The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1909-08-25
DISPATCH SAYS EXPLORER HAS
LEFT sPITzBERGEN IN DIRl.
CHILE FOR POLE.
THIRD ATTEMPT HE HAS MADE
Favorable Wind When Second start
Is Made.-After Four Years Of
Preparing the "America' lis Said
to Be in Flight.


according to dispatch received here.
The dispatch comes from the cap.
tain of the Italian steamer Thalia and
is dated Trieste. 1t declares that
We]lman sailed from Spitzbergen in
the dirigible balloon America on Aug.
16, in favorable wind, finally bound
for the north pole. The Thalia is now
at Hammerfest, one of Mr., Wellman's
points of communication.
For the past four years Walter
Wellman, of Chicago, has been prepar.
ing Tor an undertaking to reach the
north pole by airship. He was at
Spitzbergen in 1906 with balloon, but
postponed his departure on account of
the lateness of the season. In 1907, a
start was made in the airship, Ameri.
ca, but the vessel encountered a storm
and was driven back and the attempt
for that year was abandoned.
Mr.. Wellman left New York 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 three days ago. He
estimates that under favorable condi.
lions the pole can be reached from
Spitzbergen in from two to five days.
The first announcement that Mr..
Wellman would attempt to reach the
north pole in an airship was made on
Dec. 81, 1905. Victor Lawson, the
principal owner of the Chicago-R Record
Herald and a life member of the Ma.
tional Geographic society, supplies the
money. The expedition has been in.
corpOrated under the laws of Maine,
with Mr.. Lawson, president; Frank B.
Noyes, editor Of the Chicago-Record
Herald, treasurer and Mr.. Wellman,
general manager. The plans of the
airship were determined after much
elaboration with leading experts in
aeronautics of France.
Among Mr.. Wellman's advisers
were Alberto Santos-Dumont; the en-.
gineer, Henri Juliet, who built the
Lebaudy dirigible and who has just
been accorded the grand cross of the
Legion of Honor; Commandant Rem.
ard, of the army, representative of the
distinguished family whose names are
famous in the history of aerial navi
cation; COmmandant Bouttiaux, chief
of army aerostatic station at Meudon;
Captain Voyer, assistant chief and a
man of great experience in aeronau
tics, and with dirigibles; M. Goupil,
we'll known mathematician, the great
est authority in France on aerial
screws, engineer and chevalier Of the
Legion of Honor; Captain Ferber, an
expert, not only in aeronautics, but
in aviation; M. Edouard Surcouf, a
well-known constructor and engineer;
M. Louis GODDARD, the aeronaut and
ships of the air.
An interesting feature of the expe
dition is the plan to maintain wireless
communication between the Arctic re-
gions and the outer world. Wireless
station No. l is at Hammerfest, Nor
way, in touch with the Atlantic cable.
Station No. 2, is the expedition head
quarters at Spitzbergen, and it is
expected that constant communication
between these points, 600 miles apart,
can be maintained. Station No. 3, is
on the airship, and it is believed that
messages can be sent from the neigh
borhood of the pole itself to the head
quarters at Spitzbergen, and thence to
Hammerfest, in case the expedition
should be fortunate enough to reach
the vicinity of the pole.
The period of the whole trip by diri-
gible is assumed at ten days, or 240
hours. Mr. Wellman believes the air
ship can be kept in the air as long as
twenty, possibly twenty-five days, be-
cause the loss of ascensional force
should not be more than 200 pounds
a day through leakage of gas, or say
5000 pounds in twenty-five days, while
in that time he expects to burn $500
pounds of gasoline in the motors, thus
tightening the load by this much, not
counting the provisions consumed, etc.
He carries gasoline enough for about
40 hours of motoring at approximate
ly twelve miles per hour. Hence each
assumed period of ten days is divid-
ed into 40 hours motoring and 100
hours drifting with the retardateur.
Has Brother at Madison.
Madison, Wis, Aug. 20.-Mrs. Arth.
ur Wellman, who lives in Madison
and whose husband has been with his
brother, Walter Wellman, making
preparations for the fight to the North
Pole, received letter from her hus-
band in which he stated that Walter
would start three or four days from
the date of the writing. He said
Walter would take simply an engineer
and one other man with him.
Wrights Sue For Infringement.
New York, Aug. 20.-Wilbur and
Orville Wright, the avaitors, have
brought suit in the United States cir
cult court here against the Aeronau-
tic society of this city, charging that
the Herring-Curtiss aeroplane, which
the society recently purchased ard
which has had several tryouts at Min
cola, l.. l., is violation of THAR pat
ents.