New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1909-09-08
A|RSH|P TRIP
TO NORTH POLE,
Features Of Walter WeI|man's
Latest Attempt In His DirigibIe.
PROVISIONS TAKEN FOR A YEAR

Explorer Expected to Make the Trip
In Four or Five Days if Successful.
Food For the Expedition Is Carried
In Special Guide Ropes.
For several years Walter Wellman,
a Chicago newspaper man and maya
zine writer who recently left Spitz-
bergen, Norway, in his dirigible bal.
loon bound for the north pole, has
been working to carry out his belief
that the north pole can be discovered
in an airship He has made two
expeditions by sledge and boat into
the polar regions and is well acquaint
ed with conditions there. His airship
theory grew out of his experience and
his study Of the progress of aero
nautics. After two years of prepara-
ton his dirigible balloon, the America,
first assembled from Danes island,
Spitzbergen, on Sept. 2, 1907 carrying
Mr.. Wellman and two assistants, to
make a dash for the pole. A furious
storm made progress impossible, and
the party descended safely on gla-
cier.
His First Hunt For the Pole.
The initial expedition of Mr.. Well
man in quest of the pole was made in
1894 by sledge and boat from Spitz-
bergen. He reached latitude 81 de-
grees. His second trip was made by
the same means in 1889, when he
penetrated to latitude 80 degrees north.
Then Mr. Wellman turned his atten-
ton to the airship problem. NJ. Louis
GODDARD, a French expert, was given
an order to construct the largest and
strongest dirigible balloon in existence
With the exception of the Zeppelin
craft, no airship Of the balloon type
has ever been constructed so large as
the America.
SHIPPED northward from France in
the early summer of 1906 the Amer
lea reached Spitzbergen early in July.
1t was found to have so many defects
that it was sent back to NJ Godard's
shops to be reconstructed. In the fol-
lowing summer it again reached Danes
island.
Gales and the work of perfecting the
details Of the airship delayed Mr.. Well
man until Sept. 2, when the ascent
was made. Owing to the lateness of
the season no other attempt was pos
sible in 1907. The America has since
been in storage. The initiating of it
began on July 81.
Escaped Disaster Three Times.
In September 1907, the storm bore
the airship three times toward the
mountains, but each time the Amer
lea, by means Of it's motor power, was
able to make a circle and escape i'm
pending disaster. Finally Mr.. Well
man concluded it was useless to con-
tinue so hazardous journey, and
descent was effected on a glacier half
a mile from the sea. The airship had
been in the air three hours and quar-
ter, and it's motor machinery never
stopped until the order was given to
stop it, Mr.. Wellman's companions at
that time were Melvin Vaniman of
Paris, who was chief engineer of the
America, and Felix Rosenberg of Chi
cago, who was navigator.
Mr.. Wellman left New York on May
II of this year for Spitzbergen, where
he has been engaged in completing his
preparations for the start he is now
said to have made a few days ago.
He estimates that under favorable
conditions the pole can be reached
from Spitzbergen in from two to five
days.
Mr.. Wellman estimated that his air
ship America would hold 100000 cubic
feet of gas, capable of lifting 10000
pounds and retaining it's buoyancy for
thirty days. His ship and equipment
weigh 1000 pounds and his cargo ap-
proximately 5000.
WelImans Companions.
He has with him Melvin Vaniman, a
young American, who is his right hand
man and has figured much in con
tinental theoretical aeronautics the
past year, and a third person whose
name is not known in New York.
The explorer had planned to carry
$500 pounds of gasoline, food and
other supplies, enough to last a year;
a complete shedding outfit, a large life
boat and wireless telegraph apparatus.
The steel car is lis feet long, feet
high, 3 feet wide and shaped like
Y. It's keel is tank containing 1,115
gallons of gasoline. The ninety horse
power motor drives two twin screw
propellers made of steel, eleven and
One-half feet in diameter.
The car is divided into fourteen Sec
lions of eight feet each. One holds
the navigating deck, another the motor
and machinery, and the third is where
the crew sleeps and eats. Food is
carried in specially constructed guide