STILL FAITH IN AIRSHIPS.

Evening Star, Issue 22047, 5 June 1935, Page 8

STILL FAITH IN AIRSHIPS.

The great record of the Graf Zeppelin doubtless explains why, despite all the disasters to like craft of other nations, a Vast fund is being! amassed in Ger* many to finance a fleet of passenger air* ships meant to span the world. From September, 1928, to December, 1934, Dr Eckeher’s vessel had made 423 individual trips, flying a distance of 630,* 000 mileS. She had carried 10,500 paa senders, at a s.pced averaging! sixty miles an hour; iria.il to the extent of 57,0001 b; freight, 96,0001 b. Her total lime in the air by December was 10,005 hours and 40 minutes. Of her trips, eight were crossings of the Ndrth Atlantic, one was a crossing of the Pacific, one over European Russia, Asia, Siberia, and Japan. She bad made sixty-eight crossings of the South Atlantic. Nor have these South American passages been all “ fair weather crossings.” Of the regularly scheduled trips fill but two were started on schedule. The Graf Zeppelin lias bad a few unpleasant experiences, but she is still flying, and the Germans will soon have an even larger ship in the

air, destined for the South Atlantic passenger service after a visit, which is expected to be made next month, to the United States. .Despite the frightful toll of American airships, pleas are being made now for the building of others. Lieutenant-commander Charles E. Roscndahl, one of America’s foremost experts in this branch, has been urging their advantages over aeroplanes, especially for naval observation work where long coastlines, like those of America, have to be patrolled. At the suggestion of the Secretary ior the Nary, a new committee has been appointed to consider .the advisability of building more dirigibles. Most countries, however, will be content to leave them to Germany.