Omaha daily bee., 1910-10-19
WELLMAN LEAVES
BALLOON FOR SHIP
Crew of America Drop Lifeboat and
Board Steamer Trent After
Drifting Far South.
OFF NORTH CAROLINA COAST
Records for Time and Distance Are
Both Broken.
CALLED FOR HELP BY WIRELESS
Messages Stated They Wanted to
Abandon the Airship.
ALLIED FOR HELP BY WIRELESS
AERIAL VEHICLE FLOATS AWAY
Men Are saved Only by Fortunate
Meeting with Rescuers and Are
Taken on Board without
Difficulty.

NEW YORK, oct lS.-The attempt OF
the Welman airship, America, to cross the
Atlantic ocean came to a thrilling and dis
astrous close today when the British mail
steamer Trent picked up Wellman and his
crew from the airship, 375 miles off the
North Carolina coast.
The range Of wireless had swept the en-
tire north Atlantic. bringing no word from
the airship for two days. The last came
at 12:45 Sunday off Nantucket. 1t was
forty-four hours after this that the rescue
was accomplished.
The America has undoubtedly broken all
previous records, both as to time in the
air and distance covered. The previous
time record, that Of Count Zeppelin was
thirty-seven hours. The Americas time up
to o'clock this morning would be three
full days or seventy-two hours. The
previous distance record was that Of Count
Zeppelin, $40 miles. The Americas dis
tance covered is somewhat conjectural but
1t appears to be about equal or greater
than tho Zeppelin record.
AirshiD Is sighted.
ON BOARD STEAMSHIP TRENT. at
sea CVia United Wireless to the Associated
Press)-At 4;3O a. IN. today the steamer
Trent sighted the airship America and
wireless communication was established
Irwin, the operator on the airship in
formed Ginsburg. the operator on the
Trent, that the airship, Americas, crew
wished to abandon the balloon. Wireless
communication was kept up from this time
on between the airship and the steamer
Daylight was rapidly approaching and
the Trent was requested to follow the
America which was then drifting at the
rate of twelve miles an hour
After a council the airship Il was de-
cided the best means of rescue was to
launch the lifeboat. But this was such
hazardous undertaking that much time
elapsed before the maneuveripg was exc
cuted, as the tail of the airshtp. consisting
OF tanks OF gasoline and wooden blocks,
threatened to capsize the lifeboat as IL
was dropped from the balloon into the
water. The danger was at t overcome
and the operation was carried out with
success In the operation the trailers
struck wireless operator, Jack Irwin and
Louis Loud, the engineer and also
knocked a small hole in the side of the
lifeboat
America Floats Away.
The airship Immediately on being re-
leased from its weight of crew and boat
shot skyward as the boat shot downward.
A moderate sea was running at the time
and after some slight difficulty the crew
were taken on board together with the
lifeboat at 1880 a m.
All the members of the crew are well
after a thrilling experience.
Wireless telegraphy has distinguished
itself by showing the great assistance in |
accomplishing the work Of rescue.
The Morse lamp signalling also took /
great part in the communication between
Jack Irwin and the officers of the Steamer
Trent which gave the signals leading to
the rescue.
The crew was picked up in latitude !
,-.43 north, longitude 62.lS west, where the
America was abandoned.
Welman said that the airship had been
blown far out of its course so that It
was inadWsable to proceed.
Taft Had Been Anxious.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1S.-NeWs Of the
rescue Of the crew of the drigible balloon
America reached Washington about the
time the Navy department and the revenue
cutter service, at the instance OF President
Taft we're preparing TO dispatch vessels
to search for the Wellman party.
Army and navy officials were much sur
prised to learn that the America had gone
so far out Of its course and regarded It
as a remarkable circumstance that its
passengers hdu peeh picked up, They de-
clare the flight is wonderful. even though
Wellman did not realize his ambition to
land on European shores.
General James Allen, chief Of the signal
corps Of the United States army, expressed
grave fears for the safety OF the balloon
lists a short time before news OF the rescue
came. He said that in a recent talk with
Wellman the latter had indicated that he
placed little confidence In the collapsible
lifeboat carried by the balloon and did not
think much OF the chances OF his crew II
IL became necessary to descend at sea.