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WORKMEN PREPARING THE CAR AND MACHINERY OF THE AIRSHIP FOR A TRIAL TRIP-NOTE THE SILK COVERING OF THE CAR, AND THE BIG STEEL TANK AT ITS BASE.

accident to the compass prevented us turning the trial into an actual attempt to start for the Pole; but afterward, when the wind blew steadily and strongly from the northwest and north for several days, and winter set in, we realized that even if we had started we could never have made any satisfactory head-way.
We had, however, had a trial of the ship. We knew what she could do, we knew minor particulars in which she could be improved. We had tried both equilebrating and re-tarding serpents, and found them effective. After this invaluable experience the "Amer-ica" was saved, little damaged, and taken back to our workshops in Paris where she has been overhauled and improved and made as nearly perfect as possible for the next

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