Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-22
WELLMAN FAILS
TO REACH POLE
EXPLORERS BALLOON BURSTS
JUST AFTER START
Accident Probably Will Preclude Any
Further Attempt This Year to Fly
Over Much Coveted Point
in Arctic Region
IBy Associated Press.I

CAMP WELLMAN, SPITzBERGEN,
Aug. 15.-Via Hammerfest, Aug. 21.-
Walter Wellman's second attempt to
sail over the north pole in a balloon
has resulted in a failure.
The giant dirigible balloon "Amer-
ica," in which Mr.. Wellman and his
party of three set out, proceeded about
80 miles from the starting point.
Mr. Weliman and his party succeeded
in making a safe landing and returned
to this point on board the steamer
Fran, which also towed in the bal
loon, which had exploded.
After a long preparation and waiting
for favorable weather, the opportunity
for starting came today.
1t was 10 o'clock in the morning
when the great airship was brought out
of its she'd and the daring explorers
took their places in the car. When
anchors were cast loose, the airship
ascended beautifully, the engines were
set in motion and everything seemed to
work to perfection.
Then its head was sdrned to the
northward and it set out at speed
of twenty-five miles an hour.
After having covered about f1fty-tWo
miles, and when everything seemed to
be going splendidly, the leather guide
rope, to which was attached thou
sand pounds of provisions and stores,
broke away.
The accident occurred just as the
airship was nearing the pack ice of
North Spitzbergen.
Airship Shoots Upward
|. Released from this great weight, the
airship shot upwards at terrific pace
until it was a great height above the
Clouds
The pilots succeeded, however, in
bringing it down near the earth, turn
ing it about and directing their way
to fly southwark against a strong wind.
The airship proceeded slowly south
ward to the edge of the pack ice, whore
the steamer Fran was anchored. After
much difficulty a tow rope was thrown
aboard the Fran, which started i'm
mediately to tow the airship to Spitz-
bergen. The strain was so great, how
ever, that it threatened to tear the car
to pieces, and Mr.. Wellman finally de-
cided to bring the airship down to the
surface of the water. This was effect
ed without mishap and the car rested
on the surface of the water until all
the members of the crew, the dogs and
the scientific instruments could be
transferred aboard the Fran.
The America was then toWed back to
the landing stage.
But the i'll luck of the expedition was
not yet at an end. Just as the airship
had reached the landing stage a sud-
den gust of wind caught the big bag
broadside-on and snatched it away
from its towlines. 1t was carried ca
reening over rough ice hummocks for
some distance, and then it exploded.
All the scattered parts subsequently
were recovered, but the damage was
so great as to preclude any further
attempt to fly over the pole this year.
Wellman's departure from Spitzber-
gen reported in Associated Press dis
patches is in all probability the same
occurrence as was telegraphed by the
captain of the Italian steamer Thalia
from Hammerfest to Trieste. In this
message, Wellman was described as
having started for the pole, and it
was apparent the captain of the Thalia
had no news of the accident.