The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1910-10-28
Mr.. Wellman's Achievement.

Mr.. Wellman's Achievement.
Walter Wellman. Melvin vaniman
Murray Simmons, John ALBERT. AL
bert Loud and Jack Irwin, the COM
man6er and crew of the airshiT
| America, We're landed at New York
wednesday by the British steamer
Trent They say they would like to
/ try again to cross the Atlantic throug
| the air
That is the American spirit. the
spirit that kept Peary going when the
explorers of other nations had CIV
en- up, and che spirit that in due
time will bring success.
Mr.. Wellman and his comrades have
pcrformer a great feat, and though
they did net succ I'D in THAR specific
| ert arprise, they have shown the tenn
per CT men who win because they
lnssp on trying and don't give up.
We are glad TO say this because
Mr.. Wellman repres srts not only the
United States in an unprecedented
hazard OF AERIAL navigation, but also
Chicago ESP c.ally. We are also glad
to say it as a matter of simple justice
to Mr.. Wellman and as amends for
some injustice that has bssn done
him by this newspaper with others.
Mr.. Welman's aerial projects have
unfortunately locked heretofore as If
meant more for advertising purposes
than with serious intention. They
have bsen 50 deliberately exploited in
advance-and h ,rctcfore they have
come to nothing. There have been
so many of them, invariably futile,
that the impression has grown upon
the public that Mr.. Wellman never
really meant to balloon to the North
Pole or across the Atlantic, but was
merely after notoriety orr himself
and feature stories" for the news
papers for which he is correspondent.
Whatever Mr. Wellman's motives
and intentions, they have become IT.
rel want in view of accomplished facts
Mr.. Wellman and his comrades did
| launch out over the Atlantic, which
no aviator had dared to do before
They did not reach Europe, but
thsy kept their craft in the air for
three days and travelled sarly 900
mil IS over the Atlantic. They did
something men have never done be-
fore.
They We're not at the end of their
resources-they We're not men help
lessly perishing-when they met the
Trent off Cape Hatteras and decided
10 abandon the America. They were
still afloat in the air. Their craft
was not yet awreck, though with ia
brio so strained that further efforts
with 1t would have been plainly sui
cidal. The conditions called for re-
treat-and a chance to try again with
better Equipment at a more favor
able season. They had done enough
for honor.
Whatever Mr. WAllman's past in
matters of aerial navigation. it has
been redeemed by his present perfor-
nance. He and his comrades have
shown themselves men of courage
and conduct They have made bold
and brave attempt to accomplish
what may be an impossible task, at
least for many years to come. II
there has been lack of confidence in
Mr.. Wellman's sincerity, and so lack
of respect for his endeavors, there
is no longer excuse for these feelings
or thier expression.
In the historyof aerial navigation
the names of Walter Wellman and
his associates must stand at thehead
of the chapter on The Crossing of
the Atlantic" To them must ever be-
long the credit due to the men who
dared really to begin.-Inter Ocean.