Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-11
IN A NEW YORK CITY CHAT
Ship for Long Voyage Being Built in
Paris.
TO MAKE REAL START IN AUGUST
Trip to Be Made at Distance of Only
Few Hundred Feet Above
the Earth.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK March 10-Walter Well
man. the explorer. who hopes to discover
the north pole by airship. returned from
Paris today on the French liner La Lor-
rane. Mr.. Wellman went abroad some
months ago to let contracts for the air.
ship which he will use in the arctic. He
met many of the most prominent aeronauts
in Europe. and they have given him much
valuable advice regarding construction and
navigation of the machine.
The ship In which he is to make the trip
is being built in Paris, ANA will be COM
p;eted in May. 1t is TO be 1864 feet long
and 53is feet at is greatest diameter the
surface will be 21.CSo square feet. and the
volume of gas will be 2es5et9 cubic feet.
giving lifting power of 1890 pounds. The
weight of the car Is 1850 pounds. furnished
by three motors Of o5.a5and five horsepower
respectively. which will give speed IF
from ten to twenty miles an hour.
"Our headquarters viii be; at Spitzoer-
gen.. said Mr.. Weilman. THE distance
from there to the pole is about 600 miles
We will carry enough gasoline to go 1.Soo
to . leo miles. In order to initiate the air.
ship it will be necessary to send to Spitz-
bergen 100 tons of sulphur.c acid and sixty
tens of iron filings. Then. again. [ will
| have built hall to hold the ship, and this
when l state that the envelope weighs
21.000 pounds and the valves and fittings
bring it up to $1,000.
Chartered Ship for Two Years.
THE envelope is OF three thieknesses,
two OF cotton and one Of silk. Over this are
7; three coatings of rubber. 1t has a resist
ance OF 5000 pounds 10 the square yard.
Il have chartered the arctic ship Firth
jof for two years. and in this we will go
| to Spitzbergen in June. The reason I have
chartered her for two years is that if any
thing happens or if we are prevented from
making ascent, we will effect repairs and
try again the following year.
THE first step will be to have a series
of trials The party, which will include
two French aeronauts, scientist, physi-
clan and myself, will make the trials.
we make the real start for the unex-
plored regions Of the north in August.
The question OF procedure was one on
which the aeronauts disagreed. Some said
we ought TO build a dirigible which could
sail fast and make the trip as quickly as
possible without keeping in touch with the
earth. The other faction advised that one
should be built with regard to safety and
sanity. and that 1 should keep constantly in
touch with guide rope. l decided the
latter plan. The trip will be made at dis
lance of from 100 to 800 feet above the
earth. 1t may take twenty-five hours to
make the journey or It may take many
more.
Motor S1eds and Boat
IT will probably stop on earth to take the
depth of water and make other scientific
observations. In case 1t Is necessary We
will have for use four motor sleds, which
weigh 30 pounds each. Something may go
wrong and we may land in open water.
For this reason l am taking a light metallic
boat. / call this my return ticket.
This talk about the temperature is rather
foolish In the ascent from Orleans we
went up one mile, and there was only a
slight change in the temperature. The
prevailing idea Of an atrship is wrong.
The airship OF popular fancy is but a toy
compared to ours, which is ten times larger
than the largest of Santos Dumont. Ours
is bigger than the LIE Baudy ship which has
just been ordered by the French govern
ment.
I'm summer IN the arctic regions the tenn
perature is not much above freezing. The
region is most favorable for aeronauts, all
things considered There IS no day and
night there, as here in Europe, where the
sun and the warmth contract the gases.
another innovation is that l will be in
touch with the rest of the world by wire
| less. 1 will return to Europe in a short time
and continue my experiments