The Washington times., 1910-10-15

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Although the prOpellors had not been
put in motion the light breeze appeared
20 afford Storage way. and the nose Of
the airship was pointed out 10 sea with
apparent ease.
A gray kitten which had become IA
vorite around the hangar, viii be the
mascot of the trip. II was placed aboard
by Mrs. Vaniman, wife Of the chief en-
gineer. who followed her husband up to
the car Of the balloon.
II was in the spring Of 1906 that Well
man built the Immense dirigible balloon
in which he hoped to reach the Pole.
starting from SpitzbePgen. The dirigi-
bile was put tOEether-in Paris and then
taken 10 Danes island. SpitZbergen. A
year later. September ?. 1897, the bal
loon. which had been named the Amer
lea, started for the Pole, but the> jour
ney had a quick ending, for the huge
gas bag was driven back on a glacier
by q severe storm.
The car and equipment was saved.
On that occasion the America had been
towed by a steamship through Smeeren-
burg sound for an hour. Then the sig
nal was given and the airship headed
north under its own power. short
storm. The steering gear failed to work
and the craft was driven in south
easterly direction toward Coul bay.
where it disappeared from sight A res
cue party from the steamship found
the balloon in ruins, but the occupants
were unhurt.
The America was rebuilt, and near
the end Of 1909 word came from Cats
Wellman. SpitZbergen, that the owner
was ready TO start again. The start
vas made at 10 o'clock on the morning
Of August 10 The weather seemed per
feet, but after covering thirty-three
miles the leather guide rope. TO which
was attached LOCO pounds Of provisions,
broke away BY skiIIful maneuvering
Weliman succeeded in landing without
injuring any member Of the crew.
though the America was badly dam
aged.
Abandoned Polar TIP.
Wellman announced his intention Of
trying again. but a short time later IL
was announced that Cook and Pearv
had the Pole. and Wellman gave IN
that attempt and began his prepara-
tons for crossing the Atlantic in z diri-
gible balloon.
Wellman first came into international
prominence when he located Waiting
Island, in the Bahamas. as the spot
where Columbus first landed in Amer
lea. He marked the spot with a monu-
ment. party under his direction
penetrated Franz Josef Land in 1905 and
ut SH.ol,e number Of islands.
Wellman Is attempting the FIGHT IN
europe under the auspices Of the New
YORK Times, the Chicago Record Her
ara, ana the London Daily Telegraph
wen WeIlIn an obtained financial backing
from friends, but agrees To sell Ms
story TO the papers mentioned for a fab
ulous sum.
The airship in which he began the at
tempted European fight today is The
same America in which he tried the
polar flight, though entirely rebuilt and
Iemodeled.
weIlman's chief assistant on todav's
night Is Walter Naniman. his chief as
slStant on the two polar expeditions He
Is second in command and in charge of
the motors
Wireless on Board.
Wellman carries jack Irwin. a Mar
conf wireless operator, and a wireless
set capable Of sending messages over a
distance Of fifty miles. He hopes 20
keep in touch with passing ships, who
can relay his messages to America and
Europe.
F. Murray Simon. chief navigating Of
ficeT OF the steamer Oceanic is Well
mans navigating officer George Riff /
Hard, the chief mcChauiCian, IS a PaIi-
sian, who came to America to jOin Well
man in his daring fight.
the America is second in size only 20
the monster Zeppelin It's length is IS
feet, its greatest diameter is - feet, and
Its volume is $4,000 cubic feet Of gas. (
Unlike the Zeppelin, the America is Of
The nOn-Tigld type Of dirigibleS. It has
= lifting a
twelve tons The steel car hanging from l
the gas bag is l5j feet long and weighs
400 pounds The balloon part, consist !
ing Of three thickuesses Of cotton and
silk and three layers Of rubber, weighs
$500 pounds
The motors and machinery, a crew,
aeronautic and navigating Instruments, !
life boat, wireless apparatus tools re-
pair materials, food and water. and
other small items. weigh another 5000
pounds, leaving 1000 pounds, or tons
left for carrying gasoline.
Has Three Engines.
The airship is equipped with three
engines, one OF which develops eighty
horsepower, which gives the ship a
speed Of about twenty land miles an
hour It is this motor that WeIlman
viii rely upon chiefly 10 drive him
across the Atlantic.
The airship is equipped with another
2OO horsepower- motor. eight cylindered,
which il is planned to hold in reserve
for use in an emergency, when a much
greater speed is required TO make head
way against contrary winds. With
both engines working, each driving irwin
prOpelOTS, the airShip is expected 70
develop thirty statute miles an hour
A small motor, Of ten horsepower.
drives the air pump and performs other
services for which machinery IS needed.
The chief feature Of the driSible is
the device for overcoming the eNpan-
sion and contraction Of the gas from
heat and cold. The thermometer is
expected 10 vary s. or 20 degrees from
the heat Of midday 10 the cold of
night Such a difference in heat means
& contraction or expansion Of gas and
affects the lifting capacity Of the bal
loon. When the cold Is most severe,
the gas Will so contract that the bal
loon viii lose 200 pounds carrying ca
pacty The following day, when the
sun comes out brightly, the gas viii
expand.
TO overcome this great difficulty.
Weilman and Naniman manufactured
an automatic CGuilibTatOT-the same
drag rope that caused the balloon to
-ome TO grief on its polar voyage. This
immense drag rope is really a long
series Of steel cans, each loaded with
.-asoline. When the balloon sinks at
hight. this drag rope will float along
me surface OF the ocean. relieving the
slloon Of great weight. When the
IN expands in the day. the balloon
VII rise. lifting this weight from the