Omaha daily bee., 1907-06-16
Last Years Work Was Failure, but
Gave Valuable Experience.
BALLOON Is GREATLY ENLARGED

CHRGsTLANIA, June 15.-(speciaI. Tho
greatest interest is being taken through
out Norway in the airship experiments Of
Walter Wellman, the American who is
contemplating an airship dash to the north
pole a la Jules Verne. According to the
present plans of Mr.. wellman during the
FIRST week of July there will be trials Of
the sirship until II 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 TO-
but IL necessary Mr.. Wellman is prepared
to start as late as August %. The MEM
bers Of the expedition are: Mr. Walter
Wellman. Major Hearsey (executtve officer
and scientific Observer who has been
sent over by the United States govern
ment: Chief Engineer vannerman Dr.
Fowler Csurgeon) and NJ CASTOR Hervieu,
the asronautical engineer and the only
Frenchman on the stan About thirty men
constitute the total expeditionary force
though, OF course, some of these are sail
ors and mechanics and have nothing to do
with the expedition besides aiding 'n hand
ling the balloon. car, gear, ETC., at Tromso
and at spitzbergen
Explorer Discusses Project.
Discussing his plans, the American ex-
plorer said:
There was no question OF last years
expedition having been failure. An en-
ormous amount OF work had to be donA
at SpitEbergen--work which was found to
be too much for one short Arctic summer.
This year on arriving at Spitzbergen
there is ftle work TO be done in the matter
OF the erecting of buildings. We have con-
structed 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. One OF
the most important changes we have ef-
fected has been the enlargement OF the bal
p loon OF the airship. This has been made
eighteen feet longer and It's lifting power
Increased py aOOo pounds giving a total
lifting force OF 1880 pounds The balloon
is 1884 feet long and hfty-two feet IN it's
greatest diameter, It's cubic volume being
2e5,oco feet. with the single exception Of
Count Zeppeln's airship this is the larg-
est ever built.
The next important change In our last
years equipment iB that we have built
an entirely new car and mechanical
equipment all OF that used having been
discarded. The new car consists OF
frame work OF steel tubing 115 feet long,
ten feet high and eight feet broad. This
IL SubptHueu Clobo nu4eE Lno DanOOn 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 a steel tank eighteer7 inches in
diameter and 1i5 feet In length with .
capacity for holding 100 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 1000
pounds, do double duty. for It is not only
a safe reservoir for our petrol, but at the
same time gives rigidity to the structure
OF the ship. This tank is divided into four
teen compartments to prevent the danger
Of explosion. and the petrol can be pumped
from any section OF this tank so as to trim
the ship
ship Constructed for Stability.
The car is enclosed with tightly stretched
silk. the two sides forming 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
rudder OF Some 300 square feet in the form
OF a bicycle wheel which despite its great
size only weighs thirty pounds little
forward OF the center is placed a very
heavy motor. built for endurance and
safety. OF seventy horsepower and having a
weight of 900 pounds, which is warranted
to run constantly and steadily for as many
hours as we wish. In this new airship
the propeIiers. which are OF 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 Is diameter, ard capable
OF $50 revolutions per minute.
"The living quarters OF the airship are IN
triangiar bunk-like spaces within the en-
closed car. These are capable OF accom-
Snodating ten or twelve men. twelve dogs,
eegether with our provisions and equipment
Btspended from the roof OF the airship and
running on light rails Is a tank contain
ing 600 pounds OF provisions which by
means Of windless IN the navigating foom
can be run the entire length OF the car.
so as to supply our food wherever neces-
sary, and also TO balance the ship The
| total weight OF the steel car and tank is
T 800 pounds The motors. screws and
machinery weigh 1880 pounds We carry
IN our tank 6SOo pounds Of petrol capable
OF running the motor for $50 hours At a
normal speed OF fourteen knots per hour,
giving radius of action from the liquip
duel OF 21oo knots,
Maintains the Equilibrium.
The weight OF the cargo we carry dim
inishes on an average 600 rounds per day
by the consumption OF petrol for tho motor
while the loss OF lifting power bv leakage
Of gas through the skin OF the balloon win
probably not exceed 40 pounds per day.
The net result OF this Is that we have on
an average day $50 pounds 10 $40 pounds OF
lifting force no longer required. and repre-
Bentins just so much gas 10 be disposed OF
and 70 maintain the equilibrium OF the
, shin. Ordinarily the surplus gas would be
{ allowed 70 escape through the valves. but
uasmuch as hydrogen has a very high
;aloridc power we have thought Il a plty
10 waste good fuel. and by actual expsri-
ments we have found that We can burn the
surplus hydrogen IN our motor. with the
result that we have further thirty hours
Of motoring from waste gas, giving a total
sf iSo hours at fourteen knots per hour.
THAT Il 90 say we have a total radius OF
action OF A6oo miles or double the distance
from our base 70 the pole ana bach agatn