1ETAILS OF CONSTRUCTION AND LAUNCHING
SHENANDOAH WHICH WILL MAKE THE
POLAR FLIGHT FROM NOME
It float* .1 up against the sky like
• hunt' silver whale." wrote one of
*he group of admiring newspaper re
orters who witnessed the first trial
ight of the big American Zeppelin,
hen completed for the Navy De
artraent. It answered its controls
Perfectly, circled, rose and‘dipt. and
e‘‘nally left the field of its birth, at
* akehurst. New Jersey, for a thirty
^ ille tour of the surrounding coun
iv. traveling at some thirty miles an
our with four of its six motors rim
ing at half speed. It is equipped
ith all of the latest devices and
ifoguards developed b> aeronautic
j l science in the years since the war.
nd our air experts confidently pre
dict that it will mark the beginning
f a new era in the conquest of the
;r. Inflated with non-explosive
I elium gas. as no ait-ship of its size
as ever been before, it is pructi
. ally immune from the greatest dan
j er of the dirigible, fire. If there is
j^nv thing in commercial airship
,rs0utes, the ZH-1 is expected to prove
t. The rigid airship, as the editor
f the Boston Transcript observes,
as suffered in esteem by a success
nn of mischances. Th- Knglisli
iuilt. Zeppelin 7.R-2. was destroyed
ill- ith heavy loss of life, just a< it was
arn the point of being turned over to
•ur Nav> Department, two years
go. The Roma, the finest dirigible
iroduced in Italy, exploded md
turned soon ofter being brought
lglver here. However, concludes the
“ranscript editor, "such mishaps j
phould not be considered to con-|
Itmn airsliips as a whole, any more .
ban two successive failures of the.
Quebec bridge two years ago. were ?
i»eronsidered to condemn all bridges.” (
c The new ship, set on end. would be
■Vtflmost as tail as the Woolworth
iullding. and some two million feet
•[ helium gas are contained in the
ras-bags of silk and goldbeaters skin
.vhich are placed inside of the gigan
,ift*it* hull. It can speed at seventy five
ar(j|Uiles an hour, or float in the air for
lays, if need be. keeping in motion
ny the use of a motor or two. and
scarcely depleting its huge stores of
gas and gasoline. At its cruising
jpped of fifty or sixty miles an hour,
j^ite radius is estimated at well be
vond four thousand miles, which
wewould be more than enough to tak»*
Pl«ir to the North Pole and back from
Nome. Alaska, without refueling.
The Navy Department has already
announced that a trip to the Pole
lias been decided on for next sum
piSr»er.
er* The ship will he a livable place,
for its crew and passengers may
roam at will through the big hull.
It may sound strange, admits a writ
er in the New York Evening Post,
taking up a detailed description of
th-the great flyer, to say that a man
ibican wander about in a big airship
jC}that looks like an impenetrable gas
bag. but it is nevertheless true.
In the first place there is a triangu
lar runway in the keel of the struc
brture through which a man can walk
cl from the very nose of the ship to
the tip of its tail. From it ladders
descend to the forward car with its
navigation room and engine and to
, the five outer cars or “eggs.” as they
are sometimes called, that contain
the other engines. Another passage
W way leads to a platform on the top
mof the ship, where observations can
a,be made or machine guns be mount
Nor is the ship so solid, as nugiu .
. be supposed in other ways. It is not j
1 one big gas bag. Inside the great !
structure, which is made of dural-j
umin. which is an alloy of alumin
um, with other metals which give it j
f, added strength, there are twenty j
balloo-nettes, or cells. Any one of;
these could he disabled or torn and
the ship, like a vessel with water
tight compartments, still keep afloat,
b These balloons are of silk with gold
beaters’ skin cemented to the fabric
E to keep it from tearing.
The 400.000 pieces of duralumin
in the framework were made at the
Philadelphia Naval Aircraft Factory
t and then assembled into rings and
* girders.
The framework is covered on the
1 oirside by an envelope which has
been painted on the outer surface
with a silvery aluminum pain*, not
primarily to make the big ship a
glittering astral body, but to deflect
] ift per cent, of the sun's rays. It Is
* painted black on the inside to ab
i corh the heat of the sunlight. Tbir
is done to prevent the sunlight from
causing the gas In the interior cells
I
io expand and thereby unduly affect
flip buoyancy of the ship, as the old
time balloons were affected, falling
when they passed under a cloud and
shoot ins upward when they came
it to the sunlight, with correspond
ing losses of ballast and gas to off
set these actions.
