Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-16


ATLANTIC CITY, ~ j., oct. I5-Tbo
long deferred attempt of Walter WelInnn
! to cross the Atlantic from the United
States to Europe in a dirigble airshiD.
was begun this morning when his balloon.
the America left the hanger here and
disappeared to the eastward In q heavy
fog.
After weeks Of delay, which had aroused
doubt In the minds Of all but the staunch.
est OF his supporters that any real attempt
would be made to start the flight, news
was flashed at o'clock a. m today that a
start would be made this morning. Mel
win Vaniman, chief engineer and F. Murrv
Simons, navigator, had paced the balloon
shed throughout the night hating their
work Of examination OF every foot OF ths
balloon only to look out OF doors at the
weather
Shortly after midnight the wind dropped
TO slow southeast breeze, followed by a
settling of one Of the heaviest fogs known
on the coast. Friends of Vaniman who
had stood by him and declared
their belief that he would try
either with or without his partner,
Welman, were overjoyed when Al
o'clock Vaniman declared the Amsr,co
would leave the ground within the next
few hours.
starting on the Journey.
It took more t,an TWO hours to get ths
airship out OF the hanger with the assist.
ance OF policemen and fremen and II waa
SOB when the craft left the ground. n
floated out into the fog off shore ana
within five minutes was lost TO siFht
About l,OOO persons, who had not lost faith
In the expedition, saw the start.
When the airghiD left tha s,ro,,za -
Wellman did not know whether only a
test would be made or whether the t-iD
to Europe would be started at once. n
depended on how he found things when
he got into the air. he said. When he
left here It was his intention to 90 north.
following the New Jersey coast as far az
New York II he found the airship work.
inG to his satisfaction and conditions re-
mained right, no intended TO follow thu
route Of steamers uD TO Nantucket and
then turn eastward and follow the tracks
Of the transatlantic liners across the
ocean, lie expected to make every effort
TO keep in the steamship tracks so in case
he met with accident he would be close "a
steamers with wireless with which the
airship is also equipped, and could bs
quickly rescued II the crew was compelIed
TO take to the lifeboat attached TO the
America.
Crew of the ship.
The crew aboard the America when she
left the ground Included Walter Wellman.
Melvin Vaniman, chief engineer; r. Muir
ray Simons, navigator Of the expedition;
J. X. Irwin, wireless operator ana Albert
Louis Loud and John Aubert, assistant
engineers.
The America is larger craft than the
one In which Wollman started for the
North pole. The airships gas bag Is
shaped Ike a cigar and Is 22s feet long.
It's width IS about ffty-two feet and AZ
said 10 be capable Of lifting nearly
twelve tons,
The passenger car is l56 feet long the
floor Of which Is a flat tank In which gas
oline Is stored. The America has three gas-
oine engines They are IN the center ana
are OF about eighty horsepower. Beneath
the car hangs a lfcboat twenty-seyen feet
long no be used n the balloon Is wrecked.
strung beneath the car IS a 33O-foot eousIi-
brator WHICH takes the place OF a drag
rope used on balloons The eaullihratoF
consists Of long steel cable 10 which ar,
attached thirty small steel tanks. each
Irg