The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-10-20
EQVILlBRATOR
GETS BLAME
Wellman Tells Why Voyage
Proved Failure.
WAS NO LEAKAGE OF GAS

Dirigible Caused All the Trouble.
Returning Aeronauts Are Given
Quiet Reception at New York.
Wellmsn Uncertain as TO Second
Venture--irwin Tells Of Rescue.
New York, Oct. 20.LWalter Well
man and his five companions, who
were rescued at sea from the dirigi-
BILE balloon America by the steamer
Trent, about 375 miles east of Nor
folk, while attempting to fly from At
lantic City to Europe, reached New
York aboard the Trent. Mr.. Well
man, still wearing his khaki aviation
clothes which he had on when sail
ing from Atlantic City, showed no
i'll effects of the voyage, nor did his
companions, other than that Well
man was pale and carried one arm in
sling owing to an injury to the lit
tie finger of his right hand.
After Wellman and party had
greeted Mrs. Wellman and four
daughters, Mrs. Vaniman and Mrs.
Loud, who is the aged mother of
bert Louis Loud of the Americas
crew, the newspaper men worked
their way to Mr. Wellman's side
when the photographers had done
with him to ask the skipper of the
airship the reasons for the abandon
ment OF the dirigible and the conse-
Quent failure of the voyage.
Mr.. Wellman surprised his inter
viewers by stating that the airship
| had met with no serious engine trou.
bles, and that the escape of gas from
the bag was negligible.
At Variance With Wireless.
In the wireless statements signed
by Wellman and received here after
the rescue, and In conversations with
Captain Down and passengers on the
| Trent. Mr.. Wellman was quoted as
saying that the dirigible had met
with mishaps so serious that the bal
loon, when sighted by the Trent,
could have remained above the sea
only q few hours longer, and that
her machinery had gone awry.
"When did you first begin to notice
that the leakage of gas was serious?'
Wellman was asked. "The gas did
not escape to any appreciable ex.
tent" the aeronaut answered.
"What caused your engines 70
break down." "They didn't" replied
Wellman. "The airship when we
abandoned her was practically in as
good condition as when we started
out from Atlantic City. So far as
the America was concerned we could
have continued on the journey"
"Then why was the trip given
up?" "The equilbrator was our great
trouble" Wellman explained. Before
starting out we were OF the opinion
that no dirigible could reach Europe
without an equilibrator. Now we
know that a dlrigible can not get
there with an equilibrator. The equil.
ibrator, which being partly formed oi
small tanks OF gasoline arranged in
links and trailing as a tail down
into the ocean was the very cause OF
our being compelled to throw over
board some of our gasoline on Sun
day night and Monday The trailing
tail held the balloon back and al
times pulled II down toward the wa
ter and we had to ballast the shil
at the cost OF loss of gasoline drop
ped to the waves. Try again? Well
something better than our equilibra
| tn,. bau tA ha f,,tr
VI is, can not answer definitely
when / shall make another trial, il al
all"
Made Little Fuss.
| The quiet reception to Wellman
and crew down the bay by two tugs
filled with relatives and newspaper
men was in strong contrast to the
noisy greeting to DR.. Cook over q
year ago. There were no reception
boats other than the two tugs and
no bands, and the noise all came
from the passengers, Of the Trent
who gave three cheers for Mr.. Well
man, three for his wife and the othel
relatives of the party and three fol
the new-christened cat, Trent, wher
the gray ball Of fun was carried L
the port rail by Mr.. Vaniman.
While Mr.. Wellman was greetini
his wife and daughters from the raj
where he and his men were lined up
all in khaki, as the tugs and the rev
enue cutter tug Hudson drew up I,
the Trent, Jack Irwin, former Brit
ish soldier, but since last Saturda,
morning the wireless operator of tn,
America, began the recital OF tn,
day and night adventures Of tn,
America.
1--WE We're all as happy as six It'll,
gods" Irwin began, as he sat astrid,
nail of the ship. His bronzed fac,
took on pleasurable grin, however
as he added "but when the Tren
hove in sight and got our distress
signals believe me or not, she jus
loomed up like the Singer building.
Nobody felt any fear even whel
things were going their worst, Irwll
continued. "We quit all right, bu
we quit only because we were run
ming out Of gasoline The equilibra
tor holding us back like brake
made us throw out the gasoline. AL
day Saturday, or from the minute A.