Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-10-29
AIRSHIP SAILS
j OVER ST. LOUIS
Made an Unannounced Flight of Ten
Miles From Worlds Fair.
SCARED HIGH ABOVE BUILDINGS

st. Louis, Oct. 26-Propelled part Of
the way by its own power and the
remainder of the distance by the wind.
which was blowing at the rate of 10
miles an hour, the Arrow. an airship
owned and perfected by Thomas S.
Baldwin, of San Francisco, in charge
OF A. Roy Knabenshue, of Toledo,
made an unannounced flight OF 10
miles from the Worlds Fair grounds
over st. Louis and across the Missis-
sippi river to Caholxia, III.
Clinging to the frame work Of the
car, his precarious foothold an iron
tube that forms one side of the base
of the triangular network of supports
and ribs of the Arrows body, Kna-
benshGe directed the movements of the
flying machine and manoeuvred in cir
cles and against the wind high over
the great buildings of the exposition,
before an accident to the motor rem
dered the big fan propellers useless
and curtailed his command of direc-
ton, but not of suspension or descen-
sion.
When the motor broke Knabenshue
manoeuvred the flying machine into
the wind, and he was enabled to steer
the Arrow in a course that varied
several points either way from the
trend of the wind and to land at a
point Of his own selection.
There were few persons at the aero
drome when the flight began The
trip from the starting point to the
main part of the exposition grounds
was unnoticed by most of the thou
sands of visitors to the fair.
AS the airship, several hundred feet
in the air, sailed over the transporta-
ton building it was seen by several,
and then by hundreds of sightseers,
and within 10 minutes of it's discov-
cry thousands were watching Knabens-
hue cause the flying machine to turn
this way and that at his will.
Slowly the Arrow turned and.
breasting the wind, made progress in
the direction from which it had come.
Again the big cigar-shaped balloon
answered it's helm and again it scared
above the exposition buildings on its
way to the cascades, where hundreds
of cheering spectators marked its
flight from the Plaza st. Louis. In at
tempting to make the second turn
the motor broke. Almost instantly the
navigator gained control of the ma
chine and steered a straight course a
little east of southeast
Steering his ship so that he could
gain the best speed from the wind,
Knabenshue directed its course over
the southwestern residence quarter of
st. Louis. where its presence was soon
discovered and watched by thousands
Of persons who rushed from their
homes to watch the airship.
Passing rapidly eastward, the Arrow
reached the business quarter, where
its appearance was the signal for
great excitement. Clerks deserted
their desks, street cars were stopped
and all business was suspended until
the airship passed.
After sailing high over the sky
scrapers, Knabenshue passed to the
Illinois side OF the Mississippi river
and headed toward Cahokia, where he
brought the airship to the ground
easily.
The flight occupied exactly one
hour. The motor broke about 10 min
utes after the airship left the aero
nautic concourse.
The airship was constructed under
the personal supervision of Captain
Baldwin in California, and differs in
many features from ships constructed
in the past. On the ship Captain Bald
win places his hopes of winning the
100000 prize at the fair. The gas
balloon is cfoar-ShaOed made Of lana
nese silk, "a feet long and II feet l.