The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1910-07-14
CROSS THE OCEAN
IN AN AIRSH|P
Attempt Is to Be Made By Wal
ter Wellman Next Month.
WILL USE BALLOON BUILT FOR POLAR TRIP
Transatlantic Voyage In A Big
Dirigible To BE Attempted-Pre-
Hminary Trials Will Take Place
AT Atlantic City--The Airship
VIII Garry Six Men And Sixteen
Hundred Gallons OF Gasoline In
A Steel Tank--The Course viii
Follow Steamers Track.

New York Especially. - Walter
Wellman and Melvin Vaniman will
attempt. this coming fall to cross
the Atlantic Ocean in the diriglble
balloon America, which was built
Tor the Wellman polar expedition
and has twice been tested in voy-
ages over the Arctic Ocean, north of
Spitzbergen. The attempt will be
made solely on the responsibility
OF the aeronauts, but the New York
Times. the Chicago Record-Herald
ana London Daily Telegraph have ar
ranged TO buy the news of the expe-
dition, which will be transmitted by
wireless from the airship, even as
news now is from ocean liners.
The America will be housed at At
lantic City during its preliminary
trial. A shed to shelter her has al
ready been contracted for and hy-
drogen gas appartus to initiate her
gas bags has been shipped from
Paris. This shelter or hanger, as
1t is technically known, will be $50
feet long, so feet wide and 80 feet
high.
On her long voyage the America
VIII carry a crew of six men, in
cluding the wireless operator, and
1000 gallons of gasoline in a steel
tank. Equipped for a days run she
could carry 10 passengers, in addi-
tion to her full crew. In size she
ranks second only to the latest Yep
pelin airship.
Two engines will drive her-one
of 7O-S0-horsepower for ordinary
duty, and one of 300-horsepower for
emergency service, when high speed
is needed. A little 10-horsepower
motor takes the place of donkey
engine aboard ship for small neces-
sary offices.
The quantity of fuel carried gives
the airship greater radius of action
than the distance from New York
to Europe and a study of prevailing
winds during the season at which it
is proposed to make the passage
shows that they lie parallel to the
east-bound course laid down by At
lantic liners. Even II the net effect
of the winds should prove unfavor-
able, 1t Is estimated by the aeronauts
that the fuel would hold out for the
full distance.
Wellman and Vaniman are by no
means sure that their attempt will
be successful but they think that the
chances are good enough to warrant
at least trial. They plan to start
late in August or early in September
from base near New York not yet
selected
Mr.. Wellman was a newspaper
man before he became an explorer.
His exploring activities first came
into notice when he located the land
ing place of Columbus on Waiting
(San Salvador) Island, Bahamas.
He marked the spot with a monu-
ment.
In 1894 Mr.. Wellman led an ex-
pendition as far north as 81 de-
grees, northeast of Spitzbergen. His
party in 1899 penetrated Franz Jo-
sef Land and discovered a number of
new islands.
His airship attempts began in
1906. under the auspices of the Rec
ord Herald. On August 16, 1909,
Wellman left Spitzbergen for the
North Pole in his dirigible balloon
America" On August 21, the same
year, his second attempt to reach the
pole failed by the bursting of his
balloon.