The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1910-10-21
WALTER MELLMAN OFF
TO EUROPE in AIRSHIP
Sailing in the Track Of the Big
Ocean Liners.
THE OUTLOOK IS NOT 50 FAVORABLE

Messages Picked Wy BY the Wireless
Station At Siasconsett, Mass, and
Conveyed To the Wife and Friends
OF the Expedition Leader - Still
Cut on From View BY the Fog
Next Messages Likely To Re Re-
ceived From Sable Island. Maxi
ing Am Average Progress Of Al
Miles An Hour.
Siasconsett, Mass. Especially
Somewhere east Of Nantucket Island,
of the coast Of Massachusetts and
approximately 500 miles from At
lantic City, the starting point. Walter
Wellman's airship America, signalled
q wireless ''all's we'll" and good-by
at 12.45 o'clock Sunday afternoon
and swung on up the coast through
the fog. This message, the last of
the days wireless conversations, was
received here by A. H. Gilman, the
Marconi operator, who had been on
the alert since dawn.
At 9 o'clock A. M. Siasconsett first
came in touch with the giant dirig-
ible. Then, although the wireless
range Of the craft is comparatively
short, owing to necessarily limited
power and attenae, the station was
surprised to hear its call, IN. S. c."
clear and strong followed by
w. the code signature of the air
ship. Judging from the strength of
the signals, 1t was assumed that the
America was In close proximity to
Nantucket, and Immediately all the
life-saving stations and lighthouses
on the island were notified by tele-
phone to keep sharp lookout.
But the fog, which had enshrouded
the America since her departure, still
hung over the ocean, shutting Off the
view. The Marconi station, however,
began rapid-fire OF interrogations
and learned from Jack Irwin, the
Americas operator, that the ships
motors had been stopped and that
the dirigible was heading east-north-
east and making 20 miles an hour
with the wind. Nantucket's excite
ment was acute, but with motors
idle the airship sailed along as ST.
lently as a phantom in the sky, where
ordinarily the engines e:lhausts
would have reverberated along the
coast.
However, the electric voice Of the
Marconi station filled in at times
what the eye and ear were denied
and internationally the operators here
exchanged greetings with their late
sociate, who, it will be recalled, re-
ceived at this station the dramatic
&C. @. D." from the Inflated steam
ship Republic.
From that time on the signals
from the airship grew steadily weak
err until finally at 12.45 a message
was flashed from here asking If
everything aboard was o. K. Faint
ly came the reply Eyes, then fainter
still the two letters 20. b." good
by.
Unable to take observations in the
fog, the Americas exact position re-
NAMED unknown throughout the day
as has been the case since she set
sail. Her course, however, has been
along the steamship lines and as no
word to the contrary has been re-
ceived the assumption is that Mr..
Wellman, with so days fuel and so
days provisions aboard, Is adhering
to his plan of crossing the Atlantic
and landing on the British Isles. It
is likely that no further wireless
word from the airship will be receiv-
ed here.
When last heard from during the
day-12.45 P. M-the America had
been in the air just IS minutes less
than 20 hours, and having covered
approximately 800 miles. must have
averaged in forward progress be-
tween 10 and IL miles an hour. At
this rate the craft would not pass
Sable Island, 450 miles distant from
Nantucket, until 9 o'clock Tuesday
morning, and Cape Race, $50 miles
farther, o'clock Wednesday even
ing.