The "How Gullible Are You?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Saturday, April 1, 1933 and the morning paper had just been delivered.  "The Intelligencer" had been the morning paper in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania since 1799 and was a well respected publication.  So when the readers opened their morning paper and read the headline, "New German Dirigible, On Surprise Trip To U.S., Lands Here To Pick Up Helium," they more than likely thought it was big news that was worth reading.  

And, to top that off, there was a big photograph that filled the top of the newspaper that featured a large dirigible over the Lancaster Municipal Airport.  Actually, an immense dirigible that was more than 1 1/2 times the size of the hangar.  The dirigible belonged to Dr. Hugo Eckener who had made a special trip to Lancaster from Friederichshaven to obtain a new supply of helium which was recently discovered in the reopened chrome mines in southern Lancaster County.  He explained that if sufficient helium can be obtained here, the dirigible will be equipped to resume commercial flights between Germany and the United States without the danger of fire which destroyed the Hindenburg at Lakehurst.  A photograph of Dr. Eckener being greeted by Jesse Jones, Municipal airport manager accompanied the photograph of the dirigible and story.  He reported to the newspaper that the flight was without incident.  And, to honor Lancaster County, and it's famous Conestoga River, for providing the helium, he was going to christen his dirigible the "Koneshtoga Klipper".  And, he also added that he believed the Lancaster Airport to be as good as the terminal as the one he always used at Lakehurst, New Jersey.  His arrival was virtually unnoticed by residents of Lancaster county, mainly because it never did arrive at all.  Seems that the entire story was a fabrication and the photograph was made by splicing two photos together with scissors and paste.  The newspaper was hoping that it's readers would look to the top of the paper and realize that the date on the top read April 1...or April Fool's Day!  I found this picture and story while searching the Archives of LancasterOnline.  At first I thought it was extremely interesting and then thought what a great joke on the people of the city.  But, would the people of Lancaster believe stories in the newspaper in the future?  I'm not so sure that a local newspaper is the place to showcase an April Fool's joke.  Too many people expect what is in the newspaper to be the honest-to-goodness truth.  As for me...I knew something was up when I saw a blimp that was way bigger that the huge airport building we have in Lancaster.  Something just wasn't kosher!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.