The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-09-21
AVIATORS PREPARE
FOR OCEAN FLIGHT
Vanaman and Wellman Take
All Precautions In Fitting
Giant AirShip.

ATLANTIC CITY, y J., Sept Il
Engineer Melvin Vanaman, who, with
Walter A. Wellman, is supervising the
work Of preparing the airship America
for her voyage across the Atlantic
ocean, has devised a new scheme for
his ship which VIII act IN the double
capacity Of storage tanks for an extra
supply Of gasOlene and an equHibraJor
he has built thirty tank, each three
feet long which when filed with gas0-
Iene VIII weigh about ninety pounds
each.
The tanks are coucave at one end and
convex at the other In the conceived
end OF each there IS a recess, into which
VIII be fitted the clamp that viii fasten
the tanks to a cable, which viii pass
lOngitUdinaIly through its center At the
the convex end Of the tank, which viii
NJ into the conceived end OF the next
tank 10 il, is funneI-shaped opening
that viii permit Of play room for the
cable. so that all are placed in lire and
dropped into the ocean there VIII be a
fieNibility that viii prevent the cutting
Of the cable by the action Of the waves
as soon as il comes in contact with
the waves This cable viii be Of manila
rope instead Of steel, as at first planned
At the lower end Of this line OF tanks
there VIII be forty blocks or wood, each
of which has been turned with one end
conceived and the other end convex, the I
same as the steel tanks, so that they
viii fit into each other They viii be
fastened to the same cable BIZ steel
clamps and in such a way that they
viii always maintain a 1exi5iIity and
prevent cutting the cable
Unlike the tanks. the blocks vary in
size The large blocks viii be fitted
next to tho steel tanks so that when
the aiTshiD lifts the line from the
water the smaller blocks viii make
the least resistance as they drag
How Ship VIII Start
In the old airship It was necessary
70 have three men 10 start the pro-
peIIers- This was something that had
10 he overcome, for there viii not be
much chance Of anybody getting out
on the ocean and starting propeUers
in case anything happens to the air
ship To overcome this Nj Vaaaman !
has Installed a small motor of suf-
6Cient power to start the biz engine
and its machinery
For the operation Of the propeuers
all that has to be done is to start the
small motor, throw in clutch and
the prOpGllers are started Then the /
engineer can fire his big engine /
When this is done the starting gear
operated by the smaller engine is
thrown out automatically. thus avoid
Ing any strain on either piece Of ma
and getting the start with
out the shock that must Of necessity /
occur under any other circumstances /
The ship viii be lighted by cleo |
trciity supplied by a special dynamo |
that viii charge the accumulation l
There viii be eight lamps Of twelve
cardIepoweT each Of the magda va
riety, in addition to the light beneath |
Mr.. Vanaman has just had placed in !
the car Of the aiTShip new steel brac-
ING stays washed III copper tnat have /
been tested to a strength of 100000 /
pounds to the square inch The car Is /
a network Of steel tubing and steel 1
wires. There are IN all forty steel /
tube braces. and at the end Of each !
there are two steel wires that run at /
angles TO the body Of the car itself. OF Il
the big tank beneath the deck These /
wires nave a IIJlEE capacity OF nearly 4
200 tons while actual weight they
viii nave TO carry will be only about Il
eight and One-Edlf tons.
Nc Chances Taken
Tanaman his not therefore. taken
any chances OF risk because Of a weak
ness in auy part Of his apparatus. The /
hull Of the car IS hollow steel, and in ut /
VIII be stored gaSOIene for fuel PURPOSES
TINS EaS . Car2cTTE OF lr-fD gallon 3.
and that. combined with the extra SUD
PLY which viii he stored in the tanks of /
the eQutlihratOT. viii be more than SUI Il
fcieut to last for she entire trip. even i
f a week and a half should be consumed |
in the journey
The aViGtCrs are nos going to take any i
chances Of getting wrecked II midocean /
with nothing more stable than a balloon Il
to depend upOu- so they viii carry life
TOat. specially constructed for them It Il
contains two wateT-tiCht compartments,
one in either side Of the cockpit.
Ono VIII he used for 81 cTine provisions /
and sleeping quarters IN event OF the
aviatcrs being obliged 10 resort 10 its i
use And The other Wiu contain the 1
storage batteries for electric lights and /
the EIarcOni wireless installation nEhen
these compartments are closed the boat
viii ne practically unsuitable
The cockpit is SIX feet By six feet and i
three feet three inches deep It Is st
ed with q Self-hailinC aunaraIuS and
there IS a sliding hood, which may be
pulled over Il TO keep out storms and /
long. and has = beam OF six feet Il y
each isVar laid Al different angles
Each LAYER has q lining OF specially
prepared canvas ZipeJI and sewed TO
theh wool 5y q special process with
cooper wire, and is. therefore, almost IN
Ireakable-
BILBAO STRIKE SETTLED.
(