The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-23
WELLMAN NOT
DISCOURAGED
Failure to Cross North
Pole.
nlsBEHAvIoR : OF AIRsHIP
Explorer will Make Third Start
Next Year.
Great Ezcitemeat .. Board whe. the
Guide Rope Part.---wn
Return to Norway.

bergen, Aug. 15.-(via Chrfstiana, Aug
zz)-The attempt OF Walter Wellman
to cross the North Pole In an airship
which began and ended yesterday,
marked his second failure I'm this ha-
zardous Undertaking. weliman had
been waiting anxiousIy for a favor
able turn OF the winds and all day
yesterday watched for an abatement
OF the strong southwest gale
Al O'Clock in the morning he de-
cided that the hour had arrived to
make a start. The enormous ariship
was taken out OF Its shed and Well
man. Melvin vaniman and Loud and
Popooff took their places In the car.
Vaniman. who was the chief engi-
neer OF the expedition. gave orders to
the workmen to cut loose the balloon
at q quarter after 10 O'Clock. II was
lifted by gust of wind. barely clear
ed the shed and iesped Into the air.
One motor was started, Immediately.
The ship swung out over the bay with
Wellman holding her steering wheel.
The problem then was to get clear OF
the narrow bay surrounded by high
mountains. where the cross currents
of wind harrassed the craft. Wellman
first tried Ia reach the open ocean
through the east strait but q strong
pun of wind from that source brought
the American near the rocks. In avoid
ing them. the ship described a circle
In an endeavor to pass outNat the west
strait. Here 1t again met another
strong wind current.
The America was brought around In
another circle and the course then set
for steerenburg. the America passing
directly over the place with the guide
rope end just trailing.
& Begins log Hook.
MAILMAN ana Vaninaan MARE dAlfGht-
ed with the action OF the big airship.
A quarter OF an hour after the start
was made they were sailing over the
open water and steering uorthward.
Wellman went to the navigation table
and began his. log book. turning over
the steering wheel TO PopoR. The mo-
tor was running> In surprisingly easy
fashion. -
"The spectacle was marvellous" said
Popoff. In relating hts experience, .as
we. looked down pppn the sea n over
which me 'Ienx kusds sope tzAil9d fEts
E,Asss .HgsfwaTA were the GrEas snow
severed f1onntaihs and Kiacisrs and
Northward was tlia finitlesa sea. of
lee Just coming into view.
~Weiiman calmly took notes OF
forward 10 consult yaninian. They
course. distance and time Vaniman
came up from the engine room and
smiled. at Wellman. who shouted above
the roar of the motor and screws:
BY George. we are started any
way F1
what's the coursaY shouted vani-
man. +
True NORTH replied.
I'VE were all happy. believing that
we had at last overcome all obstacles
and auspiciosly started ON our long
voyage. f ~
"Rnt misfortune was close at hand.
At noon. Wellman. who was looking
over the side. cried out: to=-
my .Godi Look at that
-The guide rope was falling. 1t had
parted near the upper end.
Relieved of over a thousand pounds
Of weight. the ship rose rapidly into
the clouds. mile over the sea. At a
great height. we met q strong current
nf wind. The motor was still running
smoothly and we were travelling thir-
ty-five miles an hour northeast. Land
was disappearing TO the south.
.'Wellman left the bridge and went
agreed that the loss of the guide rope
which destroyed vertical equilibrium
Of the ship made continuance Of the
voyage impossible and we opened the
valve to get the ship lower.
weiiman took the wheel and steer
cd towards voHelsang. The ship was
battling against a strong wind. The
propellers, working powerfully. en-
abled us at times to gain q little. but
at other times we lost ground. We
descended slowly and In the lower al
titude, found the wind less violent
Finally we struck an altitude where
the wind was light and we were able
to make about eight miles an hour.
Then the motor stopped. probably on
account of loss OF equilibrium.
THE shape of the balloon as It was
when we started was now lost through
the letting out Of 80 much gas at .
high altitude and the engineers set
about reinflating II to restore its orig
inal form.
"wellman called to vAniman to get
out the retarder and to replace the
guide rope in case we should get near
found great difficulty In raising the
tackle In this unexpected manner. but
the .retarder was finally let down.
Rescued ny Steamer.
with the motor stopped We drifted
northward over the ice fields in COM
plete silence. We1lman caught sight
of two ships far to the South, which
proved to be the Fran and the Attic
carrying n Norwegian expedition.
"a little later the engineer succeed
ed In starting the motor and our
course was set southwest, Wellman
having declared he would return TO
his camp. The retsrder was floating
on the sea or sliding over Ice helds.
Occa sionally loops In the improvised
guide rope would catoh in the ice and
It was necessary to swing the ship
around In order to release IL.
Near the edge OF the floating ice
the line was caught and held fast by
an ice floe The steamer Fran had
seen us and came near and Wellman
shouted to the crew to send OF boat
to release the line, not wishing to cut
because IL would be useful in making
landing. The Fran sent of a boat
and released the line. Meanwhile Well
man and Vaniman consulted and de-
cided TO have the Fran tow the Amer
lea back to the camp.
THE Fran took the airship In tow
and proceeded for two hours. towing
us slowly. The airship careened from
side to side and Vaniman suggested
that the Fran send boat to the rail
from the rear end retarder rope. This
was done and the ship rode easier for
half an hour. At the end Of that time
the few rope began straining the steel
car in a violent manner and Wellman
decided to come down to the surface
of the water in order to permit the
taking of Of the instruments. the
crew and the dogs.
I "This was successfully carried out
and all were taken aboard the Fran.