There are six power cars, each con
taining a P> OO-horse-power motor,
driving an eighteen foot propeller.
These motors have actually turned
up an even greater power. that
the maximum of the ship is estimat
ed at 2.100 horse power, while it
needs only 1.200 horse-pow.-r for
average cruising. Cruising speed
will he approximately forty-live miles
an hour, hut the ship has a potential
speed of seventy-five miles an hour.
The airship weighs 76.000 pounds,
i It has a gross lift of 100.Hot) pounds
which provides for the crew and
i enough fuel for a 3.000-m:Ie . raise.
| Perhaps the most important detail,
I Helium is the gas with which the
j ship will he inflated. In fact, it is
th< first dirigible to he lifted with
j this means. Helium, although its
lifting power is S per cent, less than
| hydrogen, has an inestimable ad
i vantage in that it is tio-n-iuflamable,
and flame has been the chief factor
in most of the great airship trage
dies. like the loss of the ZR-2 and
This* inert gas helium is found in
certain of the natural gas and o;l
fields of Texas uni Kansas, and the
flitted States has practically a mon
opoly on if. At present it costs th*»
Government about 155 cents a cubic
foot, hut it is believed that this price
can bp greatly reduced. There is
said to be one well in Texas that
could produce enogh helium to sup
ply a dozen such ships as the ZR-1,
but at the same time there is danger
that the rare gas will be lost through
failure of proper action to conserve
The fuel gasoline is contained in
forty-eight tanks .*f il gallons cap
acity each. They are hung on the
keel with an interchangable pump
ing system whereby the fuel can be
shifted from one to another, if need
ful. These tanks are hung along the
keel and can he dropped as ballast
if necessary. The regular ballast,
however, is water and is stored iu
rubber bags and is operated bv auto
matic releases. Special valves for
the.release of the gas are also con
tained In each of the balloonettes to
counteract the excessive buoyancy.
The very heart of the ship is in the
forward car where the wheels that
operate the rudders and elevators
are situated along with all the other
[control apparatus and navigating in
struments. such as the magnetic and
gyroscopic compasses, the altimet
j ers, rate-of-climb meters, and staro
seopes.
| The ship is also equipped with a
i radio compass, a novel device for
! taking advantage of the “150.000
aerial lighthouses” unwittingly pro
! vided for seamen of the air by the
radio craze. These “lighthouses’*
are the radio-sending stations of the
country. Should thp airship be lost
in a dense fog and unable to make
observations of either the sky above
, or the ground below it could send
! out. a call for signals from radio
f stations.
The compass would detect the di
rection from which the call came. By
finding the station on the map and
drawing lines from them at the
angle indicated by the radio com
pass the navigator could determine
his exact position by the point where
the lines crossed on the map.
The Bureau of Naval Aeronautics.
:i< the suggestion of the officers at
the Lakehurst station, are also
workings on another instrument by
which they hope to be able to detect
their distance from the ground, an
uncertain thing, as altimeters only
register the height above sea-level
or the spot from which the ship
started. This new device would he
worked out on the sound wave basis
like the instruments already used in
the Navy to detect depth of the
water or the proximity of another
•bin hv sound waves. In a fog the
aviator at present is never sun- of
his distance from the grourd.
The ZR-1, we are told, was based
| primarily on the information gained
trom the Zeppelin dirigibles turned
over to the Allies after the war and
the plans of the Zeppelin engineers
Though built in America—■
It is therefore to quite an extent
a spoil of war and very much of a
, "Zip." It was designed and built
with aid or the Germans and follows
: the trail which Count Zeppelin
; In fact, when one of the ZR-1 a Ul
cers was asked how this dirigible
I differed from the German ships, he
j pointed up to the star and circle in
: signia on the airship's side and said
! laughingly:
1 "That's painted red. white and
blue, hut the Germans painted their
j insignia red. white and black."
