The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-10-20

10 put about and chase her with all the
| power we could get up.
The balloon was rocking and tossing,
and the wind was drifting her toward
the west about u knots Sometimes when
we tried 10 get under her 10 grasp her
lines, she would be only ten or twelve
feet from our forestays, and only as
high as our foreyard. Mr.. Lainson
grabbed a line from the forecastle head
once, but I believe it broke. During
this crazy chase OF almost two hours
| back and forth the balloon often was
close enough so that 1 could talk 10
the aeronauts from the bridge through a
megaphone They were climbing about
and working just as hard up in the sky
as We We're.
we saw in a short time that II was
hopeless TO try 10 save them by catch
ing their lines. They saw it, too SO
the airship, after a while, sent us this;
Keep close as possible, win launch
llfeboat and trust 10 you
Get Into Lifeboat
Capt Down thereupon Unanswered
his ship until the Trent lay about fifty
yards astern of the airship. Two acci-
dent boats OF the Trent were made ready.
and crews for the boats were assembled.
While these preparations were making.
Vaniman could be seen TO climb along
the Americas frame toward the valve
which releases the gas from the bag.
While he was opening the bag Wellman
and the others, except Vaniman and
simons. got into the lifeboat
The escaping gas caused the airship
to sink toward the waves. careening as
she dropped. Just before all was ready
10 launch the Americas llfebOat Jack
Irwin placed his wireless instruments IN
the swaying boat and Naniman lowered
the good gray cat When the boat was
about 20 be dropped 20 the waves Simons
worked his way aft along the frame
work with a camera sluns over his
shoulder. When he had reached a de
sirable spot hidden now from view
by the protecting curtains that hang
over the frame fore and aft. he slit the
curtain with his knife, stuck his head
and shoulders through the opening and
took a snap shot OF the steamship.
LifebOat Is Launched.
Vaniman waited until the airship had
dropped TO a desirable cIoseness 10 the
waves and then he gave the word 10
launch the boat The lfeboats keel was
dangling with her load about six feet
above the ocean when Simous released
the launching mechanism. The lifeb0at
plunged into the water. carecned TIL she
shipped some spray, and rishted herself.
I'VE could see said Capt. Down. that
the trailing equilibrator, which was right
IN the drift Of the lifeboat. was the chief
danger. The moment the balloon was
free OF the lifeboat the bag bounded into
the sky. The eQuilibratOr hit the boat
twice before the crew could drift from
under the airship. one or these blows
knocked a hole in the boat. but IL was
only small one, and was above the
water line
We had 20 maneuver for some time
after this before we got Wellman and
his men aboard. once when we were try
ing 10 get alongside it looked pretty bad.
but we managed 10 miss each other
Twice the llfebOat drifted our whole
length, close 10 US but the first time we
missed her with our line. During one Of
these attempts Mr. Wellman grabbed a
line. but IL wrapped around one of his
fingers and would have hurt him seriously
had he not let go"