The Detroit times., 1910-10-15
WELLMAN FLASHES NEWS
AS BALLOON SAILS FOR EUROPE
(Conttnued from page ID

two Polar attempts. vaniman Ii Sec
ond in command and in charge OF the
motors. Wellman carries a Marconi
wireless operator. Jack" Erwin. and
a wireless set capable Of messages
over a distance of fifty miles. He
hopes to keep In touch with passing
ships who can relay his messages TO
America and Europe. +. Murray 81
mon, chief navigating officer OF the
steamer Oceanic, is Wellman's navi-
eating officer. Chevalier j. Jacob. an
expert motor mechanic and George
Rifflard, the chief mechanician, are
both Parisians who came to America
to join Wellman in his daring flight.
The America Is second only In size
to the monster Zeppelin. Its length
22S feet, it's greatest diameter is 81
feet, and it's volume Is $4,000 cubic
feet of gas Unlike the Zeppelin,
the America is of the non-rigid type
OF dirigibles. II has total lifting
capacity OF $4,000 pounds--twelve
tons. The steel car hanging from the
gasbag Ii l56 feet long and weighs
$500 pounds. The balloon part. con-
sisting of three thicknesses Of cotton
and silk and three layers OF rubber,
weighs $500 pounds.
The motors and other machinery.
crew of six men, aeronautic and nav
eating instruments, lifeboat, wireless
apparatus, tools, repair materials, food
and water and other small items,
weigh about 5000 pounds, leaving TO-
600 pounds, or Ave tons, left for car
ry gasoline.
The monster airship Is equipped
with three motors. One OF 1880 horse
power gives the airship speed OF
about twenty land miles an hour, and
II Is this motor that Wellman will
chiefly rely upon to drive him acros:
the Atlantic. The airship Is equipped
with another 200 horsepower motor.
eight cylindered, which II Is planned
to hold in reserve for use In an emer-
gency. A small motor Of ten horse
power drives the air pump and per-
forms other services for which ma
chinery Is needed.
Walter Wellman, newspaper man
and explorer, who Is now In his nfty'
second year; has long been In the
public eye. especially for the hasco
of his balloon trip to the North Pole
Wellman was born In Mentor, ONO,
Nov. 3, 1878. AS boy he ran a week
" newspaper in Sutton. Nebraska
and at the age Of twenty-five establish
ed the Cincinnati Post. now owned Dy
the Scripp-McRae League OF newspa-
pers. In 1884, he became washington
correspondent for the Chicago Herald
and later for the Chicago Record-Her.
aid. IL was this paper which backed
Wellman's attempt TO reach the foie
i'm a monster dirigible balloon.
II was in the spring OF 1906 that
Wellman built the immense dirigipie
balloon in which he hoped TO reach
the Pole, starting from SpitzDergen.
The dirigible was put together In
Paris, and then taken TO Danes Is
land. spitzbergen. A year later. Sept.
2. 1907. the balloon, which had been
named the America. started for the
Pole. but the journey had a quick
ending, for the huge gas bag was driN-
en- on a glacier by a severe storm.
The car and equipment were saved.
On that occasion the America han
been towed by steamship through
Smeerenberg Sound for an hour. Then
the signal was given and the air
shin headed north under It's own pow
or. Ashort~ time later IL ran into
snow and wind storm. The steering
gear failed TO work and the craft was
driven In a southeasterly direction
toward Coul Bay where II disappear
ed from sight A rescue Dsrty from
the steamship found the balloon In