AIRSHIP FLIGHT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13899, 10 May 1909, Page 7

AIRSHIP FLIGHT.

The first description of a trip of the Zeppelin airship ever made public was given bv Prince Renry of Prussia, the Emperor's brother, at a lecture delivered at the Marine Academy at Kiel recentlybefore a select audience, composed of Princess Henry and her two sons, the admirals commanding, and the Governor, and the chief administrative officials of the Province of Scliles-wig-Holstein. The Prince described in picturesque language liis feelings on his lirst journey through the air. and his experiences during the memorable trip of six hours' duration on October 27 After describing the floating balloon shed, Prince Henry gave technical details of the airship. He cited, as an example of the vessel's sensibility to changes of equilibrium despite its enormous size, the fact that if members of the crew had to be changed from the car to one end of the balloon to the car at the other, they had to leave the tars simultaneously, and pass one another exactly in the middle of the covered connecting gangway. The lecturer admitted that entering and leaving the car required a certain amount- of pluck, as one realised how little there was between one and the immensity of space beneath. To prevent the derangement of the trim of the airship, orders, which were written, since a voice could not be heard above the din of the motors, were placed in a carrier attached to an endless wire and passed along in that way. Besides the Prince and Count Zeppelin. nine persons took part in the trip, live of whom were engaged in attending to the engines and steering, so that the other six might have been employed for military purposes. Describing his sensations during his trip, the Prince said: —"A palpitation of the heart, though ever so slight, seizes on the novice, for lias not the great moment arrived when he is to intrust himself to the air. 'What is before us?' What, above all, will leaving the ground be like?' These and similar questions flash through the brain. In a moment of irrepressible excitement one pretends to be at one's ease as is expected of one, or tries to seem so ; one chats with those standing on the dock or by the car, and suddenly notices that the bystanders are no longer on a level with the eyes, but for some reason are looking up to us, while we are looking down at them. While the distance separating us from our friends below rapidly increases, they seem to sink away from tls."

Prince Henry described how be took the helm and satisfied himself that, despite the clumsiness of the steering taekle, the vast vessel answered the helm as easily as a steam pinnace.

The lecturer then proceeded to sum

up the results of the Zeppelin invention, :iiiil he came to the most interesting conclusions. He regarded the problem of reaching a fixed and not too distant, point, in not too unfavourable weather conditions, as solved, but he thought that the question whether dirigibles were at present suitable as regular means of communication, or should be employed for purposes of war, must be regarded sceptically. Moreover, the altitude that could be attained was limited by the fact that above a certain height, owing to the decreasing: density of "the atmosphere, the propellers met with less resistance, while the motors also gave unsatisfactory results owing to the decrease of oxygen