The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-10-16
WALTER WELLMAN AND BAT.
LOON AMERICA BEGIN VOYAGE
ACROSS THE SEAS.
FOOLS ALL


Atlantic City. N. r., Oct f5--Sailing
into thick fog that hung oyer the
Atlantic ocean a few minutes after y
o'clock this morning, Walter Wellman,
with crew Of five, men. II tonight
believed to be on nm epoch MAILING
voyage to Europe In the huge cigar
shaped airship America. Numerous
wireless messages were received during
the day. and the latest Indicated that
Wellman Is tonight sailing through the
darkness off the New York coast
The men making the flight are
Walter Wellman, commander: Melvin
Naniman. chief engineer, and next In
command Il. M. Simons. navigator;
j. X. Irwin. wireless operator. John
Anbert and Albert Louis Lord. assist
ant engineers. The start of the bal
loon America was one of tho most dra-
matte events ever occurring here.
Roundly criticized by people who did
not believe TINT he would ever UNDER
take what was thought to be a fool
hardy venture. Wellman startled the
whole island by bringing the America
out of the shed and, without ceremony.
going into the air.
1t was about a. IN. today that tho
final decision to go UP was made by
Chief Engineer vaniman. All night he
watched ut the weather bureau and as
dawn broke he decided. Rousing the
| crew. who slept I'm the car Nanimnn
called Weliman on the telephone ut til.
Hotel chatfont and notified him that
the time to start had arrived. Well
man soon was on the way to the Inlet
In an automobile. with everything ready
for the word Let go.' The crew
climbed into the car hanging from the
balloon. The final "Goodbys" were said
To wives relatives and friends and the
last word to the ground was given.
! On the board walk and beach was
assembled crowd estimated at about
10000. The crowd stood In awe al
the airship began to rise and sal tn
the fog. Then cheer after cheer tol
lowed when the craft began IL ais-
appear In the mist Within five min
utes the ship was out Of sight.
Robert Miller. the wireless operator
stationed here, kept calling the Amer
| lea, but 1t was not until Hos d. fB
that there was any response Then
out Of the air came this message tha
| first ever sent from an airahip III aea
Headed northeast: all we'll 9it
board. Machinery working fine. tfead-
bye. J. Irwin
/ After this messages eama fre4Aentlv
and all reported good pr9Rrass Tho
| last message received from Meilaaan.
| late today. said the co rya hal hern
laid for the north passaHa ffonl NtR-
fonndland and the speed had heen .eut
to 15 knots an hour r. ave ti1s eAssa
line. Enough gasoline il beins carried
to keep the Americas engines sAlAH
for nj least 80 days under the nsN
| speed pressure. The airship ii equipped
with provisions for so days and a 81
| foot lfeboat Ii car1ed. II the ship
gets into difficulty In the way of motor
trouble to the two 60horse power en-
gines and donkey engine, which Ii
carried. the wireless will be depended
upon to summon ships.
Should the whole structure collapse.
the crew will take to the llfeboat. and.
being in the track OF steamers, expects
to be picked up without drifting long
In the ocean. II all IL well tonight it
is believed the America, through her
wireless, Is In communication with
ships, and these in turn are passingg
the word along TO ocean liners further
east.