The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-10-20
Boy on Morning Watch Saw
Lights Cleaning in Dark
ness and Made Haste to Re-
port to Officer in Charge.
APPEAL FOR HELP CAME
BY MEANS OF WIRELESS
Great Difficulty Experienced
in Launching the DidgibIe'S
LifebOat Owing to 'EQuiIib-
ratOT Dragging Behind.
ESTIMATE OF DISTANCE

NEW YORK. Oet. I8.-Waifer Well
N man and his five companions
were landed here this afternoon
Dg the steamship Trent, which picked
Them up at sea after they had uban-
d"ncd their diriEibie balloon America
ana failed in the first attempt ever
made 40 cross the Atlantic ocean
bruised right hand, which Well
man carried ia sling. Wss the only
ply steal injury that resulted from
their long voyage Of approximately sea
miles, and "a reseue the like of WHICH
- unknown Ia All hist0Fy.
None OF the aeF0nauIs expressed Te-
greet Tor the loss of the America They
agreed that III had served its purpose.
All stand ready 90 renew the afternDt
as soon as Wellman and his engineers
lind way to conquer the difficulties
thar brought their first trip 90 IFS
1 thrilling end last Tuesday morning 400
miles southeast Of Sandy Hook
Standing on the deck OF the Trent
. W Gilman made this statement
e thought we could not get along
without the equilbratCr. Now we fiud
We could not get along with 90. our
plans Tor the future are fufifinite un-
IN We find something rhaI win 60
wat we thought the euullibrator would
do"
The "equilibrator 10 which We'll
man attributes the failure Of his V0l-
age, was the series OF tanks containing
gasoline which IlOated in HE water
and was attached 10 the airshiD by
long rope. Its purpose i'm addition
10 storing gasoline and serving as a
wireless ground was 10 keep tbe bal-
loon steady compromising for the eN-
pansiOn and contraction Of gas due TO
changes in temperature, which would
have made the America rise and sink
erraticaly.
Tail Was Dangerous.
The America s. experience proved that
/ inns floating tail Jerking the deli
( cately poised airship, made IL impos-
sible 10 steer OF make headWav i'm rhs
desired direction. and severely weak
ened The structure. To find another
means OF cOmpeusaring FOR this un-
svoidable change III the volume Of gas
is the problem TO which Wellman and
his engineer Melvin Yaniman, viii now
! devote their attention.
The direct cause Of abandonment Of
the America was exhaustion OF The
supply Of gasoline. which had TO be
the crew abandoned the balloon only
enough was left To last about twenty
four hours.
Wellman tried To grasp a rope thrown
| from the Trent and the rope goI twist
ed about his hand Before he got loose
IL nearly tore of his little finger and
badly bruised the rest Of the hand. The
comparative uuimBOrUance Of thp in
jury, however, was demonstrated by the
fact that as Meliman said this he held
a cigar in his bandaged hand and was
not obliged 10 let the member rest in
a sling.
The other members Of the Americas
crew said they felt as well as ever. and
they looked il. They are. Melvin
Naniman, engineer, j. hurry simmons
navigator J. X Irwin. wireless opera
tor, and Albert L. Loud and John Au-
burt, air sailors.
There was also the gray kitten,
which was 50 pampeTed by the women
passengers aboard the Trent that her
sides bulged with feeding
Delay In Landing.
The thick. gray curtain of fog hung
over New York bay this morning and
CONTINUED On PAGE seVen.t