New-York tribune., 1909-05-05
FOR AIRSHIP POLE TRIP.
ITFTLN4N TO HEAD THIRD
EXPEDITION.
Homes to Start IN Balloon from
Smfebergcn 5cith T7co Com
paniOHs an 4ugHSt

Washington. May 4.-NalteT Nelnan an
,o,nced to-day that he Will this summer renew
hts effort to reach the North Pole by means of
,7iripfhle balloon or airship. All the prepara-
t,ons have been maze. and Mr. Wellman VIII
ssH next week Cor Paris and Norway. This eN-
,odjtion viii be under Mr.. Wellman's individual
,esaersl7fp and responsibility. The capital has
been srIpplied by Americans who are interested
,r the enterprise solely scientific and patri-
otic grounds. No change has been made in the
general plan Of the expedition. which is to as
o,,re and initiate the airship at the headQuar-
tors station Danes Island. Spitzhergen, in June
and Jllv and to start thence nOrthward through
the air in August. provided the weather condi-
lions make a start practicable, with reasonable
chance for success The airship to be used -
the America. which had trial in a voyage OF
about twenty miles at Spitzbergen year ago
last September
The owners Of The Chicago. Record-Herald'
bava turned over 10 Mr.. Wellman. free of
charge The airship. plant buildings and ma
cbirerv Of Mr. Wellmans former enterprise
The America. which is the second largest air
shin Vet built about three-fifths the size OF
-or-rr ZeppeIin's largest craft and twice as
large as the largest French ships, and with a
lifting caTacity Of nearly ten tons has been re
constructed and improved by the chief engl-
reer Vaniman, in the expedition workshops al
Paris.
Z -1e America is able To start next August
an her voyage OF seven hundred miles through
tho air 10 the pole she will carry crew of
tbree men. six thousand pounds Of gasolene for
,f- engines food for a year sedges, sledge
dogs -rehoat and all the requisites Of a siedg-
frr rarrl should II be necessary To resort l"
that method Of travel. One member Of the
crev viii bee Vaniman VINO * an American, and
was in charge of the ships engines on her trial
VOYAGE in 1907 The third member has not yet
been selected.
TO TSE POWERFUL MOTOR SHIP.
The first section Of the expedition is sched-
,Jed TO leave Christiansand. South Norway. on
Nav 2l in the motor ship Arctic, launched this
spIirz She is q three-masted schooner. Of 4'To
tons built for ice navigation, with great sailing
rover ard with a petroleum motor which gives
her a speed Of seven knots without sails. LeaV-
ing Troms0 North Norway. at the end Of May
she viii carry TO the headquarters at Danes
Island in addition 10 her crew of twelve men,
twentv foremen and mechanics, one hundred
tons Of sulphuric acid and seventy-fve tons Of
iron turnings for making hydrogen' q new gas
appsrat1s. timber and iron for repairing the
arship hall supplies. etc
Upon arriving at the base cargo will be dis
charged and the party will at once set to work
clearing away thousands OF tons of snow which
cover the airsnip hall. machine shop, gas ap-
paratus. steam pump house and all the prem
ises While this work is in progress the Arctic
win RETURN 10 Trors0 for her second cargo.
consisting of the airship and machinery and
supplies Before the end Of June the entire
partv should be assembled at the base ready
for the short but arduous campaign OF wv"
months.
The difficulty Of getting a fair start with an
eirship designed to 90 to the pole is. Of course
very great" said Mr.. Weman to-day "on
account Of fee conditions it IS impractcable TO
reach the base and start effective work before
the carly DAYS Of June. The season is at an end
in the last days OF August Actually the period
Of effective work is confined to about ten
weeks Il delay or accident happens from any
cause it. may be necessary to postpone the vOy-
age till another year. Much depends upon the
winds The acre and half Of canvas which
forms the roof and walls Of the airshi9 hall
Cannot ne put in place save in days Of light
winds Then about ten days needed for
making the hydrogen which initiates the bal
loon. Ten days more are required for a dozen
mechanics e. finish the vast rdmbe- Of details
about the motors. machinery and rigging; and
wer all is in order favorable weather must be
awaited
CONDITION OF CAMP UNKNOWN.
Tn our first year. 1906. We had fine weather.
but could not establish the base and initiate and
perfect the airship in short season. The
second year. 1907 we were ready. but continuous
high winds robbed US OF all chance for fair
start. We have not as yet any information con
cerning the condition Of our camp. The balloon
house may have been damaged or destroyed by
the winters storms.
We have no settled conviction" Mr.. Weman
went on. As to whether success is or is not
awaiting US in case we are able TO make a starr
this year If this easy thing to do II
would have been done long ago. Moreover. il
II were easy it would have little Of the fascina-
ton which il ROW possesses. We have from the
first fully realized the magnitude OF the tasN
and have known that there were more chances
for failure than for success in any given year
which is true OF all polar efforts. by any plan
We have had and still have, faith that oU-
method is practicable ard more promising Of re-
suits than any other.
5ome day or other said Mr Wellman, we
believe the pole can and is to be reached bH
s1Ehip Whether not such can be attained al
any given time in any particular voyage. is an
ether question and in the answer to il circun-
stances. accident. weather and luck play an m
portaut part ID is our intention TO persist unit!
we get The right combination of circumstance
and conditions
DIAMOND MERCHANT DIES IN STREET