First Regular Passenger Service Inaugurated When Deutschland Flew
DUSSELDORF, Germany, June 22.—The first regular air ship passenger service was Inaugurated today when Count Zeppelin’s great craft, the Deutschland, carrying 20 passengers, successfully made the first scheduled trip from Friedrichshafen to this city, a distance of 300 miles, in nine hours.
The weather was perfect and the motors worked faultlessly. The average time maintained for the complete course was approximately 33 miles an hour, but between Friedrichshafen and Stuttgart the 124 miles was covered at an average rate of speed of 41 miles an hour. The best speed for a single hour was 43 1/2 miles.
COUNT AT HELM
Count Zeppelin was at the helm when the Deutschland arose at Friedrichshafen at 3 o’clock this morning and sailed away on the trip that was to mark in epoch in aviation. The passengers were some of the directors of the Hamburg-American Steamship company and the German 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.
ROUTE OF FLIGHT
The route was via Stuttgart, Manheim and Cologneto 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 passage 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 great torpedo-like structure with its immense screws drove over their heads at a height of between 200 and 300 feet.
LANDED AT NOON
The Deutschland swung into her landing at noon and the multitude surrounding the landing yards shouted a welcome. The city had been decorated in honor of the event. The promoters of the enterprise and their guests were entertained at a public dinner.
Regular trips will be made and many tickets already have been sold for the first few days at from $25 to $50 each. The air ship is equipped with a restaurant, and will supply with a buffet service such as is afforded on parlor car railroad trains.
DIMENSIONS OF CRAFT
The dimensions of the Deutschland are: Length, 825 feet; depth, 46 feet.
Its gas capacity is 24,852 cubic yards and it carries three motors having a total of 330-horsepower. It was designed to maintain a speed of 35 miles an hour. Its lifting capacity is 44,000 pounds, of which 11,000 pounds covers the crew, passengers and express. It is expected to be able to accomplish a continued trip of 700 miles.
Atlanta Semi-Weekly Journal, Atlanta, GA, June 24, 1910