Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-10-18

Dirigible America - 228 feet
long, So feet beam; passenger car,
1856 feet long. Floor Of car is
huge fiat gasolene tank, carried
5000 pounds Of gasolene in floor
tank and "equilbrator," series
Of steel tanks. jointed and depend
ing from car as drag ropes.
Engines-Two big motors on
propeller shaft, and one small
donkey" engine.
Provision-Canned meats and
vegetables, calculated to last crew
of six men a month. A small oil
stove is used for cooking.
The Crew-Walter Wellman, En-
gineer Melvin Vaniman, Navigat-
ing Officer F. Murray Simons,
Wireless Telegrapher J. X. Irwin,
Assistant Engineer Albert Louis =
Loud.
Duration of Voyage-Wellman,
before starting, expected that the
American would land in Europe in
from six to eight days.
- y
Atlantic City, N. j., Oct. 1.-THE
airship America, which has been pre-.
pairing for flight across the Atlantic
ocean under the supervision Of Walter
Wellman, was taken out Of the huge
balloon house, and at SOL a. m. the
great cigar-shaped craft went up in
the air and started seward. In two
it had disappeared in the
dense fog which prevailed.
What little wind that was blowing
at the time was from the west. AS
the balloon went into the air part
ing cheer was given by about 1000
persons.
The aeronauts waved their Good
BY" climbed into the car Of the i'm
mense gas bag, and foated off in the
dense fog that enveloped the entire
Island, while the crowd kept cheering.
Thousands Watch Start.
Dense fog with no wind made the
conditions perfect, and the balloon was
out Of sight almost Immediately. The
asst reported sight OF the America and
Is crew was secured by volunteer
crew of the yacht Olive, belonging to
Colonel Thomas Potter Of Philadel.
,hia, which guided the balloon out of
he inlet.
Just before starting Chief Engineer
Janiman informed Mrs. Vaniman and
friends that there is every reason to
believe that the weather conditions
will warrant the trip being continued,
n the effort to cross the ocean.
Twenty-six Miles an Hour.
Colonel Potter's small motor yacht,
~ means of rope, towed the airship |
he few hundred feet necessary to
each the waters edge. Those gath
red to see the start declare the sight
vas a beautiful one. There are six
len on the airship, and they are pro-
ided with provisions, mostly of the
AIMED variety, enough to last them a
lonth. The only means of cooking Is
18th a small oil stove, but this Mr..
vellman says will do all the cooking
ley require.
Each man is provided with two uni
# one for use in case extraordinary
I'D weather is encountered.
1t was estimated that the two en-
mes, which were working perfectly,
ere pushing the balloon through the
r at the rate of twenty-six miles an
)ur.
Wireless messages were received
ON Mr. Wellman every hour and 50
+ he has had no accident.
Nd OF STORY.
The last word received from Well.
an message early. Monday morn.
g: "All we'll, machinery working
ell. Have turned more northerly to
ach transatlantic steamer track.
xact position not sure; somewhere
tween 800 and 800 miles off shore"
Airship Crosses English Channel.
London, Oct. 17.-Another chapter
as added to the history of aviation
hen the French dirigible balloon
ement Bayard made the voyage from
,mpiegene to London In the remark.
lie time of six hours, journey re.
firing seven hours by the fastest
press trains and boats. Compiegene
As miles northeast of Paris and
out 1875 miles by air route to Lon
n. This is also the first occasion on
lich dirigible balloon has crossdd :
Q English channel. The over-water t
ute occupied As minutes. y