| Yet. Commander It. I>. Weyer
baeher. the engineer officer who has
I had charge of the construction since
! his return from a thorough Inspec
tion of the Zeppelin factories and
engineering laboratories, explained
I that the ZR-1 was not a duplicate
i of a war-time Zeppelin, hut had
worked into Its construction the en
gineering lessons and developments
post-war experiments. Its line?
show the progress of that evolution
j -r. which a great log-shaped struc
| litre has been tapered down to a
graceful shape that slips through
| the air with a minimum of resist
"The ZR-3, which is being built
; for us in Germany," said Command
er Weyerbacher. "will embody still
more of these post-war develop
Some of these would tv* drawn, ne
said from the building of the 7.11-2.
the groat dirigible which was built
for us in London, hut which hroke
in the air and fell flaming to the
ground with great loss of life. This
sacrifice of human life was nor whol
ly in vain, ho explained, as many of
the novel features embodied in the
ZR-2 were excellent and sound and
only failed because they were car
The ZR-3 will come to America as
part of the German reparations and
will be larger than the ZR-1. It will
b> a demonstration by the Zeppelin
engineers of the best they are cap
able of. It is -now nearing comple
tion and it is to be flown across the
Atlantic by an American crew with
in a few months.
I'nlike the ZR-1 it will be a com
mercial airship and will have no ar
mament. As yet the ZR-1 carries
in. bomb-dropping apparatus or guns
but these will be mounted later. As
•i commercial carrier the airship has
certain advantages over the air
plane. Its potential carrying capac
ity and cruising distance are greater.
!i can remain aloft when its engines
stop. It comes to a stop before
landing. It can remain stationary
A t ing in the nose of the ship fas
tens to a swivel socket on the mast
and holds the ship so that the crew
may enter her by means of the mast
elevators, while fupl is carried up
pipe lines in the mast.
The officers at the naval air sta
tion estimate that the airship will be
as valuable to the navy for scouting
ns from three to six first-class cruis
ers. A first-class cruiser costs ap
proximately $40,000,000. The esti
mated cost of the ZR-l is around
$2,000,000.
Th** ship went through a goon i
many t*>sts even before it was allow- :
ed to take the air. While it was
still in its shed a pressure of five j
tons was jammed against the nose,
which cave the inches under strain
and returned to normal. Another |
test consisted of suspending the ship j
at both ends while eight tons of bal-j
last was moved into the center of j
its framework, thus simulating a I
tremendous strain thrown on it in
the air by some sharp maneuver
The tiSO-foot frame bent but one
and one fourth inches, and when the
ballast was evenly distributed again
the frame went back to within one
sixteenth of an inch from where it
had been before. These facts are re
garded as proofs of great strength.
If this flight proves as successful
as the naval aviation experts feel
sure it will, there is every reason to
believe that some day soon every
large American city will have its
fleer, of airships to take vacationists
on a cooling trip to the arctic re
Phlladelphia. Pittsburg a-nd other
cities in the same latitude are 3,000
miles from the North Pole. The ZTt
1 is expected to make seventy-five
miles an hour. Even with unfavor
able weather condlMons it should
average sixty miles. ■
The trip of 6,000 miles to the Pole
and back, therefore, would take r
little more than four days. Suppose
you left at noon on Monday. You
rbould be back in ample time for
dinner on terra firma on the follow
ing Friday.
At first these polar excursion air
liners will be able to hover over the
ro<*f of the world for only a few min
utes before stifrting on the return
voyage. Hut there seems to be no
reason why some day steel anchor
ing masts can not be erected at the
Pole so that the airships may sto*
there for a considerable time to let
th r passengers inspect the desolate
arctic wastes and refresh themselves
aft* r the heat of the southern lati
Th*' hangar where the new Navy
ship is housed is itself considered
somethin.? ot' an achievement. In
th“ first place—
it is ot' such enormous size that the
Capitol at Washington could be put
inside .»f it with plenty of space to
spare. The dome of the Capitol
v-Miiid rise . ishty-odd feet above the
roof of th- huge balloon stable, but
otherwise, including the great white
marble wings. it would fit in.
The greatest width of the Capitol.
width of the hangar at Lak-hurst is
exactly the same. Tint the Capitol (
is only 7".l feet Ion?, whereas the
hangar has a length of !>43 feet.
