The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-22

ship made continuance of the voyage
impossible and we opened the valve to
get the ship lower.
"Wellman took the wheel and steered
toward Vogelsang. The ship was bat
ting against a strong wind The pro-
pellers, working powerfully, enabled us
at times to gain a little but at other
times we lost ground. We descended
slowly and in the lower altitude found
the wind less violent. Finally we struck
an altitude where the wind was light
and we were able to make eight miles
an hour. Then the motor stopped, prob
ably on account of the loss of equili-
brium.
1.-THE shape of the balloon as 1t was
when we started was now lost, through
the letting out of so much gas at high
altitude, and the engineer set about re-
initiating 1t to restore its usual form.
"Wellman called - Vaniman to get out
the retarder and to replace the guide
rope in case We should get near the sur
face of the water. Vaniman found great
difficulty in raising the tackle in this
finally let down.
Two Ships Sighted.
with the motor stopped we drifted
northward over the ice fields in complete
silence. Wellman caught sight of two
ships far to the south, which proved to be
the Fran and the Arctic carrying Nor
wegian expe edition.
"A little later the engineer succeeded
in starting the motor and our course was
set southwest, Wellman having declared
he would return to his camp. The re-
tarder was floating on sea or sliding over
the ice fields. Occasionally loops In the
improvised guide ropes would catch in the
ice and 1t was necessary to swing the
ship around in order to release 1t
Near the edge of the floating ice the
line was caught and held fast by an Ice
foe The steamer Fran had seen us and
came near and Wellman shouted to the
crew to send off a boat to release the
line, not wishing to cut 1t because 1t
would be useful in making a landing
The Fran sent off a boat and released the
line. Meanwhile Wellman and Vaniman
consulted and decided to have the Fran
tow the America back tc he camp.
1.-THE Fran took the airship in tow and
proceeded for two hours, towing us slow
ly The wind became stronger and the
airshfp jerked and careened from side to
side and Vaniman suggested that the
Fran send a boat to the sail from the
rear and retarder rope. This was done
and the ship rode easier for half an hour.
At the end of that time the tow rope
began strainng the steel car in violent
manner, and Wellman decided to come
down to the surface of the water in or
der to permit the taking off of the instru-
ments. the crew and the dogs.
This was successfully carried out and
al lwere taken aboard the Fran.
'Then the winds freshened considerably
and the cable rope parted. The America
floated away rapidly, the Fran followed,
finally recovering her.
Strange to say the America was little
damaged, and all her parts will be used
in another airship and the motor and
all other machinery were little damaged
Mr.. Wellman will return to Norway
next week. He says that the airshp was
not seriously damaged, and can be re-
paired. but any further attempt this year
is impossible. He is enlarging his bal
loon house to accommodate a longe rand
more powerful ship and will try again
next wear"