Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-16
ALRSHLP LOST
MSNO WSTORM
WALTER WELLMAN SAYS HE CAN
REACH POLE
EXPLORER TELLS OF THRILLING
ATTEMPT
Asserts Balloon Made Good Headway
Against Strong WInds-Appar-
atus in Good Working
Order
BY Associated Press.

| BY A6sOciated Press.
| BERLIN, Sept. 15-Walter Wellman
head of the Wellman air-ship expedition
has sent the following telegram to the
local papers from Tromsoe:,
After the steamer cast off the cable
the balloon America did excellently, but
an increasing wind soon gave us hare
struggle and the strong wind drove US
toward jagged mountains near the coast
where the airship would have been de.
stroyed If she struck. Then ensued some
hard fighting between the storm and the
motor. The latter triumphed.
Our confidence in the America had sc
increased in the meanwhile that 1 gave
the order to start for the North pole
The wind increased to twelve miles ar
hour and the snow fell so thickly thai
we could not see a quarter of a mile
Just then the compass failed to work
owing to defective construction.
I'VE were lost in a snowstorm above
the polar sea and threatened with de-
struction. After brief deliberation we
decided to try to get back to the steam
er to rectify our compass and start
again. 1t was impossible, however, to
keep in one direction and we were again
carried into the dangerous proximity OF
the mountains. Vainman, the engineer
then put the motor to top speed and the
America moved against the wind, which
probably was blowing fifteen miles an
hour. She circled three times in the
teeth of the wind. We saw the steamer
for moment, but Immediately lost her
again. We could have returned to the
ship IL we could have seen where to
steer, but under the circumstances the
only thing possible was to try to land.
Drifts Over Glacier
"With this idea we stopped the motor
and let the America drift over the gla-
cier At the end of Doul bay we used a
trailer filled with provisions and brake
rope. Both acted we'll and dragged over
the ice wall 100 feet high without damage.
After crossing the glacier we opened
the valve and land i on the upper gla-
cier half a mile inshore.
1.-THE landing was effected so success
fully that material weighing nine tons
descended 300 feet and touched the ice
with no shock or damage whatever ex-
cepting several bent tubes and broken
wires Numerous delicate instruments
were not injured. The self-registering
pirographs, photographs and manometers
continued running after the landing. The
mantle of the balloon can be easily re-
paired.
1.-THE America was in the air three
hours and covered about fifteen miles
with her own power. She made three
loops against the wind, proving her power
and capability of being steered; the
ascent was successful in every respect
THE America is from every standpoint
the strongest airship and most durable
for long journey that ever has been
built. She held the gas splendidly. Later
in the same day the steamer brought
men and sledges from camp. The en-
tire airship, including even part of the
gasoline, was returned to camp in three
days.
1.-The balloon and the entire outfit has
been made ready for the winter.
After this successful attempt we all
are convinced that we can make our
way to the pole in normal summer
weather. We all regard this plan as ra-
tionaI, practicable and feasible. The
thing can be done, and what can be done
shall be DONE
TROMSOE, Norway, Sept. 1o.-Maj H.
D. Hersey of the United States weather
bureau, who was a member of the Well
man Arctic expedition, arrived here tody
from Spitzbergen on the fishing boat
Gotfried.
Walter Wellman sailed for Germany to-
day where he will go to France and be-
gin preparations for another attempt to
reach the pole in 1908.