The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-07
Order From Chief, Hudson Stops
Proposed Trip of "The Mon
tana Butterfly"
TO MAKE ASCENSION TO-DAY.
Plans of BenbOw Were to Go Up
on Anniversary of Day When
He Made His First Trial
With His Invention.
q . . 90 . <>> 81
. BENBOw TO GO UP TO-DAY .

500 . . . >>&>
. BENBOW TO GO UP TO-DAY .
IF WEATHER PERMITS. .
- 80 far as the Exposition is con- q
. cerned, everything Is in readiness q
. for flight by the airships to-day" q
= said Percy Hudson. Chief Of Aero q
. nautics of the Worlds Fair. III q
q the weather permits, It Is possible q
q that there will be an ascension. The q
q flight probably will be made at 3 q
. O'Clock. IL the weather Is satisrac- q
. tory" o
- I. c. Benbow may 80 up with his q
. ship to-day. Benbow states that his q
. machine Is in good condition, and .
o that he is prepared to make a flight. q
Captain T. c. Baldwin and A. Roy q
. knabenshue were at work for tho q
. greater part Of yesterday adjusting .
. the apparatus Of the California q
q Arrow." which they are preparing q
. for another flight The motor has Q
q been overhauled. and tho cause OK q
q the last break in the machinery has q
. been reme'lied. q
= John Berry. the inventor OF the q
. "St Louis" was at work yesterday q
q with his airship. He stated that q
o the bag Of his ship would be ready .
q for imitation to-day. and that he .
. would make fight as soon as he q
. could be supplied with gas. -
. . 80 . . . = 30 % <<1I
Just as he was about to leave the earth
for a flight with his airship. THE Mon
tana Butterfly" from the Aeronautic
Concourse at the Worlds Fair yesterday
noon. Thomas c. Benbow was prevented
from going up by the enforcement by the
Jefferson Guard OF an order issued by
Percy Hudson. Chief OF Aeronautics Of
the Exposition
When Mr Hudson was apprised of the
fact that Benbow was attempting to
make flight with his airship the Chief
of Aeronautics at once telephoned to Cap
tain W. E Welsh Of the Thirtieth United
States Infantry. in command Of a COM
pany OF Jefferson Guards. the officer of
the day, and he at once put a stop to the
attempt
Mr. Hudson gave as his reason for the
issuance Of his order preventing the flight
that 1t was against the rules of the Ex-
position management for airships to go
up except on such days as the Fair was
open to the public. Besides. 1t was the
desire Of the Exposition that such flights
should be made only when the public had
an opportunity Of witnessing them. Then
too, gas Is too scarce an article for any OF
It to be wasted on flights on Sunday, he
said. when no pecuniary benefits could
possibly arise to the management there
from.
IDEAL DAY FOR FLIGHT.
The break of day gave promise It would
be an ideal one for the flight OF an air
ship. and up to II o'clock It was perfect
The wind was hardly perceptibie. Even
after II o'clock and toward noon. when
Benbow's plans were stopped. the wind
was not blowing at a greater rate than
three or four miles an hour. and the
aeronaut expressed himself as greatly
pleased with the elements
Aside from the fact that the weather
was all that could be desired for a trial
flight, there was still another reason why
Benbow was particularly anxious to make
an ascension yesterday. 1t was just
year ago yesterday that he made his first
fight with The Montana Butterfly"
This was at Frankfort, N. Y. and as L.
II. Wurdholz and G. T. Tomlinson Of
Syracuse, n. 7. who are connected with
the Aeronautic Concourse. who were pres
ent then, vii! bear witness. II was sue
cessful. The ship made a fight OF half
a mile and returned. despite the fact that
1t was showing.
1t was about 10 o'clock that the Benbow
ship was led from the aerodrome by the
inventor and his partner. H. ]. Wells. and
anchored Just east OF the building Ben
h<,,r~ 11I h. toe
thorough inspection Of every detail Of the
ship. which was the work of lifetime,
and then entered the car at 11:ao o'clock
The motor was tested several times.
EVERYTHING IN READINESS.
Everything was in readiness for the trial
flight by Benbow just minute OF so be-
fore noon. The inventor himself said that
every feature of his machine was in per-
feet working order. and that he
could wish for no better conditions
than existed. The machine had been
turned around. and Benbow again
entered the car, and then, Just
as the man from Montana was about to
start out on an eventful trip, came the
telephone order from Mr. Hudson and the
carrying out Of his instructions By Cap
tain Welsh and his men.
Well. boys. Well put her back" said
Benbow. with a look of disappointment
on his face, and the Montana Butterfly"
was taken back to the aerodrome, and
thus the anniversary of its first fight re-
manned uncelebrated, though through no
fault of its inventor.
81 was anxious to show what I could
do with the Montana Butterfly" said
Benbow. "and. of course am very greatly
disappointed that was not permitted to
make a trial flight i have no criticism
to make whatever of the Exposition man
agement for its refusal to let me go,
however. It was my intention to make
trip of about three miles and then return
to the Aeronautic Concourse."