Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 149, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 June 1910 — PASSENGER AIRSHIP MAKES FIRST TRIP IN GERMANY. [ARTICLE]

PASSENGER AIRSHIP MAKES FIRST TRIP IN GERMANY.

Carries Twenty Passengers a Distance Of SOO Miles In Nine Honrs—Count Zeppelin at the Helm. Dusseldorf, Germany, June 22.—The first regular airship passenger service was started today when Count Zeppelin’s craft, the Deutschland, carrying twenty pasesengers, successfully made the first scheduled trip from Friedrichshafen to this city, 300 miles, in nine hours. The weather was perfect and the motors worked faultlessly. The average time maintained for the complete course was about thirty-three miles an hour, but between Friedrichshafen and Stuttgart the 124 miles was covered at an average, rate of forty-one miles an hour. The best speed for a single hour was fosty-three and onehalf miles. Count Zeppelin was at the helm when the Deutschland left Friedrichshafen at 3 o’clock this morning and sailed away on the trip that was to mark an epoch in aviation. . The passengers were some of the directors of the Hamburg-American Steamship company and the German Airship Stock company, joint owners of the dirigible, and guests. They occupied the mahogany walled and carpeted cabin situated between the gondolas', and from the windows of which they viewed the scenery as the aerial car swept along. Count Zeppelin steered for the greater part of the distance. The route was via Stuttgart, Mannheim and Cologne to Dusseldorf. It had been carefully marked out in advance for the guidance of the pilot and was followed exactly. There was no air stirring and the Deutschland made her way unhampered through a flood of bright sunshine.

The hour and minute of the probable passing of the various points had been bulletined ahead, so that not only the people of the cities on the line, who filled the streets, but the inhabitants of all the intermediate villages turned out and cheered enthusiastically as the immense torpedo-like structure, with its whistling screws, drove over their heads at a height of between 200 and 300 feet. The Deutschland swung gently into her landing here at noon, and the multitude surrounding tie landing yards shouted a welcome. The city had been gayly decorated in honor of the event. The promoters of the enterprise and their guests were entertained at a public dinner. , Count Zeppelin demonstrated the advantage of an air route in the section of the country traversed. The Deutschland cut the railroad time between Mannheim and Dusseldorf, covering the distance in four hours, whereas the railway express time is six hours. Regular trips will be madp, and many tickets already have been sold for the first few days at from $25 to SSO each. The airship is Equipped with a restaurant, which will supply the passengers with a buffet service such as is afforded on parlor car railroad trains. The dimensions of the Deutschland are: Length, 485 feet; width, 46 feet. Its gas capacity is 24,852 cubic yards, and it carries three motors having a total of 330 horse power. It is designed to maintain a speed of thirtyfive miles an hour. Its lifting capacity is 44,000 pounds, of which 11,000 pounds cover the crew, passengers and express. It is expected to accomplish a continuous trip of 700 miles. _____