Monday, August 31, 2009

Portentious Statements About Air Disasters

While expressing his annoyance about the constant radio coverage of the Graf Zeppelin's inaugural flight, an anonymous New Yorker reporter had this to say on September 21, 1929:
The covering of the event was a good technical achievement. Microphones were hidden everywhere except in Lady Drummond Hay's hat, and the announcers spoke from planes, dangled off roofs, and even pursued the Zeppelin down the field, talking into the microphone as they ran. It was a weary business. If the Zeppelin ever mysteriously blows up, I advise the police to hold all radio announcers on suspicion.
Hmmmm.

2 comments:

Gary said...

I've always been slightly creeped out by the otherwise-great lyrics in "Fire and Rain" - "Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground." That phrase plays in my head whenever I hear of an air disaster (and the Graf Zeppelin was a "Hindenberg-class" airship).

Was James Taylor singing of crashes that had occurred, or of those yet to come?

As you said, Hmmmm.

Adam Thornton said...

Who knows the mind of James Taylor? It's a mystery!