Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-10
WELLMAN'S PLANS DISLlAED
French Asronauts think American Makes
Mistake in Polar Trip
AlRsAlps ARE NOT SAFE FOR JOURNEY
Experienced Men Declare Balloons
Are Not DirigibIe Under All Cir
oumstances and Attempt
May Fail.

PARIS Feb. Especial. )-Paris!an news
papers have taken to discussing the sub
ject as to whether, in the existing stage
of ballooning, Walter Wellman has any
more chance of reaching the north pole
with his airship than had the Inflated
Andree with his guy-rope proposition. Mr.
Wellman has recently been giving exhibit
tions of his gas-bag idea and apparatus
In the Galerie des Machines, and as a
general thing the proposition is one which
does not commend itself to majority OF
the French experts, Mr.. Wellman. how
ever, appears to have all of The en-
thusIasm of the average Chicago man and
he appears sincerely convinced that with
the help OF his frail silk bubble and
good motor he will soon be able to scour
the polar regions; but his undertaking Is
enough to make old aeronauts and special
lists like M. Santos Dumont and Comte
Henry de la Vaulx look ashast. Both Of
these men, who are at the head OF the
ballooning profession OF France. say that
they would never think of going to the
polar regions to experiment with a bal
loon that had not been subjected to long
and careful trials Of stability and steer
ability They even go so far as to assert
that there is a total depravity about air
ships that puzzles the very elect-that two
airshIps may be built precisely alike and
as far as possible from the same mater
rial and that one OF the airships will work.
while the other airship may be found to
be absolutely useless. Under the circum-
stances they urge that Mr.. Welman can
have no assurances that his machine will
work at a critical moment.
Mr.. Wellman. ~ spite OF his enthusiasm
has been obliged to adopt their Views to
some extent and has brought his balloon
back to Paris, where IL will. OF course,
remain for the present. One OF the first
things which any expert comments upon
IS it's size. II Is much larger than any
airship ever built for NJ. Santos Dumont
and contains more cubic feet Of gas than
an ordinary balloon. Its ascenslonal
power is enormous. and II Is claimed that
II can lift at least three tons weight Mr..
Wellman has decided that inasmuch as It
will be necessary for the balloon to travel
600 miles to the north pole and then 800
miles back, tons are not too much weight
10 carry. In fact. he Is OF the opinion
that three tons is hardly enough and he
has decided 10 add TO its lifting power
nv adding ave metres to the balloon. For
this purpose It win be cut in two dia-
| metrically In the center, where the addi-
ton win be made. When these alterations
are completed 1t is hoped that the balloon
will be able to lift at least a ton more.
The object OF initiating IL before making
the alterations was 70 determine Just how
| long II would hold gas. In this connec-
ton II is interesting TO note that the long
est balloon journey up to date was that
made by Comte Henry de la Vaulx, who
remained forty-two hours suspended in the
air during one OF his Mediterranean trips.
His experience at the time demonstrated
that to remain imprisoned. penned up as
Il were, In a basket for nearly two days
and two nights was exceedingly trying on
the physical endurance OF the aeronaut
Mr.. WeIlman thinks that his balloon will
be ready by May and that he can start e
ny 10 the northward sometime during the
midsummer.