Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1909-10-14
A|RSH|P TRIP
TO NORTH POLE,
Features of Walter Wellman'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 maga-
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 airsnip
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,
Spit2bergen, on Sept. .. 1907. carrying
Mr.. Wellman and two assistants, to
make a dash for the pole. \ furious
storm made progress impossible, and
AnG putty dGSNGiiGN SdlGlg OlI Il
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 50 degrees north.
Then Mr.. Wellman turned his atten-
ton TO the airship problem. NJ. Louis
GODDARD. n 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. q 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
ica, by means of its motor power, was
able to make 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 a quar-
ter, and its 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 Nav
12 of this year for Spitzbergen. where
he has been engaged in completing his
preparations for the start he is now
said to have made q 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 226,OO0 cubic
feet of gas, capable of lifting 10000
pounds and retaining its buoyancy for
thirty days. His ship and equipment
weigh 1000 pounds and his cargo ap-
proximately 5000.
Wellman's Companions.
He has with him Melvin Vaniman, q
young American. who is his right hand
man and has figured much in con-
tinental theoretical aeronautics the
past year, and 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;
complete shedding outfit, large life
boat and wireless telegraph apparatus.
The steel car is 115 feet long. feet
high, 3 feet wide and shaped like
V. Its keel is tank containing Lis
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
tons 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
ropes. The hams. bacon. butter and
bread stuffed into long leather tubes,
six inches thick. serve the purpose of
Keeping the craft within reasonable
distance of the ground.
The airship is made of several thick
nesses of fabric. two of cotton and one
of silk, which gives the greatest pos
Sible strength to the envelope in pro-
portion to lightness