Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-20


more became known yesterday Of, the
incidents Of the Wellman expeditions
s7O-mile flight from Atlantic City, as well
as OF the circumstances that attended
his rescue.
Wellman carried his right hand in
sling. Melvin Vaniman, chief engineer.
had his right hand bandaged, too. j. K.
Irwin, it's wireless operator, and Albert
Louis Loud, it's assistant engineer still
bore the bruises they received in taking
to the lifeboat. 80
Navigator F. Murray Simon and Eng1-
neer John Aubert alone among the six
did not have some outward sign of the
experience through which they had
passed.
But it was the mental. strain of seven
ty-one and half hours, during which
they had not dared take time for more
than two prepared meals, and during
which they mad been able to take but one
observation that showed their exact loca
ton. that had told most upon the men.
Still more had they suffered from the
strain of not knowing. during half that
time. at what moment they might be
wrecked in id-air, and, for all they
knew, in mid-ocean
America Not Damaged.
Inc AIHcilCd was pTdCtlcdily III as
good condition when we left her as
when we started in her, Mr.. Wellman
said aboard the Trent.
When We made that start we knew
we could not reach Europe without some
such equilibrator as that we carried.
Now we know that We can't GO with
such a one as we did have.
Till we find the one we must have
our plans for the future must remain
indefinite"
From other members of the crew there
came stories of other menaces, but the.
conclusion of every story was an agree
ment that as the America was built and
equipped it was not the type of airship
in which successful overseas flight
could be made.
But we were happy as little gods
throughout it ALL, declared Jack Irwin.
There wasn't one of us who was afraid
at any time, and when we did quit it
further effort,
1T was the storm that struck us Sun
day night off Nantucket that began our
troubles Its lightning cracked around
our wireless installation. and when the
wind swept us away almost at right
angles to the course, we had been hold
ing called our first council.
Every man of us had his advice to
give. The upshot of it was that we de-
cided to fight our way against this new
Had to Throw Away Fuel.
But before we could start our motor
for that it became necessary for us to
empty some of the tanks in the eauilibra-
Tor to tighten it's strain upon us. little
later we had to',empty still Others and
with that we founda kuE.s SkSE so de-
creased that we knew We Could not make
the run. sl---.&
"Thep We literally, threw ourselves on
the mercy of this wind and started for
the West Indies. l. knew the walls trav-
eled steamer tracks there. and when
lieved that we had made the. 4 choice
..Then under the clearing Weather the
gas that was holding us up expanded
To get back we, had to sacrifice the gas
above us, as we hadssacriticed the gaso-
line below us. -.
During the time when all this was
happening. and until we sighted the
Trent, We had two meals of bacon and
eggs, which L cooked, on the little gaso-
line stove in the Hfeboat where l had
my post. Three times we had fresh cof-
fee, but for the rest Of the time We had
to content ourselves With warmed-over
coffee and nothing else
when We saw the Trent, believe me.
she looked as big as the Singer build
ing"
Bigger Ship Next, Says Vaniman.
THE next time 1 try said Vanman,
stopping as he was about to hurry to
his room in. the alGorf-Astoria, where
he had an important conference, 1 will
build a bigger ship, more in proportion
to the size of my equilibrator.
,"She will be lighter and will have more
power, SO that she will be able to rise
to a height where she can take advan-
tage of the eastern winds.
Il would not think Of attempting an
other campaign to cross the Atlantic
without an equilibrator. This time it
was a case OF the tail wagging the dog
equilib rator was SO heavy. 1t consisted of
twenty-nine tanks. weighing 10 pounds
each, and forty-two wooden blocks.
1T held the ship back so that when
a heavy wind would strike us she would
be borne down until she almost touched
the water and we would have to heave
overheard our gasoline in order to rise
and to avoid collision with this tail. which |
was propelled toward us at terrific speed. |
NO; l saw the old America leave with |