Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-16
WELLMAN'S A|RSH|P
Interest by NorWegians in Dash
to North Pole. ~,
EXPLORER TELLS PLANS
Important Changes in the Equipment
Outlined.
FACTS ABOUT THE BIG BALLOON
Living Quarters and suppies-Al-
ways in Contact With the Earth.
The Guide Rope.
ACTS ABOUT THE BIG BALLOON
Special Cablegram to The Star.

Special Cablegram to The Star.
CHRISTIANIA, June 15.-The greatest
interest is being taken throughout Norway
in the airship experiments of Walter Well
man, the American, who is contemplating
an airship dash to the north POLE la
Jules Verne. According to the present
plaNs of Mr.. Wellman, during the first week
of July there will be trials of the airship
until it is demonstrated that the latter is
ready for the voyage The start for the
pole will be made on the first favorable
opportunity afterward, probably between
July 20 and August 10, but, If necessary,
Mr. Wellman is prepared to start as late
as August 20. The members of the ex-
petition are Mr.. Walter Wellman, Maj
Hearsey Executive officer and scientific OBJ
server), who has been sent over by the
United States government; Chief Engineer
Vannerman, DR.. Fowler (surgeon), and M.
CASTOR Herveu, the aeronautical engineer
and the only Frenchman on the staff
About thirty men constitute the total ex-
peditonary force, though, of course,
some of these are sailors and mechanics
and have nothing to do with the expedition
besides aiding in handling the balloon. car,
gear, etc, at Tromso and at Spitzbergen.
Discussing his plans, the American ex-
plorer SAID: There was no question OF
last years expedition having been a fail
ure. An enormous amount of work had
to be done at Spitzbergen-work which
was found to be too much Tor one snort
arctic summer.
This year on arriving at Spitzbergen
there is little work to be done in the mat
ter of the erecting of buildings. We have
constructed an entirely new airship with
which we hope to accomplish the end we
have in view, namely, an aerial journey
from Spitzbergen to the pole and back.
Some Important Changes.
lone of the most important changes we
have effected has been the enlargement
of the balloon of the airship. This has
been made eighteen feet longer and its
lifting power increased by 5000 pounds,
giving a total lifting force of 1850 pounds
The balloon is 1874 feet long and fifty-two
feet in it's greatest diameter, it's cubic vol
ume being 1000 feet With the single
execution of Count Zeppelin's airshp this is
change in last years equipment Is
that we have built an entirely new car and
mechanical equipment, all of that used
having been discarded. The new car con-
ssts of a framework of steel tubing 115
feet long, 10 feet high and feet broad.
This is suspended close under the balloon
at such distance that those standing on the
top of the car can easily reach the balloon.
The keel or backbone of the airship con-
sists of steel tank eighteen inches in
diameter and 115 feet in length. with a
capacity for holding 1,2G0 gallons of petrol.
THE top of this tank will be really the
deck of our ship. BY this disposition we
make the weight of the tank, which is
about 1850 pounds, do double duty, for 1t
is not only safe reservoir for our petrol,
but at the same time gives rightly to the
structure of the ships This tank is divided
danger of explosion, and the petrol can be
pumped from any section of this tank SO
as to trim the ship. The car is inclosed
with tghtly-stretched silk, the two sides
forming a Vertical plane and the wide roof
a horizontal plane, all constructed for giving
stability to the ship in the air. At the stern
of the vessel is a rudder of some 900 square
feet in the form Of a bicycle Wheel which
despite it's great size only weighs thirty
pounds A little forward of the center Is
placed very heavy motor, built for en-
power and having a weight of 800 pounds
which is warranted to run constantly and
steadily for as many hours as We WISH In
this new airship the propeliers. which are
O. the same type as those used in French
military airships, are placed in the center
of either side of the vessel. They consist
of two blades of steel eleven feet in
diameter and capable of $50 revolutions per
minute.
The Living Quarters.
1.-The living quarters of the airship are
in triangular bunk-lihe spaces within
the inclosed car. These are capable
of accommodating ten or twelve men
and twelve dogs together with our pro-
visions and equipment. Suspended from
the roof of the airship and running on light
rails is a tank containing GOO pounds Of
provisions, which by means of a windlass
in the navigating room can be run the en-
Re length Of the car. 80 as to supply our
food wherever necessary and also to balance
the ship. The total weight of the steel car
and tank is 900 pounds. The motors.
screws and machinery weigh 1850 pounds.
We carry in our tank $500 pounds of petrol,
capable Of running the motor for $50 hours
at a normal speed of fourteen knots per
hour. giving total radius of action from
the liquid fuel Of 2,10o knots The weight
Of the cargo we carry diminishes on an
average GO pounds per day by the con-
sumption of petrol for the motor, while the
loss of lifting power by leakage OF gas
ably not exceed $50 pounds per day. The
net result of this is that have an
average day $50 pounds to 500 pounds of
lifting force no longer required and repre-
sent just SO much gas to be disposed of
and to maintain the equilibrium of the ship.
Ordinarily the surplus gas would be al
lowed to escape through the valves, but
inasmuch as hydrogen has very high
caloriic power we have thought it pity
to waste good fuel and by actual expert
ments we have found that we can burn
result that we have a further thirty hours
of motoring from waste gas, giving a total
of $50 hours at fourteen knots Per aour-
that Is to say we have a total radius of
action of $500 miles or double the distance
from our base to the pole and back again
If we can get but two-thirds of The value
OF these nSuTeS we snail Stlli nave OO per
cent margin over our needs for our journey
from Spitzbergen to the pole and back.
1T is our intention during our voyage to
the pole to be always in contact with the
earth by means of a guide rope. We shall
never ascend more than 300 feet to 500 feet |
and our guide rope will trail over the sur
face of the earth. This guide rope Is alb
solutely essential to the safety of our navi- |
cation and is Of considerable weight In
stead of employing a steel line we have made
what l call leather serpent fifteen inches
in diameter and 40 feet long and weighing !
about ]. 400 pounds. This Is packed full Of |
reserve food, weighing 1900 pounds, and is |
suspended from the airship by means OF |
steel rope. 1t is covered with steel scales |
to protect the leather and to make the i
whole guide travel smoothly over ice sand |
snow. 1t will also float on the sea. BY |
means of the enlargement of the airship |
and food contained in the guide rope, we are |
able to carry with US a total of 5000 pounds |
of food, or enough to enable The crew of |
the airship to subsist on its own stores for !
a period of ten months without having |
recOurse IN game outside Rllnnlies