The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-10-15
WE[[MAN HAS STARTED
FLIGHT ACROSS ATLANTIC
Has Dirgible Balloon America and Began Flight Early
With Six Passengers = Was Spoken by Wireless at
11:45 and Was Headed Eastward Across Broad At
lantic-Is Most Daring Flight Ever Made.

Atlantic City, Oct. 15.-The long
deferred attempt of Walter Wellman,
the journalist-aeronaut- explorer, to
cross the Atlantic in a dirigible ship
was begun this morning at an early
hour, when the balloon America
left the hanger and disappeared to
the eastward in a heavy fog. At
11:15 the first Wireless from the
American was received here. Head
ed northeast" it said. All we'll on
board. The machinery is working
fine Goodbye. J. Irwin
Wireless operator Miller just be-
fore noon had again spoken to the
America. The purport Of the mes
sage was that Wellman and crew
had decided to make the daring at
tempt to reach Europe. We are
headed due northeast, but have not
taken observations and will not
know our exact location until noon. :"
il read. The Americas wireless has
a radius of about a hundred miles.
The party number six, all told,
with Mr. Wellman in command Next
in order is Melvin Vaniman, chief
engineer, who was with the owner
of the America in his unsuccessful
attempt to reach the north pole
from Spitzbergen last year. Murray
Simon of London, navigating officer
of the steamship Oceanic of the
White line, is the navigator. Jack
Irwin has charge of the high power
ed Marconi outfit. which is depend
ed upon to keep the America in
touch with shore and find help some
where on the high seas if mischance
should overtake the expedition, as
we'll as to supply news of the flight
Vaniman's most invaluable assistant
is Louis Loud of Illinois, trained
mechanician, who was with the Well
man expedition in SpitZbergen and
possesses the confidence of his asso-
ciates because he has had actual eX-
perience in air navigation under the
most trying conditions. The sixth
member of the crew is Fred B. Au-
bert of Washington, youth Of 20
years, who has been a member of
the Wellman staff and is regarded as
a dependable man for any emergen-
cy. Mr.. Wellman says that three
wealthy young New Workers each Of
fered $1,000 for the privilege of per-
forming the duties that will be as
signed to the unassuming young
mechanician. The America party
has had a novel proposal from an
Atlantic City resident, who asked
that the America carry consign-
ment of fruit to a relative in Lon
don. His request was denied be-
cause every inch of space in the air.
ship is required for fuel, food and
sleeping purposes.
1t was four o'clock this morning
when Melvin Vaniman, chief engin-
eer, and F. Murray Simmons, navi-
gator, announced that the America
was fit for her flight. 1t took sew
eral hours to get the dirigible out
of the hanger and it was sos O'Clock
when the craft left the ground for
her voyage.
About one thousand persons had
gathered to witness the start. 1t
was not known when the machinery
was started whether the actual flight
to Europe would be undertaken. 1t
depended upon how Wellman found
things when he got into the air.
That he found everything satisfac-
tory was indicated by the wireless
announcement that the dirigible was
eff for Europe.
1t is Wellman's idea to follow the
route OF the large European bound
steamers. He will sail up the coast
past New York, then turn east across
the wide Atlantic.
The America is provided with pro-
visions for month. The only
means of cooking is by coal oil
stove. 1t is estimated that the en-
gines can push the balloon through
the air at 26 miles per hour. Eu-
rope is 5000 miles away. The air
ships gas bag is 22S feet long, cigar
shaped, and its width is 80 feet, car
rying capacity is estimated II tons
and the passengers car 156 feet
long. The America also carries
donkey engine. Beneath the cal
hangs the boat q feet long, to be
used if the balloon is wrecked
Strung beneath the car is 33O-foo1
equilibator, which takes the place
of the drag rope of balloons. The
equilibrator consists of long steel
cable to which is attached thirty