222 THE ZEPPELIN AIR SHIP. 



occurred. A winch broke and hindered the further use of the running 

 weight, which, as has already been mentioned, was provided in order 

 that the bow or stern might be lowered or raised, and the horizontal 

 position regained. Notwithstanding the accident, Lieutenant Bethge 

 goes on to say, "It was still possible to turn the balloon to the left 

 against the wind, but as it was impossible, owing to the broken cable, 

 to turn to the right. Count Zeppelin decided to descend.'' The descent 

 took place seventeen minutes after the ascent. 



Count Zeppelin has written an account of the trial trip which is of 

 special intei'est, as it comes from one with a full knowledge of all the 

 details. *'The task," he says, '"of bringing down the air ship took 

 place without a hitch. In spite of a rapid and considerable escape of 

 gas, followed by l>ut a small sacrifice of ballast, the descent took place 

 so gently that a descent onto hard ground would seem devoid of 

 danger.'' 



The accident to the running weight made it necessary to avert the 

 innninent danger of capsizing by stopping and going astern with the 

 screws. '' Henceforth,'" he adds, "'the whole voyage consisted of alter- 

 nately going ahead, and then astern, with the screws, so as to prevent 

 excessive inclination. A further reason for this alternate motion 

 arose from the circumstance that the air ship, which at first obeyed her 

 helm well to starboard, ran more and more to the left, owing, appar- 

 ently, to a curve to larl)oai'd, due to the drag of the rumiing weight. 

 For this reason also, in order to avoid being driven on over the land, 

 it was necessary to go astern with the screws whenever the stern 

 pointed toward the lake." 



It seems from all accounts that the floating capacity and the great 

 lateral stal)ility of the Zeppelin air ship have been conclusively proved. 

 The ship floated smoothly in a horizontal position. It also obeyed its 

 rudder up to the moment when the steering cable broke. Moreover, 

 as Count Zeppelin himself sa3^s, '"It has been proved that there is no 

 danger of fire in connection with the use of the air ship in ordinary 

 conditions." 



The rigidity of the lialloon — important in view of its great length — 

 has also been estal)lished. It is unfortunate that no exact statement of 

 speed was obtainable owing to the accident, although the reports of sev- 

 eral experts stationed at different points, now, at the moment of writing, 

 being made out, ma}^ give an appi'oximate idea of that speed. Bethge 

 estimates that the rapidity of flight before the wind toward Immeu- 

 staad was about 9 meters (2i> feet) per second, from which figure the 

 trifling wind velocity has to be deducted. It is enough, however, to 

 say that a dirigible balloon, which can maintain a state of equilibrium 

 and descend with perfect safety to its passengers, has become an 

 established fact. Future experiments, which the fortune and enthusi- 

 asm of Count Zeppelin will ena))le him to carry out, will doubtless 

 bring the Zeppelin balloon to a gratifying perfection. 



