The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-26
WELLMAN A|RSH|P
SAFELY LAUNCHED
Riding Air Under Balloon Shed
With Three-Ton Car Hung
Below.

Atlantic City, N. j., September To-
Walter Wellman's big dirigible, which
is twice as large as the biggest ar
SID ever built in France and thru
larger than the craft in which Well
man tried to reach the North Pole,
began to drop off her sand ballast az
1920 o'clock yesterday morning
BY IL o'clock 1000 pounds of the
stuff had been dumped from $50 bags,
and.the gas envelope began to tug at
the great steel car, Weighing just
three and a half tons, which is bound
10 it by sixty steel cables. The ctbles
grew taut together, the steel car rose
from the ground, and The America
rested wholly in the air, Just UNDER
meath the balloon shed. The launch
| of the craft was perfect on MONDAY
| it Will be ready for trial flights; by
! Friday, II mo mishap requiring over
hauling occurs, the balloon VIII ne
/ ready to test out the transatlantic
| going toward the irish or the EnsHsn
| coast
Sir William Treloar, ex-Lord Mayor
of London, was among those who had
EXPRESSED their doubts as to the ability
4 OF The America to lift the heavy steel
car above which she was hung for
three weeks while the steel cables
were being adjusted. He was present
when the car was lifted In the air,
and was the first to congratulate the
transatlantic sky skipper.
by George" he said as he grasped
. --r Wellman's hand, I'm rapidly
, changing my mind ABOUT going to Eu-
rope in the Celtic. have passage en-
gagged for October s. hut I've half a
| MIND to cancel the reservation and
: apply for passage on the America
Would you take me II did? l might
just UP and do it, you know"
Mr.. Wellman 1aughingly. with Sill
William appreciating the compliment
said he hardly thought he ought tc
/ encourage such an ambition, at leas
0 until after the first trip across hat
, been accomplished.
The big drigtble, as she floats II
. her shed with 1900 pounds of sane
In bags still clinging to her. in addi
ton to the 1000 pounds represented
q by the steel car and the 5000 pounds
of the envelope. is ready to take OF
her final equipment OF gaso1ene. men
and provisions Sandbags Will b,
S thrown away with each added poun,
Of weigh, until 1t is expected tina
(, very little sand cargo will remain t,
n make the journey overseas.
G Melvin Vaniman, chief engineer o
the Wellman staff had immediate su
: pervision OF the ships first rise int,
o the air. When he saw all the cable
J, tugging In unison without slacl
- :, strand in any one OF them and no
y one pulling more than any of tn
others. he smiled broad smile OF in
o tense satisfaction. 1t was the critIca
Il moment of the air crafts life, he said
: and It might have made necessar,
weeks of delay had any OF the wir
. ropes broken from oyerstraln, as
q would have proved to him that he ha
: inquired his adjustments wrong.
$ Iwo-thirds OF the gas bags and tn
9 motors OF four and eight cylinder
respectively saw service In the Arctic
. otherwise the entire craft received II
!. nrst tryout yesterday. After lookin,
d everything over late in the afternoo,
MI. Wellman said that from now o,
Q he is at the mercy of the wind aat
t weather alone, as to trial flights. n
Z. has made his plans, It was learned. /,
. fly over Atlantic City several time
= and make one trip TO New York he
fore heading the nose of his e2sroo
4 lier into the fogs off Sandy Hook.
4. local association has an interes
= In seeing that some of these prelimi
q nary flights take place. ana one OF II
% officers said last night that the as
y ISOLATION had a contract with M,
< Wellman which 1t was expected woul
d keep him making short flights 70
possibly two weeks. The assoclatio
officers hope to be passengers In thes
flights. especially on the jaunt to Ne,
y York.