Two Broken Motors

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 665, 17 May 1929, Page 9

Two Broken Motors

ZEPPELIN HEADS BACK TO GERMANY SET OUT FOR AMERICA (United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) (United Service) Reed. 9.5 a.m. NEW YORK, Thursday. The Columbia Broadcasting Company on Thursday received a bulletin from its correspondent aboard the Graf Zeppelin: “Two broken motors; heading back.” A message from Berlin says the Graf Zeppelin left Friedriehshafen at 5.5 a.m. today upon her second transatlantic flight. Five Swiss airplanes escorted the Zeppelin to the frontier, where Dr. Hugo Eckener headed for the mouth of the Loire. A desperate last-minute effort to stow away on the airship was made by a young Bavarian tailor, Adolph Lenk. As the command was given to open the doors of the hangar a special guard noticed a man high up in the network of girders in the structure ready to jump on to the top of the dirigible. The start was delayed while the guard climbed to the roof and arrested Lenk. He admits that he had planned to climb up the roof to the crew’s quarters. The officers of the Zeppelin assert that they were serious in announcing that any stowaways found after the start would be pitched overboard attached to a parachute. Captain Lehmann, first officer, said Leuna gas, which is heavier than the usual blue gas, would be used on this trip. The fuel on board was sufficient for 130 hours, whereas it was anticipated that the flight would be accomplished in 86 hours.