Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-10-20
Landed at New York by Steamer Trent, Which
= Rescued Them at Sea...Kitten Survives Trip.
We||man Learns Some Things TO Be Avoid
ed in Next Transatlantic Aerial Trip.

New York, oct 19.-Walter Well
man and his five companions were
landed here this afternoon by the
steamship Trent, which picked them
up at sea after they had abandoned
their dirigble balloon America and
failed in the first attempt ever made
to cross the Atlantic through the air
A bruised right hand which Wellman
carried in d sling, was the only physl-
cal injury that resulted from their long
voyage of approximately 900 miles and
a rescue, the like of which is unknown
to all history.
Meme of the aeronauts expressed re-
grct for the loss Of the America They
agreed that it had served it's purpose
and taught its lesson. All stand ready
to renew the attempt as soon as Well
man and his engineers find way 10
conquer the difficulties that brought
their first trip to its thrilling end Tues
day morning, 400 miles southeast OF
Sandy Hook.
Standing on the deck of the Trent
clad in the same suit of khaki he wore
when he and his crew launched the
America last Saturday at Atlantic City,
I'VE thought we could not get along
| without the equilibrator. Now we find
we couldn't get along with it. Our
plans for the future are indefinite un-
| til we find something that will do what
| we thought the equilibrator would do
| The "Equilibrator," to which Well
man attributes the failure of his voy-
age was the series of tanks CONTAINING
gasoline which floated in the water
attached to the airship by long rope.
| It's purpose in addition to storing SaSn
line and serving as a wireless Ground
| was to keep the balloon steady, CON
pensating for the expansion and con
traction of gas due to changes In tenn
l,prature, which would have made tt"
America rise or sink eratically. IL
Americas experience proved that th's
floating tail. Jerking at the delicateiY
poised airship. made it impossible t"
steer or make Roadway in the desired
direction and severely weakened u"
structure. To find another means 9.
compromising for this unaVoldab'"
| change in the volume of gas IS th'
| problem to which Wellman and his en-
gineer, Melvin Vaniman. will now de-
| vote their attention.
! The direct cause for abandoning the
| America was the exhaustion OF TIC
supply of gasoline which had to ne
| thrown out to save the ship unti
| when the crew abandoned the balloo
onl enough was left to last about q
hours.
This is Wellman's description 81
how he hurt his hand: while We
we're afoat in our lifeboat trying t.
reach the Trent, | tried to grasp "
rope thrown from the steamer. ii
some way the rope got twisted about
nv hand and before l could get loose
| it nearly tore off my little finger a"
badly bruised the rest of the hand.
| The comparative unimportance of the
injury. however was demonstrated by
| the fact that as Wellman said tAi*
he held cigar in his bandaged hand
and was not obliged to let the meni-
her rest in a sling
The other members of the America s
crew said they felt AS well as eve E
and they looked it. They are: Mel
vim Eanman, engineer; j. Murray
Simons. navigator; J. *. Irwin, wi1e
| less operator, anu hibtit l>'"u VII
John Burt. air sailors.
There was also the gray kittc'
which was SO pampered by the womei
passengers aboard the steamer that
her sides bulged with feasting. She had
| made the air voyage as nameless
cat, hut on board the liner wa
promptly christened Trent" She left
the steamer on Mr. Vaniman's should
| er. Naniman's companions said thai
even in the haste of preparing TO leave
(! the America the chief engineer mad
sure that there was enough air in the
compartment of the lifebOat where tn
cat was slowed to make her comfort
able
A thick gray curtain of fog hune
over New York bay this morning and
caused a postponement of the last
scene Of the drama in which Wellmar
and his crew were the chief figures.
TIE Trent was forced to an anchor
age off Sandy Hook and there she
remained until early in the afternoon
before the fog lifted enough to make
| it safe for her to come up the har-
| Dor. Meanwhile. a party of z those
nearest and dearest to the ship
| wrecked aeronauts had taken a tug
and gone as far as the quarantine
| station to meet them. In this party
were Mrs. Wellman, Mrs. Vaniman
| Mrs. Leroy Chamberlain. Wellman's
married daughter. and his three I'M
marriad daughters, and Mrs Sarah
Loud, mother of Mrs. Naniman and
| of Albert Loud. They had a lone
wait at quarantine and it was not
! until AIS that Wellman descended
| the conpanionway from the steamer
to the deck Of the tug. With tears