The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1910-10-22
WELNAN IN BALLOON
IS CROSSING ATLANTIC
IN BALLOON AMERICA WALTER
WELLMAN AND FIVE OTHERS
START FOR EUROPE.
START FROM ATLANTIC CITY
Wireless Messages Received Report
That the Airshlp Is Making
Great Progress.

Atlantic City, N. J.-Sailing into
thick fog that hung low over the At
lantic ocean, Walter Wellman, with
crew Of five men, is believed to be on
an epoch-making voyage to Europe in
the huge cigar-shaped airship Amer
lea.
Starting from the beach the big air
craft was soon out of sight of the
cheering crowd that saw the big bal
loon go into the air Since then no
one, with the possible exception of
ships at sea, has seen the strange
craft, and the only word from her
came by means of the wireless tele-
graph,
Numerous messages have been re-
ceived, and the latest indicated that
Wellman is easily sailing toward
Europe.
The men who are making aeronau-
tic history in the first over-ocean
fight OF a nairship are Walter Well
man, commander; Melvin Vaniman,
chief engineer and next in command;
| F. Murray Simonds, navigator; ]. w,
Irwin, wireless operator; Jonn ALBERT
and Albert Louis Loud
The start of the America was one
of the most dramatic ever occurring
in this care-free resort of frequent
sensations.
Roundly criticised by people who
did not believe he would ever under
take what was thought to be a fool
hardy venture, Wellman startled the
whole island by bringing the America
out of the hanger and, without any
ceremony, going into the air.
There are six men on the airsnip
and they are provided with provisions
mostly of the canned variety, sufti
cient to last them a month. The onl!
means of cooking is with small OF
stove, but this, Mr., Wellman says
will do all the cooking they will re
quire.
Each man is provided with two uni
forms, one of whaki, and a mucl
heavier one for use in case of extra
ordinary cold weather is encour
tered.
It was estimated that the two en-
gines, which were working perfectly
were pushing the balloon through tn
air at the rate Of rs miles an hour
The airship's gas bag is somethin
of the shape of a cigar, and is %
feet long Its width is about 81 fee
and is said to be capable of liftin
about twelve tons. The envelope cal
rying the gas weighs more than tw
tons.
Attached to the big gas bag is ca
Is feet long. The floor of the car
really a large fiat tank in which tn
gasoline is stored for the motors. TIL
America carries three gasoline Ell
gines, one of which is donkey an
The other two are used for motiV
puower. They are in the center
the car. and are of about eighty-hors
power
Beneath the car hangs lifeboat
feet long, to be used in case the ba
loon is wrecked.
Strung beneath the car is a 33O-fo'
long equilibrator, which takes I'll
place of a drag rope used on balloon
rhe equilibrator' consists of a ste
= cable to which are attached 80 sma
steel tanks, each carrying rs pound
of gasoline and forty wooden block
The blocks are about 20 inches lon
The equilibrator makes it unnece
Z sary to carry ballast. 1t is intendt
that the balloon shall fly at a neigl
} of about 200 feet.
If 1t settles close to the water Il
wind blocks and the tanks will hoa
thus relieving the balloons of some
its weight. AS the gasoline is
=. CURED the steel cables will be pullt
y up into the car of the balloon and
tank emptied.
Altogether the America carries 80
: pounds of gasoline. The craft Is
thoroughly equipped with sextan
compasses and other instruments I
locating nositions as are the big Oce