New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-10-19

weIIman any more assured? What YES
sells have you in Boston or along the
cCast?''
The message TO the Navy Department
asked what vessels were available to
search for Wellman.
The Treasury Department replied that
the Gresham, at Boston; the Acushnet,
at Nantucket. and the derelict destroyer
Seneca, at Tompkinsville, Staten Island.
could be sent out at once in quest Of the
missing balloonists.
Rear Admiral Nicholson, Acting Sec
rotary of the Navy, was preparing TO
reply when he. was told that Wellman
had been rescued. He then telegraphed
to the President that the cruisers North
Carolina and Prairie, at New York, and
the birmingham at Yorktown, Va,
were available to make the search. but
that press dispatches indicated that 1t
would be unnecessary.
Army and navy officials at Washing
ton were surprised to hear that the
America had gone so far off her course,
and regarded It as remarkable that her
crew had been picked up. They declared
the flight wonderful. though 1t failed In
its ambitious object Of landing IN
Europe.
General James Allen. chief of the Sig
nal Corps. had a short time before the
news of the rescue arrived expressed
grave fears for the safety OF the air
navigators. He said that in q recent
talk Wellman had indicated that he
placed little confidence In the collapsible
boat carried by the balloon, and did not
think much of the chances of the crew If
II became necessary to descend to the
sea. General Allen had expected that
the America might land on the coast Of
Nova Scotia, and was much surprised to
hear that she had been driven SO far
south.
Before starting on the trip Jack
Irwin, the wireless operator. explained
what would be done in case the balloon
fell to the water. Irwin occupied the
lifeboat. which swung below the deck of
the airship. From this lifeboat he op-
Grated the Marconi wireless equipment.
Irwin Describes Safety Plan.
Should the airship come down to the
water" said Irwin. the lifeboat in which
I am located will first touch the water.
l am then to cut loose the lifebOat. The
effect of this will be to release the
weight of the lifeboat and all its con-
| tents, including myself. from the dead
weight attached to the balloon. The
natural result will be that the balloon
49, nc -,.;1I l.
| left in the lifeboat with ample provisions
and l expect to be picked UP by some
| passing liner
The reports do not disclose whether
| this programme was followed, but the
| inference is that all the members of the
crew climbed into the lifeboat before ii
was cut away from the America
Whether fear that the America would
run into the hurricane which devastated
Cuba had anything to do with Wellman's
| determination to abandon his airshir
| has not yet been disclosed. On Ssturday
| he anxiously inquired about the probable
course of the storm. Assurances were
| flashed TO him from Washington that
! the hurricane would not reach the coasts
| fore Tuesday. if at all. He was expected
to be off Sable Island by that time
When he found himself being carried
down into the zone in which the storm
| would probably be felt. his decision 70
come down and seek refuge aboard the
steamship instead Of risking further
dangers in the air so far from his pro-
posed course may have been FASTENED.
Jack Irwin sent a wireless message
yesterday to his employer. the Marconi
Press Agency, as follows:
Rescued by Trent All instruments
saved. Arrange to meet ship to take
| instruments over Wireless played i'm
portant part in rescue"
Wives of Aeronauts Rejoice.
In Atlantic City, where Mrs. Wellman
and Mrs Vaniman We're awaiting news
Of their husbands, the greatest anxiety
was felt for the safety Of the aeronauts.
Great relief was expressed when the
news of the rescue was flashed TO the
starting point. The hackers Of the expe-
dition though the northeast gale must
have put the motor power of the Amer
lea out of commission In some way.
They could not explain in any other
way the failure of Wellman to hold his
own at least as the motors were sup
posed TO drive the airship at a speed of
twenty-six miles when both were going.
or at twenty miles with one engine still.
my greatest sorrow is over the ter
rIble disappointment that it will be to
my husband and the men of the Amer
| ica over their failure TO reach Europe,
said Mrs Wellman. at Atlantic City, just
before she started for New York late
yesterday.
az shall have little to say until Mr..
WeIlman has arrived" added Mrs. Well
man. we must be proud of the men
who risked their lives aboard the Amer
! ica But / knew that Mr.. Wellman has
ALWAYS considered the venture as a sci
entifc experiment. and his own words
,nilt he best able 10 tell his conclusions. u
/ Mrs. and Miss Wellman. Mrs. Vani-
man wife OF the chief engineer. and
Mrs Loud, wife of one of Mr.. Vaniman S
assistants. reached here last night and
went to the Waldorf to be ready TO meet
the Trent to-day