Up Macon!

Last week a salvage vessel fished up part of the control car of the U. S. S. Akron from the sea floor off Barnegat Lightship. This grim sequel did not appear to weigh gravely on the mind of Commander Alger Herman Dresel, one-time captain of both the Los Angeles and the Akron, as he stepped into the control car of the Akron's sister ship in a red dawn two days later. His wife and daughter were looking on, 105 souls were aboard when Captain Dresel commanded, "Up ship!" and the brand-new U. S. S. Macon, her eight propellers swiveled downward, rose for her first flight.

For two hours the Macon flew in the vicinity of her dock at Akron, then headed northwest to circle Cleveland. Clevelanders saw her shining fat stern disappear over Lake Erie. At sunset she was back at Akron where a smoke bomb and two green flares signaled her descent in the twilight.

"The ship handled well," was tight-lipped Captain Dresel's only comment.

Back in her hangar, the Macon was still the property of Goodyear-Zeppelin Corp. Not until she has flown 84 hours, of which she flew 13 more two days later, proven that she can make 80 m.p.h., can cruise 10,000 mi. will the Navy accept her.

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