The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-10-17
on THE WAY TO EUROPE
The Balloon SHIP America, Wellman
and His Crew On Board Sailed Out
Over the Atlantic Saturday
Morning

Atlantic City, Oct. 16.-Sailing into
thick fog that hung low over the
Atlantic ocean early yesterday, Wal
ter Wellman with a crew Of five men
is believed to be on an epoch making
voyage to Europe in the huge cigar
shaped airship, America.
The men who are making aeronaut-
ic history in the first over-ocean
flight in an airship are: Walter Well
man. commander; Melvin Vaniman.
chief engineer and next in command
r. Murray Simmons, navigator; J. K
Irwin. wireless operator: John Aubert
and Albert Louis Loud, assistant en-
gineers.
1t was about a. m. that the final
decision to go up was made by Chief
Engineer Vaniman.
All night he watched the weather
and as the dawn approached he decid-
ed that the time had come. Rousing
the other members of the crew. Vani
man called Wellman and notified him
the time to start had arrived. The
great gas bag was warped out Of the
shed, the greatest care being taken
not to rip the heavy silken bag.
Finally it was out and Simmons, in a
boatswains chair. ascended to the top
Of the huge bag and released the re-
ma lining lashinGs and then came down.
With everything ready for the word
let co. the crew climbed up into the
car hanging from the balloon. The
final good-byes were said to wives.
other relatives and friends and the
last word to the men on the ground
| was given. The great craft gave a
lurch, all the ropes and cables became
taut and the ship rose. slowly at first
| and then more rapidly as it ascended
higher and encountered the gentle
breeze from the west.
On the boardwalk and beach were
J assembled a crowd estimated at about
T! l. 900. The crowd stood in awe as the
American majestically continued to
rise and sail into the thick fog. Then
cheer after cheer followed when they
saw the craft begin to disappear in
the mist. Within five minutes the ship
was out of sight. Those of the crowd
who remembered the America carried
a wireless telegraph outfit, rushed
from the boardwalk to the million
dollar pier for news of the balloon.
Robert Miller, the wireless operator
stationed there, was early on hand in
expectation Of a flight and got ready
to "pick up the ship. Miller kept
calling Operator Irwin constantly and
it was not until 1905 a. m. that there
was any response. Then came this
message, the first ever sent from an
airship at sea:
| Headed northeast All we'll on
board. Machinery working fine Good
bye. J. Irwin"
| Among the anxious people that
crowded into the wireless station were
Mrs. Wellman and her two daughters
and they expressed the utmost conf
dence in the success of the expedition
| The last message received from
Wellman late in the afternoon was tG
the effect that the course had beer
Ifoundland and that speed had beer
,cut to fifteen knots an hour for the
purpose of saving gaso1ene fuel
| Enough gasOlene is being carried tt
keep the Americas engines going fol
at least fifty days under low speed
!pressure.
The airship is equipped with prOvi
siOns for thirty days and a 27-foot life
boat is part Of the equipment of the
expedition. If the ship gets into Gif.
ificulty in the way of motor trouble
igines and a donkey engine The wire
less will be depended upon to summon
lShps. Should the whole structur.
collapse the crew will take to the lif,
boat and being in the track of steam
jers, expect to be picked up withou
drifting long on the ocean.