The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-10-19
V|ElLMAN AND CREW HAVE
NOT YET REACHED LAND
Is Off Sandy Hook Steamer Trent-While He Failed
in Crossing Atlantic Yet He ESTABLISHED Record for
Sustained Flight and Possibly for Distance Covered
in Airship America Abandoned to Air sssssxs ssssE
FWt#E'

; - ~.
| New York, Oct. 19.-Walter Well
man and members of the i'll fated
| dirigible America. who were rescued
at sea $50 miles from Cape Hatteras
/ yesterday, are on board the steamer
Trent so miles east of Sandy Hook.
They are proceeding slowly on ac-
count of the heavy fog.
The dirigible established a new
record for sustained fight of -
hours, covering an estimated 1000
miles. A wireless message from the
Trent reports all on board we'll.
While a majority OF the aeronauts
believe the America will never be
seen again, others would not be sur
prised if the big ship, played by the
| winds, may be waited across to Eu-
rope, though this is generally regard
ed as unlikely as the dirigibie is
weakened by the impounding equi-
librator losing gas when it was aban-
doned. ..-
WeIlman's Statement.
Wellman said that after working
| we'll TO sea Sunday the America"
| was caught in thirty-mile north
western gale which carried the air.
| ship off her course. Night came and
the equilibrator jerked and bumped
Deer the waves, threatening the air.
ships destruction. The crew was
calm but greatly exhausted. One af-
| ter another they went TO sleep. ex-
pecting to wake up in the sea. Every
effort was centered on keeping the
America afloat, and the.gasoline was
tossed into the sea. Thecourse was
laid towards the Azores Blu the vary
ing of the wind made il impossible
| TO reach the islands, With reduced
gasoline Bermuda was the next hope.
but Monday night more gasoline and
some damaged machinerS was thrown
overheard to keep the America
afloat
Early Tuesday morning rescue
came The Trent was sighted two
hours away and signalled. The life
boat was successfully launched but
not until after it almost capsiEed
from a blow from the equilibraor
| The weight of the life beat and par
| " removed from the airship, the
America. shot up into the air and
quickly disappeared.
| Weilman believes that the feat Of
crossing the Atlantic in n bag may
| be accomplished in a larger and
/ stronger air craft The eGuilibrator
was the fatal mistake of the eXpedi-
/ ton.
Capt. Downs Statement by Wireless.
On Board Steamship Trent, at Sea.
l. Midnight, Oct. 1S.-"We sighted
| the airship America at ) a. To-day.
She signalcd us by the Morse code
and the wireless played a wonderful
part in requesting us TO stand by her
till daylight. We kept boat close
by her till day broke, when she sig
nailed that she could not launch her
| lifeboat and asked ne TO Keep close
| in order that line might be at
tached. We made several futile at
| tempts to attach line, then the
America wireiessed that she would
Z Il TO No or a
possible and drop her boat, if could
stand by and pick up the boat.
meanwhile our lifaboats kept as
close to the airship as possible and
finally she got all her men in her
boat and cut adrift at a height OF
about five feet from the water. This
proved successful The America inn
mediately rose in the air, and short
| ly afterward. at s o'clock, | had the
pleasure Of welcoming on board Mr..
Wellman and his five lieutenants and
cat, which seemed little the worse
for it's experience. l then picked up
the boat and proceeded.
"Wellman and his crew were hon.
ored guests on board. After wash
and brushup, they ate hearty
breakfast The America was aban-
doned in latitude 35.1S north. longi-
tude 6S.13 west, 40S miles from
Sandy Hook, and the craft is now
having great time among the
clouds. The America was making a
speed of about 8 knots when aban-
doned, and when released drifted 10
the westward. Her motor had been
broken and Wellman was out OF his