European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 28, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday june 28, 1990 1j7j7u the stars and stripes a a a Page 7wreckage of a flying aircraft carriers found Navy Airship Macon lost at sea in 35 crash located off Calif coast by the los Angeles times los Angeles a the undersea wreckage of a 785-foot-Long dirigible that served As a flying aircraft Carrier for Navy reconnaissance planes has been found off the coast of Northern California ending More than half a Century of efforts to find the remains of one of the worlds most unusual airships. The Craft called the Macon was discovered in about 1,500 feet of water off Point sur by the Navy a deep diving submersible the sea Cliff said John Sanders spokesman for the naval Post graduate school in Monterey. Also found were two of the planes that the Macon was carrying when it crashed and they appeared to be in Good condition Sanders said. Sanders who announced the discovery monday said that the sea Cliffs search was successful because Navy oceanographer Steve ramp figured out that deep currents would have carried the huge Craft North instead of South As previous searchers had believed. The discovery sunday is particularly important because the ship carried four Small biplanes called Sparrowhawk that used the Macon As a flying airbase. Its crash on feb. 12, 1935, ended the Navy a love affair with lighter than air flying machines. Retired rear adm. Henry b. Miller commander of the Macon a Small Squadron of single engine planes said that he and his colleagues a a landed on the Macon by snagging a Hook on the top of the plane attached to a trapeze suspended from beneath the Airship. When they took off he said a you would reach up with your left Arm and pull a trigger and that would release the Hook and you would just fall off into space a he said. A it was a great Deal of  As each plane pulled up underneath the dirigible he said it snagged the trapeze and then was hauled up to a Hanger inside the Airship. Once inside the wheels were removed to increase the aeronautical performance of the Small planes. That meant that whenever the pilots went out they had to return to the Airship or try a wheel less Landing on the ground. That system May not sound As though it was designed to allow a lot of Young pilots to live Long enough to become old pilots but Miller remembered the time and the Sparrowhawk with affection. A they were tiny Little air planes a he said a but they were Beautiful Little  the Only Sparrowhawk in existence today is in the smithsonian institution. It was put together from spare parts. Sanders said that it will be a some time before a recovery Effort is mounted because scientists will want the Navy Airship Macon moored at Moffett Field calif., in this 1935 photo. Recovery Hooks for the dirigible a four Sparrowhawk aircraft Are located directly below the . Navy markings. To study a few Small bits of debris retrieved by the sea Cliff to determine the condition of the dirigible and the planes. The Macon plunged into the sea after one of its Tail fins which apparently had been damaged in an earlier storm broke Loose and punctured the skin of the Airship. All but two of the 83 men aboard survived the crash and were picked up by Navy vessels in the area. The incident came just two years after a sister ship the Akron carried 73 men to their deaths during a storm off the East coast. The loss of the two airships forced the Navy to end one of the most unusual efforts in the history of aviation. And the end came not a bit too soon Miller said during a Telephone interview monday from his Home in Shawnee Mission Kan. A a very simple weapon would have knocked the hell out of it a he said. Miller then a 31-year-old lieutenant was not injured in the crash but the Hopes of Many who wanted to see the Navy build a huge Fleet of dirigible suffered a fatal blow. The impracticality was obvious to the critics who saw the giant airships As easy prey during a time of War. Yet it was a time that Miller clearly enjoyed remembering when told monday that the wreckage had been found. A i loved it a he said of the Days when he commanded a a heavier than air Squadron assigned to a lighter than air vessel. On the morning of feb. 12, the four planes under Millers command had flown from Sunnyvale calif., to the Monterey coast to join the Macon for a major exercise Miller said. A i was the last one to go aboard a he said. A maybe i  have a he added recalling the rapid series of events that sent the Macon to a Damp grave. The giant Airship was visible from land and the Lighthouse keeper at Point sur was watching through his binoculars when the troubles began. When the Tail Fin broke Loose the Crew apparently a overreacted a according to a subsequent Board of inquiry. A the Crew started to Jettison fuel and other supplies causing the ship to Rise dramatically Sanders said. The Macon which was designed to remain below 2,800 feet Rose quickly to nearly a mile above the Pacific where automatic pressure valves on helium filled Celis opened allowing the Gas to escape into the atmosphere. The Craft dropped quickly but settled gently allowing the survivors to escape into  test tube Tiger makes debut at . Zoo Washington apr the worlds first test tube Tiger cub pounced and growled during her National zoo debut tuesday before settling Down with a big bottle of milk. The 20-Pound bouncing Bengal is one of a litter of three cubs produced by in Vitro fertilization in an Effort to save endangered tigers species. Mary Alice the Only surviving cub was bom by caesarean Section april 27. A this is a marvelous step Forward for All those cats on the verge of extinction a said Michael Robinson director of the National zoo. A in 20 years of our lifetime we have lost three subspecies of  during her first meeting with journalists Mary Alice fussed and squirmed until her keeper stuck a milk bottle in her Mouth. Then the yellow and Black cub stood up on her had legs grasped the bottle with her front paws closed her eyes and sucked aggressively until her Chin was covered with milk. Mary Alice is expected to weigh about 300 pounds when she is fully grown. A second yellow and Black cub died of pneumonia three weeks after birth. Zoo officials said the death was not related to the in Vitro procedure. The third cub a White Tiger died shortly after birth. The surrogate Mother Nicole a 91/2-year-old siberian Tiger is from the Henry Doorly zoo in Omaha neb. A male Tiger named Chester provided the sperm that scientists used to fertilize three eggs taken from two other tigers. A Ary Alice eventually will be housed at the Omaha zoo. Of the 37 species of felines All but the Domestic cat Are threatened or endangered according to the National zoos Center for new opportunities in animal health sciences. That Means a species is either dying out or not reproducing rapidly enough to survive Long term. Since 1969, three subspecies of tigers have become extinct and the South China Tiger is critically endangered with Only 50 remaining in the world. There Are More tigers in the worlds zoos than there Are in the wild a 31 Black footed cats 21 Sand cats and 12 Pallas cats in zoos according to Center officials. A sometimes people use the words a captive and a research As four letter words a said Lee Simmons director of the Omaha zoo. A this animals relatives Are captive in Siberia and other countries a he said. A the habitats for Many animals Are in isolated  when tigers natural habitats Are destroyed they Are limited to a Small area isolated from other Tiger species in their Home countries. While kept in a Small area tigers inbred not producing new genetic material which causes extinction Simmons said. National zoo officials said in Vitro fertilization helps conserve rare Tiger species by allowing animals that Are sexually incompatible or separated by Long distances to reproduce. Mary Alice is named after the wife of Ulysses Seal a major participant in programs to conserve tigers in zoos Simmons said. A zoo director Michael Robinson shows Tiger to reprise natives of the Media