The Washington herald., 1910-10-19


hole was too small TO cause serious
trouble.
Balloon Disappears from Sight.
Upon being free OF the weight OF the
crew. the airship Immediately shot sky
ward as the .lifeboat was taking the
water. The SEA that was running az the
time was moderate. and the aeronauts
had very little difficulty in reaching the
Trent and boarding the steamship. AT
7.S0 a. m. three hours after the steam
ship had sighted the America and
within a few minutes of seventy-one and
one-half hours from the time the airship
had left the Atlantic City beach, Well
man. his companions. and the lifeboat
were hauled aboard the Trent The bal
loon. now a speck in the sky, was left
10 the winds 10 founder in the ocean
when her gas had escaped.
None Of the aeronauts was found TO
have suffered seriously from his adven-
lures. Wireless biography, which first
helped IN life-saving at sea when the
steamship Republic suffered a collision a
year ego this winter. this morning for
the FIRST time played an important part
IN an aeronautical rescue. During the
earliest hours the Morse lamp signaling
also was brought into play in communi-
cation between the America and the
Trent. the signals leading TO the rescue
being exchanged by the Morse lamp
method"
Sets n Worlds Record.
Although Weuman had been blown
far from his course by the winds that
began to come out Of the northwest sun
day night. thereby making his announced
plans futile, the flight establishes a
worlds record for dtrigibes. The pre-
Vious record for diTigibles was held by
Dusseldorf 10 Bitterfeld and return, a
total distance of so miles IN thirty-eight
hours. The record for time and distance
OF "a nondirigible balloon was made in a
flight about eight years ago from Eng
land 90 the center of Russia, a distance
OF Lip miles in seventy-two hours, which
g only a shade over the America flight
so FAR as time IS concerned
When IL became known to-day that the
Wellman party had been found so far
south of the general location 90 the east
of Sable Island. where every one sup
posed the America 10 be- doubts were
Immediately expressed about the correct
ness OF the earlier supposition that Well
mar was of Nantucket Sunday at noon
suggestions which were formed upon re-
ceipJ OF wireless messages al SiasconsetL
on the southeast corner Of Nantucket
Island. as late as 1910 o'clock Sunday
afternoon.
Never Near Nantucket.
Forecaster Scarr, OF the Weather Blu
reau station in Lower Broadway. was OF
-he opinion to-day, after consulting his
wind charts, thar the America never had
been close 20 the Long Island or Nan
tucket shores. He shared. in other
words, the general opinion OF to-day that
the most northerly point OF that described
by the alrship In its flight was far south
OF where earlier guFsses had placed H.
ana also there was doubt expressed to-
day about the genuineness OF the author
ship OF some, II not an. the wireless
messages received Sunday. which We're
signed with the names OF WeIlman and
Irwin.
'Weilman just missed the chance OF a
lifetime" Forecaster Scarr said to-day
III he had only been able 10 go fast
enough on Saturday night and Sunday
morning 10 get up in the onshOre winds
that began 10 come on the New England
coast Sunday and Sunday night he would
sull have them at his mack to-day and
would De now well on his way 10 Eu-
rope"
Taft Takes a Hand.
Before news Of the rescue came from
Capt Down. OF the Trent. this forenoon.
President Taft decided that il was tine
for the government to take a hand In
looking up the missing aeronauts. While
the President was inspecting Ellis Island.
he.
Noyagers- When none was Forthcoming
the President teIegraphed after luncheon
10 Secretary Andrew Of the Treasury
Department, ~ Washington, 20 ask what
revenue cutters were available to send
Z. sea 10 search for the balloon
The secretary replied that the DEPART
ment could send the dereliot DESTROYER
Seneca from New York, the Gresham
from Boston, and the Acushnet from
Nantucket. These cutters Immediately
were ordered 10 sea. but before they got
under way the President learned from a
reporter Of the rescue OF the aIrship and
her crew, and few minutes later Score
tary Andrew called the President on the
long-distance telephone 10 say that news
% the rescue had reached Washington
and that the orders had been counter
Uanded
On the heels Of the first frogmentarv
news came a wireless message from the
Trent explaining that the serious
troubles Of the airship crew began when
Wellman and the crew noticed that so
much gas was escaping from the big bag
that the America was settling toward
The waves To keep from dropping into
the water il was necessary 20 throw out
tank after tank of gasoline. which left
the airshlp without fuel for the engines.
Message from the Trent.
The wireless message from Capt Down
follows:
ION board S. s. Trent Oct lS-Air-
ship America sighted at . a. H.. asking
by Morse code for assistance. Later re-
quested asking me 20 stand by and have
boat ready. Made effort TO get line 10
alrship but this found useless. Later air
ship crew took places IN life boat and
when latter was near water ropes were
cut and alrship rose rapidly and drifted
10 westward. Wellman and crew picked
up safely and life boat in good shane and
glad OF being rescued. Airship had broken
motor and Wellmap out Of course. Air
snip abandoned in latitude 35lS north.
longitude 6S13 west.-Capt Down
Not long after this message was re-
celVed more detailed account Of rba
wreck began TO arrive here. This later
news ran:
on board S. s. Trent, Oct. lS-Airship
began 10 lose gas after leaving Atlantic
City, and had 10 throw more gasoline
overheard 20 keep above the water. When
practically all gasoline was gone. the
America began 10 drift The airshin crew
Knew tnat the Trent was due from Cuba