The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-19
WELLMAN TELLS
THRILLING STORY
OF TRIP IN AIR
Ba lloon Abandoned
After Futile Effort to
Reach Land.
MEN PICKED UP
BY STEAMSHIP
Various Troubles Encountered
After Start Was Made, and
Weather Conditions Forced
Dirigible Out of Path to
Europe = Rescue Made
Off Hatteras.
Various Troubles Encountered
After Start Was Made, and

ICopyrignt, 1910, by the New York
Vines Company All rights reseryed.)
by WALTER WELLMAN.
(By United Wireless to the New York
Times)
On Board the Royal Mail S. S. Trent
at Sea, October 1S.-All my brave and
loyal crew of the dirigible balloon
America are safe on board the steam
ship Trent. havinb geen rescued from
the crippled balloon this morning, and
taken on the ship at o'clock, after
two hours Of difficult manoeuvring.
When the America passed Nantucket
on Sunday morning, as was reported at
the time. conditions seemed favora BILE
for the completion of the journey across
the Atlantic 1t was after we had gone
we'll past that point that the conditions
arose which finally led TO the abandon
ment of the balloon this morning. and
the transfer OF the men to the Trent
After passing Nantucket Island, we
went east-northeast, for an estimated
distance OF 40 miles Our motors We're
not In use, as the fresh westerly breeze
we had at Nantucket was still driving
us forward. Our only anxiety, as / said
In a message AT the time. lay in the
acting of the cquiibrafor which had
begun to jerk on the ship, as it jumped
over the waves.
We journeyed before the westerly
breeze all the afternoon.
Serious Change In Wind.
At Q o'clock on Sunday night our
approximate position was latitude AZ
degrees north and longitude ~ west.
Here came the serious change in the
wind II shifted into the northwest
and freshened TO about thirty miles an
honr. and before Ii the America drtfted
a the rate OF about twenty-five miles
q hour. II was impossible for us III
these conditions TO continue on our
nprtheasterly course, which would have
kept us in the lane OF the European
liners.
Furthermore. the ecuIlihrator was
pulling hard. AS the lower end of IL
rode the heavy seas. which had beep
kicked up by the stiff breeze. IL terked
shockingly on the lines which held 1,
to the America. Under this stress the
ship set up a rolling motion, which
added to the strain, and threa tened
tho entire destruction OF the craft IL
long continued
IT was a dreadful night for the men
aboard the ship There was much ia
be done to ease the strain. and all did
everything possible
At times some would become ex-
hausted, and one by one the men would
sleep for a time. They went to their
hammocks. expecting that they would
awake to find themselves in the ocean,
hut all they wanted was to sleep. and
they did so. AT the worst moments
they were calm and even cheerful
AS the seas grew in power and pulled
harder on the equilibrator, the America
was drawn down almost to the level
of the line of white caps. Some of the
waves even struck the life boat, in
which lay our only hope Of saving our
selves, and threatened at times to
carry it away.
Decide to Stick to Ship.
AT this point a consultation was held
to decide whether we should abandon
the ship and take to the life boat. All
hands agreed that we should stick to
the ship. and try to take her to land
If possible, on the other side OF the
ocean. We threw over gasolene to
Tighten her, and she arose above the
dangerous waves.
At 3 o'clock on Monday morning
orders were given to start the motors,
in the hope of reaching the Azores or
Europe, which was possible even yet
If the wind should hold favorable.
Then came another disastrous shift
OF the wind. 1t hauled entirely out Of
the west and came to us from the
northeast. blowing strong, 1t would
have been impossible to make the
Azores in the face of this wind, in view
of our sacrifice of a large part of our
gasolene supply.
1t was then decided that we should
try and make Bermuda The motors
were again shut off, and we drifted
southwest. at about fifteen miles an
hour Our purpose in drifting was to
save the motor gasolene for the final
effort to reach landing place.
All Monday we kept afloat,with diff
f'culty. There was grave danger, and
there was great strain on all, but
none thought of giving up. We We're
resolved to hold to the ship as long as
possible, and to give UP only when we
saw that the task was hopeless.
A freshtrouble came on Monday
A fresh trouble came on Monday
the change of temperature SO aHecteo
the lifting power of the gas IN the
great bag that we found 1t necessary
to jettison more of the gaaolene and
part of the machinery which had been
damaged in order to keep above the
! waves.
We saw that It would be inposs1-
plc u keep iiAOdL dhol'iS' ~''NNN'
such conditions, but resolved to stay
aboard the ship during the day unless
we should meet vessel, There was
doubt whether this was wise, as there
was great danger that the equilibrator
with Its constant jerking, would pull
tils apart, and we would founder.
Steamer Sighted.
It was 5:O5 o'clock this morning
when we sighted the lights of steam
Nj. = hnf hr
Trent Irwin signaled with lamr
4 by Morse code: "Stand by, we need
you" The Trent answered the sg-
aft '------T TCoD+TIIn5 ~ TShjrd Do ya