor- j i them crossing, the shortest route of all i possibly passing over Quebec," the I Doctor' remarked as his fingers traced j ; for me" the isobars on a meteorological! ! chart as he studied it. He added, how-j ever, "Until we reach the North Sea or; ! the Channel it will be impossible to | i forecast-our crossing." [ j I urged him to fly over London and 'show the Londoners his new airship, I especially as he had admitted to me that I London lay right on his course. He shook his head. "I should like to comply very much, but I cannot do' so unless we should happen to be advised by the British Air Ministry of their own permission that it would give London pleasure to see the ship. That is notlikely. It is quite probable, however, I that we may pass over some part . of j England. Dr. Eckener spoke feelingly, of his deep appreciation of having been awarded last week the British Gold I Medal for service to aeronautical science. Though he did not say so, I could see I he appreciated this high honour from the British all the more because of the j bitter and humiliating personal cam- , paign that is still being waged in GerI many against him. Grisly German Rumours. 1 am convinced that one reason why j Eckener would like to bring" this new ship over London is to show in that way I hie appreciation of the honour. If i fantastic rumours whispered throughout j Germany were true, Eckener would be I dead. These rumours, made possible by the Press campaign against mention-

ing his name, had it that the doctor and his son Knut had been arrested and executed for high treason, allegedly for having tried to sell German secrets to America. Another version has been that Eckener committed suicide. Instead of that he has become a grandfather through the birth of a daughter last week to the wife of hie son, Knut. While the Press campaign against Eckener has been lifted for this flight, it i is interesting to note that the Press has not been permitted to publish the award to him of the British Gold Medal for aeronautics. , Following what Captain Lehmann described ae the "highly satisfactory" . j eight-hour test flight yesterday of the I overhauled 16-cylinder Dieeel engines j the Hindenbury refuelled and provisioned I to-day. More than two tons of food j and some hundreds of bottles of wine, I champagne and mineral waters were being put aboard underlie careful "eye of Chief-steward Kubis. "No canned I food on the Hindenburg," proudly i declared Kubis ae he showed me through j the kitchen and the pantry. Lake Conj stance fish, poultry and fruits figure I prominently on the menus he laid before [ me for criticism. Luxury in the Air. To-day I found domestic activity that reminded me of the preparation for the departure of an ocean liner. The simple cabins and the small saloon of the Graf Zeppelin, in which I travelled more than 50,000 miles, were quickly inspected; the Hindenburg with large dining room, reading room and writing room, smart bar and emoking room, bathroom and j 25 double-passenger cabins, not to men- ! tion an astonishing kitchen pantry with i a refrigerator, an officers' dining room and crews' mess, is quite another matter. The Hindenburg is the first airship in which smoking will be permitted, greatly 1 to the pleasure of the passengers. Kubie j told me that a guard will be constantly I stationed outside the insulated smoking room to see that no one is forgetful or ignorant of the fact that this is a hvdrogen gas ehip and comes out with lighted cigar or cigarette *">"« Hindenburg's lift ballonettee are filled with non-inflammable helium ga* these fashion (To "be continued.)