Magyar News, 1993. szeptember-1994. augusztus (4. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1993-10-01 / 2. szám
A HUNGARIAN SOLD IT TO ZEPPELIN Somewhere in the early 1930s, a cigar shaped airship, several hundred feet long floated in the sky of Bridgeport. The children in the West End ran out into the streets to see the great phenomena, the Graf Zeppelin. Little did they know that a countryman from the land of their ancestors, a Hungarian, was very much responsible for the invention of the Zeppelin. The Encyclopedia Britannica writes: A 130,000 cubic feet aluminumhulled airship, built and tested in Germany in 1897 by David Schwarz, was the first of the rigid type. Having an aluminum framework covered by aluminum sheeting was also the first airship powered by a gasoline engine. Of great importance was the first Zeppelin airship, a rigid type, which made its initial flight from a floating hangar near Friedrichschafen, Germany. Well who was David Schwarz and what had he to do with the Zeppelin? He was bom in Keszthely, Hungary, in 1845. He became a lumber merchant and designed very clever tools and equipments for the lumber industry. Like many people of his time, he was also touched by the idea of flying, and designed a balloon with a rigid shell that kept its shape even when the pressure conditions changed. First, Russia showed her interest and invited David Schwarz to do his experiments with Russian support. After two years of little success the Russians abandoned the idea. Now it was the German’s turn. In October, 1895 a newly built airship was ready to fly. The gas to fill the cells was of poor quality and therefore the launching wasn’t successful. David Schwarz was financially broken. His health was deteriorating, worn down by all the attempts that were so close to success. He died in January 1897. A few days later, at his funeral came the news that the German chemical plant succeeded in making the required quality gas for the airship. In November, the same year, the Germans launched the world’s greatestrigid type airship. The following year, and this is when we come back to our original question, Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin purchased, from the widow of David Schwarz, the concept of the airship and the contract with the only chemical plant capable of manufacturing the proper gas in Germany. A quarter of a century later, Captain Eckenerin 80 hours navigated the Zeppelin from Europe to America. Joseph F. Balogh HUNGARIAN FOOD THAT IS OUT OF THIS WORLD Anywhere in the world if one looks around the picnic table and notices that the main attraction is stuffed cabbage, fried chicken, goose liver and naturally head cheese, then one could come to the simple conclusion the table was set by a Hungarian. And this is really valid anywhere in the world, as proven by Bertalan Farkas who invited his fellow astronaut Valerie Kubasov for some sampling, as they were traveling in space together on the Soyuz 36 some years ago at spring time. Bertalan Farkas was the first Hungarian astronaut to actually participate in a space flight. Farkas came from a small town, Gyulahaza, Szabolcs megye, where in poor precipitation years, the fine sand travels with the wind placing a dune above a house or just the other way taking the sand away from under the building letting it slide from the crest into the valley. As a child he might have been watching the blue sky like Luke Sky walker did from his sandy terrain. Farkas was 16 when he first started to learn flying while still a high school student in Kisvarda. He and his friend, Béla Magyari joined the air force and luckily both became astronauts. When Farkas was in the spaceship, Magyari, a replacement, was working with the ground control. It was quite a step from the “ocean of sand” to the eternal ocean of space. As every Hungarian would do, I guess, Farkas was excitedly observing the little spot on the earth, that is Hungary. His pride and love for his people gave his whole journey a Hungarian flavor. Among the personal possessions that an astronaut may carry aboard was a book written by a Hungarian mathematician J anos Bolyai in the early 1800s. This book is EUROPEAN NAIL SALON Judith Racz Moved To: 565 Kings Highway, Fairfield, CT (Salon Maggi) Tel: 333-1468 fundamental to the science of space travel. He also carried a copy of a famous Hungarian poem that is recited every March 15th, a copy of the “Nemzeti Dal. ” The third item in the package was a box dressed in red, white and green. Inside this box were ten different, specially canned Hungarian goodies. The stuffed cabbage, head cheese and the others were spreading the tickling smell of the delicious Hungarian cuisine. Maybe one day some space traveler from another planet may pick up the lingering smell and get an idea that somewhere nearby there is a Hungarian restaurant orbiting. Advanced Electronic Systems Co. SECURITY AND COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALISTS FIRE AND BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEMS OF ALL TYPES, RESIDENTIAL; COMMERCIAL WITH 24 HR. MONITORING • INTERCOM, P.A., BACKGROUND MUSIC SYSTEMS • CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION SYSTEMS • STATE LICENSED JOSEF RACZ 627 GLENBROOK RD. (203) 357-0740 STAMFORD, CT 06906 Page 5
