The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-24
HOW TO FLY TO THE POLE.
WALTER WELLMAN TELLS HIS
PLANS no AERONAUTS.

-
VIII Begin Voyage Mex August In Airship
With Carrying Capacity OF 10000
Pounds-Wil Take Enough Gasoline
for Return Trip TO ~spitzberEen'
Aeronauts and motorists gathered last
night at the smoker OF the New York
Motor Club In the Hotel wellington and
all showed intense interest In Walter
Wellman's recital Of his plans for reaching
the North Pole in an airship. The guest
Of the evening showed the assemblage
samples Of the gas bag which Is to be fitted
to his airship and also displayed q drawing
Of the entire airship.
The first speaker Of the evening was
A. G. Batchelder, who Ia the clubs repre-
sentative on the board Of directors Of the
American Automobile Association. He told
! of the organization Of the club and how
they had been ridiouled because some
thing was said at the time about motor
travel through the air. At present, how
ever, 1t did not seem at all improbable
that the great problem OF aerial navigation
was to be solved. The mere fact hat
Mr.. Wellman purposed trying to reach
the North Pole in an airship was sufficient
proof of the wisdom shown by the founders
VI Tic I've" Ioih hlcOOi Niuc ~
to further the science Of aerial flight.
Mr.. Wellman declared hat he was not an
aeronaut himself, but that with him the
airship was the means to an end. Per-
sonally, he does not believe that the prob
lem Of aerial flight will be solved by motor
driven gas bags or dirigible balloons, but by
mechanical fight, in which America Is lead
ing at present. Mr.. Wellman told OF the
wonderfully exact flights made by the
Lebaudy balloon in a series OF trials for the
French Government. He said that the
airship which is now being built for him in
Paris will be far larger than any heretofore
constructed. Airshfps nave been built
solely for speed in the past, and the greatest
capacity of any of them has been eight TO
ten hours flight. ,,
The airshlp, a dirigible balloon, which Mr..
Wellman hopes will take him to the North
Pole, will be built for great endurance and
carrying capacity. The fabric OF which
the gas bag will be made is built up OF SILK,
rubber and cotton, and there will be three
thicknesses of the fabric used. The bag
will have a lifting capacity of $4,000 pounds
of which $500 pounds will be the airship it
self, allowing $500 pounds for the cargo
passengers, supplies, dc.
Santos-Dumont suggested that MIR;
Wellman have his power plant made up OF
instead one motor of so horse power and
one Of 20 horsepower are to be used, each
having four cylinders. With both these
motors going a speed Of nineteen miles an
hour will be possible, though the normal
rate with only the big motor will be twelve
miles an hour.
Mr.. Wellman expects to sail from Nor
way for S~pitzbergen late next June At
~Spitzbergen quarters will be established
and further experiments made with the
airship. The gas bag will be inflated at
Spitzbergen, los tons of %sulphurio acid
being sent there for that purpose. He
hopes to start for the North Pole early In
August. Mr.. Wellman is also having two
motor-sledges made, one in this country
and one in France.
These will resemble motorcycles some
what and are designed to replace dogs for
hauling sleds over ice and snow. Supplies
for seventy-fve days will be carried on
the airship, SO as to be prepared for acci-
dents. MIR. Wellnan said ne does not
think it possible to reach the North Pole
with dogs. as they are too slow and sulk
too much.
The airship will have carrying capacity
for enough gasolene to travel much further
thar to the pole and back from Spitzber-
gen, going at the normal rate OF twelve
miles an hour. Mr.. Wellman remarked that
he had no desire to reach the north pole
without a return ticket and a chance to
use il. Before Mr.. Wellman began his re-
marks q lot of SINAI airships, sent over
here by L'Auto OF Paris, were liberated in
the room. Among the aeronautical experts
present were Charles Leve, Leo Stevens,
Israel Ludlow, Prof. House Of bridgeport
and Charles Hamilton Of areoplane fame.