The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-20

but going on with the fight to the bit.
ter end And so the motor was KEEP,
running hour after hour all through
that long and stormy night Showers
OF sparks escaped from the red-ho1
exhaust pipe. flew backward with ter.
S1hc force in the strong currents pro.
duced by the propellers, and 1t illuml.
mated the vanished canvas sides 81
the car and the silk and cotton en-.
Holpe of the great balloon. 1t was
with strange and not wholly pleasan,
feelings that we stood and watched
these aerial fireworks
y combination of belchinE fire. 345.-
GOO cubic feet of highly inflamable
hydrogen, and three tons of volatile
sasolene was not one to inspire conf
dence of contentment If just one out
OF those thousands of sparks We're to
ind lodging place in seam or edge
of valve, or in the rudder or in the
folds of the ensign of the Aero Club
OF America, which we so proudly flew
1t our ships stern, small blaze might
follow. And small blaze inevitably
meant larger one before we could
bring into play the fire extinSuishers
which we carried on board. and tina,
larger flame communicating with ths
gas or the gasolene meant-well, just
the end of all things On the one
side was the Scylla of instantaneous
destruction, and on the other the
charybidis Of Goney Island. Ana be-
tween the two there was no choice.
Anything but Coney Island. AND so the
motor was kept going all through the
night regardless of the danger of fire
which later experiences proves was nor
nearly so great as 1t had appeared.
Nenrly Collision.
SO great was our cagerness to make
way eastward that when a big schoone,
footed up from the mist almost direct
~ under our port bow, surging lazily
along through the seas, vague and
shostlike, sleepy sailor Mt her wheel
and with imminent danger of a COLI.
sion with her tall mast, we slackened
not our speed.
We drove straight on, and Mr.. Simon
at our wheel cleverly gave the Amer.
ica slight turn TO port, and we clear
ed the stern of the stranger by less
than half n ships length. which was
rather too close for comfort But II
seemed so ludicrous TO Engineer vani-
nan that he left his engine. came for
ward to the navigating deck and en-
Joyed With US a good laugh over the
sensations which we conjectured as
having been produced in the minds or
the schooner's skipper and his crew.
Oft we went to the eastward, and so
thick was the weather it was impossi-
bic to gain anything more than gem
eral idea of our course and position.
We believed we were well south OF
Long Island and Rhode Island. Mr..
irwin was able 10 pick many Marconi
wizard sounds out of the air, and a
few OF our messages were signaled as
having been received at Siasconset
When the gray morning dawned We
saw underneath US the peculiar rip.
plies which the sailor eye of Mr.. Simon
detected as denoting shoal waters and
tide rips. And thus we knew we We're
somewhere between Nantucket light
ship and the Island OF nantucket. Hav-
ing convinced ourselves that we had
passed the land and won. the nights
fight with the motor, we were now con-
tent to stop the engine for time and
permit the ship to drift with the fresh
wind soon shifted, driving US south
a, twenty-five knots an hour.
After we had made about l40 miles
on this course the wind shifted to the
northwest and blew stronger and
stronger. That Sunday night which
followed none Of us Will ever forget
There was danger that the pull of
the equilibrator tackle upon the steel
car of the airship would snap some
of the steel stays, weaken the struc-
ture and lead to its collapse. But
through 1t all no man showed any
fear. ! we'll remember going half a
dozen times to sleep with this thought
in my mind: We'll, when I awake we
shall probably be down in the ocean
but I don't care"
"a drift oil a ND al J,
night When I awoke the next morn
ing it was my turn at the wheel. I
had hardly taken my post when I
spied the lights of steamer off our
port bow, and called to Mr.. yaniman
There's the Bermuda ship, Cali
Irwin and get out sisr-l."
Mr. Vaniman pourca gasolene upon
some waste, hooked the ball upon q
wire and. lighting 1t, let the blazing
mass for down below the airship, II,
must have been a strange scene which
presented itself to the eyes of the Off
GERS of the Trent-a huge but grace
full airship floating through the dim
light. and underneath 1t a blazing
signal for attention.
liz IT Worth While.
Whether or not the crossing OF the
Atlantic by airshlp is really worth
"Alie - question upon Whlch there
ARE naturally differences of opinion.
! am in some doubt about it myself
except from the standpoint of expert
ment and adventure, But that II car
be done. is not open 10 doubt In the
minds OF Mr.. Vaniman and myself,
We think we know how a ship I;
achieve such voyage must he built
larger than the late America, witt
greater lifting force, more powerful
engines. greater resources OF reserv,
gas and ballast and method OF over