The dome of the Capitol is 2S7
f- abov the ground. Thus in al
titude it considerably exceeds t.ho
hangar. Hut the latter is all one
vftst room, its ceiling being the roof,
2C0 f*-et above the floor.
Westminster Hall in London is 200 ,
feet long. H8 feet, wide and Oft feet 1
h:gh. Thirty structures of the same ,
dimensions could be put inside of the !
Lakehurst hangar, and there would:
be enough space loft over to accom
modate an office building 73 feet ;
wide and 200 feet high.
The hangar is a gigantic shed built
or steel, covered with corrugated as
bestos sheets, and it opens at the
front with two immense swinging
doors—-the biggest doors in the
The / K-3. a'dirigible still larger
than the ZR-l, which an American
Naval crew is soon to sail here from
Germany, will also be housed in this
hangar.
The first, trial flight of the big new
air liner roused the enthusiasm of
all who saw it. One special corres
pondent or the New York World
writes of this event:
Into the misty red glow of the se'
ti«g sun over the navy aviation field
here nosed the ZR-l. the first Ameri
can-made rigid dirigible, after her
first trial flight—a complete success.
Like a mammoth silver hah sus
pended In the Rky. the big dirigible
moved gracefully to her landing
place and settled by alternately tilt
ing her snub nose and her tail to
ward the earth gently to the gronnd.
The ship touched the gTOU-ad at 7:50
o’clock—exactly one hour after she
had risen in the air.
After she had been safely tucked
away in the cavernous hangar, where
she has been in course of construc
tion a year and a half, the throng of
2,000 spectators, including Rear Ad
miral W. A. Moffatt. head of the j
Naval Bureau of Aeronautics, and
I numerous Navy aviation officers.
| breathed easily for the first time.
I Not until the tip of her tail, where
flapped a jaunty little American
j Flag, was safely inside the shed was
| the trial considered to be a full suc
The last, moment, when the dirigi
ble was being hauled slowly into its
hangar, was that of greatest danger
of injury to the ship. A freak gust
of wind, sucked down by the open
doors of the shed, might have driven
the big gas-bag against the side of
i the shed and caused irreparable
! damage. It was in such a manner
j that the R-34 was put out of com
I mission after flying successfully
* across the Atlantic and back.
Although it was this moment that
I was feared most by the Army and
* Navy experts who watched the dem
l onstration. the spetcators who filled !
, the field saw the test flight with dif ]
i ferent fears.
In their eyes, as the great ship i
moved over their heads, were imag
' inative pictures of the test flights of
the ZR-2 at Hull, Engaind, and the
Roma, which burst Into flames and
icrashed to the earth at t»angley
Field, Virginia.
i But it was neither the day or the
* ship for disaster. The ZR-1, big
i gest of all rigid dirigibles now In op
; eratioo, in its construction was made
1 strong, where the ZR-3 and the
! Roma were weak, and In addition
I the ZR-1 was filled with helium gas.
| a non-inflamable substance. It was
the first time that any such quantity
I of helium gas—2.000.000 cubic
| feet—ever had been used.
The successful test means a great
j deal. For one thing—
It was interpreted as a lasting trib
ute to American engineering brains
and the skill and care of the Ameri
can workmen. The ZR-1 was made
in America in every detail. Capt
Anton Hainan, who in the war as
sisted Count Zeppelin in the design
ing and construction of German war
dirigibles, was the only foreign ele
ment connected with the building of
the ZR-1. He was retained by the
The Germans are proud of their
record :is designers and makers of
aircraft. It is no secret that Capt.
Hainan up to the last moment felt
that a green American crew on
board might, invite disaster, and that
r. German crew should be brought
over to train the Americans and take
the -ship out on its first flights.
After the trip, however. Capt.
Heinan generously gave the highest
praise t.o the American crew, which
handled the ship under his direc
tion as pilot, and described the ZR-t
as a ship as fine to direct as any he
ever had handled
When the great dirigible finally
nestled to the ground. Admiral Mof
fatt. watching the flight from the
ground in civilian clothes, congratu
lated Commander R. D. Weyerbach
er. designer of the ship, and Capt.
F. R. McCrary, technically in com
mand of the ship and who will be
her commander in subsequent
As the ZR-1 rested full against the
sun. two figures popped up on top of
the bag. They wore enlisted men on
inspection. They walked the full
lipgth a thousand foot in the air..
