Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-19
WELLMAN'S OWN STORY
OF TIE AMERICAS VOYAGE
Driven From Course, Despairing Of Making
Destination, and in Distress, He Was
Compelled to Bring Jour-
ney to an End.
was possible even yet if the winds
should hold favorable
Then. Tried to Reach bermuda

was possible even yet if the winds
should hold favorable
Then Tried to Reach Bermuda.
Then came another disastrous shift of
the wind 1t hauled entirely out of the
! west and came at us from the northeast,
blowing strong 1t would have been i'm
possible to make the Azores in the face
OF this wind. in view of our sacrifice Of
a large part Of our gasoline supply.
1t was then decided that we should try
| to make Bermuda. The motors were shut
off again. and we drifted southwest at
about fifteen miles an hour Our pur-
pose in drifting was to save the motor
gasoline for the final effort to reach a
landing place.
All Monday we kept afoat with diff
Guilty. There was grave danger and a
great strain on all, but none thought of
giving up. We were resolved to hold to
the ship as long as possible, and to give
up only when we saw that the task was
hopeless.
A fresh trouble came Monday night.
The weather turned cold, and the change
of temperature so affected the lifting
power or the gas in the great bag that
we found it necessary to jettison more
of the gasoline and part of the machinery
which had been damaged in order to keep
above the waves.
We saw that 1t would be impossible to
keep afioat another night under such con-
ditions, but resolved to stay aboard the
ship during the day unless we should
meet a vessel There was Il dot bit wheth-
er this was wise. as there was great
danger that the equiiibrator. with it's con-
slant jerking would pull us apart and we
| would founder.
The Lifeboat Launched.
The lifeboat was finally launched, with
great difficulty. in hig:, wind early this
| morning. We had sighted the Trent COM
ing toward us. two hours away, and we
realized that the only course to take was
to launch the boat then. instead of wait
ing for the night. when we would have to
take to it and no help would be near.
The Trent Sighted.
! 1t was 7:O5 o'clock this morning when
| we sighted the lights of steam
| ship. which afterwarI proved to be the
Trent. Irwin signaled with lamp by
Morse code: 'Stand by. We need you"
| The Trent answered the signals, and, aft
, er getting an understanding of our
| message. the Trent changed her course
and came toward us. She soon neared
us, and in looking down from the America
we could see hundreds of people on her
! deck looking up at US in wonderment.
AS the Trent approached us we were
| opO lcSt dDONe tie Sea, Out IL was aD-
parent that We could not hold the altitude
| long. When she came beneath us one of
our crew slashed the canvass covering of
our car and lowered line. which the men
aboard the Trent endeavored to catch
Just as it appeared probable tina! the
line would be caught a gust of wind
whirled us away, carrying the line out
| from the steamer
Many times the line was lowered and
| there was scramble on board the Trent
| to make 1t fast Each time the wind
would catch us and push us away. Fi-
| nally the line was caught and made fast
aboard the vessel. but a strong gust of
wind parted it and tore us away.
| The Trent followed us, undiscouraged
but it was evident that this plan Hould
not do. We gave the signal to her to
| stand by to pick Tic up, for we would take
| to the lifeboat.
Launching the Lifeboat.
| The operation of launching the boat
| was performed with the creates. skill.
Vaniman brought the airship down close
| to the water and Simon directed the
| springing of the hooks which released the
ropes to drop the boat. He was the last
I TO get aboard the boat, and he released