The “High-Mast” was used by the USS Shenandoah and USS Los Angeles during their years at NAS Lakehurst. It was from this mast that the former made her spectacular January 16,1924 “breakaway flight” in a gale, and the latter provided one of the most interesting “photo ops” of the rigid airship era by standing on her nose on August 25, 1927. Subsequent development of the “stub” mast sealed the fate of the 160-foot steel tower, Los Angeles made the last mooring to it in 1929, and it was cut down in 1934-35. The house at the base of the mast was moved a few hundred yards and converted into a residence, but helium, water, steam and electrical connections remained at the site, located about 3/4 of a mile directly out from the west doors of Hangar No. One.
The site itself consists of concrete pads which supported the mooring tower, about a dozen steel “dead men” in concrete boxes with crumbling wooden covers, and a concrete pit containing the utility connections and a 4-inch helium line cut-off somewhat below ground level. The various valves and caps are still there, together with the electrical and telephone service boxes, etc. In the 1920’s, there was apparently an underground fuel storage tank at the site, no signs of which exist today.
