The Washington times., 1910-10-15
Monster Dingibe Balloon Vanishes in Fog at Atlantic
City, as ewspaperman-Commander Signals His
Determination to Try g. ,OO0-Mfle Trip.
EIGHT PERSONS ON BOARD SKY VOYAGER
Start Made Upon nsstence of Members of Crew. Who
Gave Orders for Flght-Craft Well Stocked With
Provisions and Carries Lifeboat

ATLANTIC CITY. y J. Oct. I5-VVsl-
Ter Wellulan, the American neusp.osr
correspondent and aeronaut, and q crew
ot six men, sailed away frou, Atlantic
city today for Europe in the monster
dlTig1ble balloon America gtartfns Al.
tne most daring, perIous, and spectacu-
Lar trip IN the history OF aviation
Al three minutes after s O'Clock the
America sailed out into the foz which
hung over the coast, and IN a brief sps~a
mas disappeared from view. aJtboug1
Jne hum Of The motors could re dis
tlnctly heard al the Inlet hangar. the
starting point
one thousand people had -arbs-s5
ABOUT the shed which housed the he
oalloon shortly after dawn ThroDgb
repeated failures 10 make q start r7s-,,-
thought Wellmsn would never un5s--
take the dangerous journey so that -ba
farewell which was tendered the fr--a-
Fio aeronauts was haIf-hearte5 T5a
persons who saw the America disannas-
into the dense fog were axed into -
ence and stood with bare heads as -ba
noise Of the motor and uhfr1fng ,-o,aI-
Tors died away
Determined to Trv.
We won't come back rnti1 -. -.
hao try at Europe" said Chief r.
gineer Nannimann as -hA-cra.u-,srs f-,-.,
the cabin CT the dfrigibIe- This s-s+e-
nent was directed al the report tbat
the Trip today was to be a trial 20
test the safety and efficiency of ~
oaIloon and its machinery.
me crew was given 10 understand
tnaJ the trip started today was not
an experiment. but an earnest en-
ueaVor 70 conquer the air roure ba-
tween America and Eur0De b5-
STOCK OF provisions and other suD77fas
were taken on board
The dangers Of the Cuban s+o-,,
which Is sweeping northward fro-,
southern waters were defisd bv Well
man When first word Of the danger
GUS hurricane was received here a dav
OF so ago the aerOnaut postponed his
start on the S,o00-miIe trip. declaring
mat ne would not start out in the
path OF an approaching tornado
" Gilman departed in the wake Of
legal difficulties which tbresrena5
him as result OF claims Of Chevalier
Jean Jacon. chief mechanician and
motor expert OF the crew. that Well
man owed him S490 back pay.
Grew Demand Flight.
The fact that a situation practically
amounting 70 a muJiny had caused
Weilman TO make his start deveIoped
several hours after the dirisibIe Am
erica set sail. The men responsible for
II were Fanimsn and simmons. uesoec-
lively chief engineer and navigator 4
secret conference was held by the two
men shortly after dawn.
We will never get anything ike as
perfect weather conditions for fight
again" said Vaniman-
Simmons who has been enthusiastic
over the proposed trip. and who declared
yesterday he would demand flight or
leave the expedition, avOke other mem
bers OF the crew asleep in their blank
cts iE, the big hangar
Wellman was frSt summoned BY pnOue
al the ChalfonJe ana Informed grimIy
that his crew was ready 20 take the bal
loon into the air
Harilv awaiting his word for formsl
orders 20 prepare for the lon= deferred
fight. Nauimsn called Mavc- Stoy. Chfef
Of Police woodruff, and Chief Black, or
the Tre department and asked for a 1lg
detail OF police and freuen who had
been promised as assistants in launch
ing the balloon
Daughter Drives Car
Weilman rushed To the hangar in an
automobile driven by his daughter.
while policemen and freueu were sent
up IN fire apparatus and patrol wagons
The start OF the America WAS tremen-
douslv impressive Two hours was con
srmed I'm getting the biz balloon out Of
its shelter, the women and children or
the neighborbocd who left tHeir beds
tc watch the proposed flight. being i'm
pressed into service.
vaninan took active charge OF the
preparations apparently without con
sultinE WeIlman- simmons. lashed TO
a boatswain's chair, sscended 10 the top
of the hangar and cleared the lsshings
OF the big balloon All the members Of
the crew. including Wellman. were
dressed IN khaki aviation costume. eN-
Cept Naniman. who wore an old gray
suit
Wellman Aboard First.
WeIlman was among the first 20
mount into the living quarters Of the
ship he spent less than ten minutes
bidding his wife and daughter good
by
Climbing into the car Of the bolloon.
with merely a nod 70 the crowd. ne
ascended on a rope ladder 10 the work
the meChaniCians who had started the
engines.
Vaniman was the last man 10 Climb