The crowd gasp- A few cheered.
FIRE ALARM SIGNALS
12
13
14
ir»
21
24
25
31
32
33
41
42
MMMTION
. . . .Standard Oil Company
. .Cold Stora*•? plant. East
.Alaska Lighterage Co.
..Opposite Recorders Office
. .Cor. Steadman. 2nd aves.
(’or. 3rd. Ave. & Lanes Way
.Cor. B st. and 1st ave
. Catholic Church
. Point’s Residence
. Eire Station
Near Belmont Point Bridge
. .Opposite Webb’s Market
. Me*hodiet MHsion
3- Balia.Fire Out
Bella.Shut. Down
'J Bella.Turn on Water
FORFEITURE NOTICE
To JOHN A. DEXTER. and to hla
executors. administ*-i*ors. heirs,
and assigns:
You are hereby notified that the
undersigned has expended one hun
dred dollars ($100.00) .in work,
labor, and improvements upon "No.
4 SPECIMEN GULCH.” or the
“HEATER” Placer Mining Claim,
the location certificate of which is
recorded in Vol. 3, Page 48, of the
Records of the Cape Nome Record
ing Precinct, Territory of Alaska,
the recording precinct In which aartd
claim is situated, for each of the
years 1910. 1911. 1912. 1913, 1914.
1915. 1917. 1920-21. 1921-22, 1922
-23, i-n order to hold said claim un
der the provisions of Section 2324.
Revised. Statutes of the United
States of America; this being the
Amount required to hold said claim
for each of the years above enum
erated. And if within ninety (90)
days from the service of this notice
; upon you, you fail or refuse to cob
tribute your proportion of such ex
[ penditure as co-owner, your inter
est in said claim will become the
property <r*f the subscriber under
said Section 2324.
Hated at Nome. Alaska, this 3rd
day of November. 1923.
Pioneer Mining and Ditch
Company, Co-Owner.
By E. J. GORMAN. Agent.
Publish Nov. 3. 10, 17. 24. Dec. 1. 8.
IS. 22, 29. 1923. and Jan. 5, 12.
19. 26, 1924.
NOTICE Of FORFEITURE.
To Guy B. BTUbaker and Blanche
McGrath, you and each of your
heirs, executors, administrators
and assign*:
You, and each of you. are hereby
I notified that the understened. ns
co-owner therein, has expended the
sum of One Hundred ($100.00)
dollars during the year ending July
1. 1923. for labor and improvement*
on and for the benefit of the t\*tm
ITA BENCH PLACER MTVTN^
CLAIM, situated on the Left L'mlt
of Dry Creek, opposite No. 13 Be.
low Discovery, in the Cape Nome
Mining and Recording iDstrfct.
Tanritory of Alaska, noting of loca
tion whereof Is accorded la Book
91, at page 418, fn the records of
ebM recording district.
That said work was performed as
provided by Sec. 2324. of the Re
vised Statutes of the United State*
and supplemental legislation, for
the purpose of holding said claim.
And you are severalty required to
contribute your proportion of such
expenditure according to your sever
al interests in said claim, to the ua
il'TsiKftvd so-owner with you thena
in. within ninety days after the ser
vice of this notice on you by publi
cation thereof, or your interest in
said claim will become forfeited and
vest in the undersigned, as provided
by said statutes. .
Dated at Nome. Alaska, this 3rd
day of November. 19?3.
F. S. PowpJI and Oeo. W. Dutton,
Trustees for Nome Dredging Trust,
Co-Owner.
Ily K. J. GOP MAN, Agent.
Publish Nov. 3. 10. 17. 24. Dec. 1, 8,
15. 22. 29. 1923. and Jan. 5. 12,
NOTICE OF FORFEITURE.
Vo" >Jels Segolson. P. V. Davis. Wm.
A. Gilmore, you and each of your
heirs, executors. administrators
and assigns:
You and each of you are hereby
notified that the undersigned, as
co-owner therein, has expended the
sum of One Hand red (*100.00- dol
lars during the year ending July 1,
[ 1923, for labor and improvement*
on and for the benefit of GOLD
DUST BENCH Placer Mining Claim,
situated on the Left Limit of Dry
Creek, in the Cape Nome Mining
land Recording District. Territory of
Alaska, notice of location, whereof
is recorded in Book 16. at Page 8«,
of rhe records of said Recording
District.
