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America: 1910
Submitted by Dave on Tue, 09/30/2008 - 1:32am.
Oct. 15, 1910. "Wellman airship seen from Trent." Walter Wellman's hydrogen dirigible America just before being abandoned by its crew near Bermuda, 1,370 miles into an attempt to cross the Atlantic from New Jersey. Its engines having failed, the America drifted out of sight, never to be seen again. View full size.
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Gone forever
Submitted by loribl on Sun, 04/12/2009 - 11:33pm.
All I can think of is the Bermuda Triangle. This is one strangely unsettling shot.
Airship Equilibrator
Submitted by Hector Thrombus on Thu, 10/02/2008 - 6:26pm.
If my airship history serves me correctly, what you see hanging below the airship in the water is a device Wellman called an "equilibrator" ... This was a set of metal cylinders tied together and hung beneath the crew cabin, designed to keep the airship at a constant altitude (around 200 ft) and act as ballast. Unfortunately, neither the equilibrator nor the ship itself worked very well, resulting in the crew having to abandon the airship as seen here. Fascinating photo!
[Click here for more on Walter Wellman and his flying kitten. - Dave]
Line in the water
Submitted by Anonymous Tipster on Wed, 10/01/2008 - 7:13pm.
What is that line of waves that seems to be going from the ship to the dirigible? Some sort of tether or anchor to allow the passengers to evacuate?
[I'd say it's a dirigible anchor. If there is such a thing. - Dave]
Eerie
Submitted by baron von aaron on Wed, 10/01/2008 - 10:59am.
This seems like one of those once in a lifetime images. having never seen a dirigible in my lifetime, i'd always seen them as elements of science fiction stories.
Otherworldly
Submitted by Anonymous Tipster on Tue, 09/30/2008 - 9:20am.
An eerie sight. Great composition with the ship's railing, horizon line, and airship profile forming a series of parallel lines.
Flying Boat
Submitted by Chaco on Tue, 09/30/2008 - 7:06am.
Wow, nothing more than a boat attached to a balloon!
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