THE HINDENBURG.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 139, 13 June 1936, Page 13

THE HINDENBURG.

TRANS-OCEAN TRIP. MOORED AT LAKEHURST. j AIR-CHANNEL CONDITIONS. j (By LADY DRUMMOND HAY.) i \ I OVER THIS ATLANTIC, May 8. Germany's super-Zeppelin Hindcnburg,with 107 persons aboard and 200,000 letters and postcards, promises to establish a new Atlantic travel record that will be hard to beat. Indications at | noon to-day are that we shall fly from Friedriclishafen to Xew York in from i>9 to 01 hours. We shall have crossed the Atlantic in safety, comfort, even luxury. Captain Eckencr tolls rie we can make Kew York by 4 a.m. to-morrow (Xew York time), but he does not want to arrive before six. "Icebergs." For the first time in history High Mass was celebrated to-day in the air while the officiating priest, altar and congregation were Hying 800 ft over the whitecapped Atlantic at miles an hour. The Zeppelin was so steady and motionless that the sacramental wine in the chalice was scarcely stirred. Then a shout of "Icebergs!" created the lirst real excitement of the voyage. Everybody rushed to the windows. Three ragged peaks stood out white a« snow against the dark waters. Captain Lchmann immediately radioed the position of these dangers to navigation.

Time Records for Passage. From Flushing to America in 55 hours and 15 minutes; from near by Southampton to New York in 52 hours 45 minutes; from Friedrichshafen to New York in 00 hours 15 minutes. These are the time records established by the "Hindeuburg'' when we cruised over tjhe sleeping city of New York yesterday, and later moored at Lakeliiirst, New Jersey. We Hew at heights between SOOft and 3000 ft above the prey Atlantic, through mists, clouds, rains and squalls, over icebergs—and all so smoothly that we hardly realised that we were moving, free from the noise and the motion of the aeroplane, from the rattle and shaking of a train, the rolling and pitching of an ocean liner. I have only one criticism of the "Hindeuburg" to make. There is not one long mirror where a woman can view herself at full length. Average Speed of 69 Miles. The airship's greatest speed was 90 miles an hour; her average speed for the entire flight 09 miles an hour. Often I wanted to pinch myself to make sure I was not dreaming. Even to me, a veteran Zeppelin traveller, it did not seem easy to realise that we were flying at more than a mile a minute. Dr. Hugo Eckener said, "It is like a dream," echoing my thoughts as we sat by an open window watching the moonlight shimmering on the ocean. He continued: "I have already come to one conclusion. ' The North Atlantic air channel will not be along the steamer lane; there are too many local conditions." —N.A.N. A.