--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 21 number: 3 published: 1918-01 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations, “Views of a Monster Zeppelin,” *Improvement Era* 21, no. 3 (January 1918): 242–243." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2103unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera2103unse start_page: 242 end_page: 243 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1918-01) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2103unse publication_year: 1918 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1918, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Views of a Monster Zeppelin Copyright, Underwood & Underwood, New York Each of the German Zeppelins are equipped with at least six gondolas, such as shown in the photo, on which are attached the apparatus for drop- ping bombs. The gondolas are loaded with a certain quantity of the bombs which are dropped or shot from the tube shown on the side of the craft. The gondola looks a great deal like a miniature submarine, and the work it accomplishes is on the same order as the barbarous endeavors of the U-boats. There is much queer paraphernalia attached to the gondola. The comparison in size between the gondola and the Zeppelin gives an idea of the vast immensity of the "baby killer." Note the man on the ladder leav- ing the gondola to enter the opening in the monster air craft. The photo shows the L-49, which was brought down while returning from a raid over London. It is lying near Bourbonne-les-Baines, in France. Copyright, Underwood & Underwood, New York VIEW OF THE WHOLE MONSTEF. ZEPPELIN (680 feet in length) It was the first great brand new German Zeppelin to be brought down with practically a "whole skin," and was downed by French aviators, in October, 1917. The German commander attempted to destroy his machine when he saw that escape was impossible, but a Frenchman who happened to espy him, ordered him to stop, and enforced his order with a rifle. The small photo shows the huge gas bag lying helpless in a field near Bour- bonnedes-Bains. Note the crowd of people who came from miles around to see the huge Zeppelin. The crowd makes only little more than a speck of dark against the sides of the gigantic "baby killer." The Zeppelin is 144 metres from end to end, or 680 feet in length by 75 feet in width. The gas envelope was torn in a few places by the trees as it fell. There are three gondolas on each side as shown in the other picture. Being practically undamaged, the Allies were able to get exact information of the Zeppelin's dimensions, design and working parts — some of Germany's military secrets.