That said work was performed as
provided by Sec. 23 24. of the Re
vised Statutes of the United States
and supplemental legislation, for
the purpose of holding said claim.
And you are severally required to
contribute your proportion of such
expenditure according to your sev
eral interests in said claim, to the
undersigned, co-owner with you
therein, within ninety days after the
service of this notice on you by pub
lication thereof, or your interest in
said claim will become forfeited
and vest in the undersigned, as pro
vided by said statutes.
Dated at Nome, Alaska, this 3rd
day of November. 1922.
F. S. Powell and Geo W. Dutton.
Trustees for Nome Dredging Trust,
Co-Owner.
Bv K. J. GORMAN. Agent.
Publish Nov. 3. 10. 17. 24. Dec. 1. 8,
I;". 22. 29. 1923. and Jan. 5. 12,
NOTICE OP FORFKITI*RF.
To Mary E. Searl. C. G. Cow den awl
Win. A. Gilmore, you and each of
your 'heirs, executors, adtninlstra
Vou atnl each of you are hereby
notified that the tindersugned, as
ro-nwner therein, has expended the
| sum of One Hundred (1100.00- dol
lars during the year ending; July 1,
j 1923. for labor and improvement*
| onand for the benefit of l/UCKY
TWO BENCH Place/ Mutiny Clatm.
[situated on the I<eft Limit of Dry
Creek, second teir. in the Capt
Nome Minin* and recording district.
Territory of Alaska, notice of loca
tion whereof Is recorded in Book 88,
at pa*e 3 4. of the records of said
/{"cording District.
That said work was performed as
provided by Sec. 2321. of Die Re
vised Statutes of the United State*
and supplemental legislatio-n, for
the purpose of holding said claim.
And you are severally required to
contribute your proportion, of such
expenditure according to your sev
eral interests in said claim. to (ho
undersigned, co-owner with you
therein, within ninety days after the
service of this notice on you by pub
lication thereof, or your interest, in
said claim will become forfeited
end vest in the undersigned, as pro
vided by said statutes.
I>afed at Nome. Alaska, this 3rd
day of November. 1923.
F. S. Powoll wed Oeo. W. Du!ten,
Trustees for Nome Dredging Trust,
Co-Owa«r.
By E. J. GORMAN. Agent.
Publish Nov. 3, 10. IT. 24. Dec. t. 8.
15. 22. 29. 1923. and Jan. 5. 12,
19. 26. 1924.
NOTICE OF FORFEITURE.
To Peter Johnson. E. Oncman, V.
A. Graffam. Mary Newcomer and
Dan Kelly, your and each of your
heirs, administrators, successors
and assigns:
You and each of you are hereby
notified that the undersigned, as
co-owner therein, has expended the
sum of One Hundred ($100.00- dol
lars during the year ending July 1,
10 23. for labor and improvements
upon and for the benefit o< the
BONANZA ASSOCIATION Placer
Mining Claim, situated immediately
North of the shore of Bering Sea,
and in the East end of the cMy or
town of Nome, in the Cape Nome
Recording District and Precinct.
Territory of Alaska. The original
location of which claim is recorded
in Vol. 111. at Page 339. of the
records of locations in the office of
the recorder of said precinct.
That said labor and improvement*
were made and performed in the
development of said claim and* la
the performance of the annual labor
required by Section 2324 Revised
Statutes of the United States and
legislation supplemental thereto, la
order to hold said claim.
And von and each of you are
hereby required to contribute to the
undersigned co-owners your propor
tion of such expenditure according
to your respective interests 1n said
mining claim, within ninety days
after the service of this notice upon
vou bv publication thereof, or your
etereet In said mining olalm will
become forfeited to and vest In the
i undersigned co-owners who have
Aiade such expenditure.
Dated at Nome. Alaska, tMs 3rd
day of November. 1923.
F. S. Powell and GUO. YT. Dutton,
Trustees for Nome Dredging Trust,
Co-Owner.
By E. J. GORMAN. Agent.
Publish Nov. 3, It. 17. *4. D*c. 1. 8,*
18, 22. 29. 1228. and Jan. 5. 12,
19. 28, 1924.