The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1904-11-03
THE AIRSHIP
GOT AW Az
THE BALDWIN SHIP
ESCAPED IN THE DARKNESS
There Were Two Accidents, and After
the Second the Invention Got Away
and Drifted Off on a Little Trip
of Its Own.

---
st. Louis, Nov. accidents
late yesterday afternoon sst night
prevented the long distah flight
arranged by Capt Thomas 6 81 Twin,
Of San Francisco. to test ding
powers Of his airship, the Z o. IA.
Arrow, and what twas to have "
speed demonstration around a
scribed quadrangular course of all at
fifteen miles, developed into drifting
exhibition. the Arrow finally landing
in a corn field four miles west Of the
aeronautic concourse at the worlds fair
after the motor had been disabled by
an exhaust cap blowing off when the
vessel had resumed its flight after the
first breakdown had been repaired. ,.
The first accident resulted in the
Arrow being brought to the. ground
about a mile and a half east, of the
concourse The airship was command
ed by Roy Knabenshu of Toledo, O..
Captain Baldwin had arranged to fol-
low the airship in an automobile and
when the accident occurred and the
motor stopped he gave instructions to
follow the drifting aerial craft.
When Captain Baldwin reached the
Arrow, the repairs were immediately
started. In less than an hour the Ar
row was again in the air making head
way against breeze that had blown
it out of its course and it looked as
though the long distance test would be
made. i. a IS 4.s /
After the Arrow had disappeared
from the sight of those assembled in
the worlds fair concourse, the, crowd
waited patiently for some word from
the damaged airship. The chances of
Knabenshu being able to repair the
break in the motor were discussed and
but few expected to see him again nav
igating the airship until after the Ar
row had been hauled back to the con-
course and repaired Suddenly watch
full eyes discerned the Arrow arising
above the horizon and within five min
utes it had approached the concourse
SO near that Knabenshu could be plain
sly seen and the chiig. chug Of the
motor heard
Cheers greeted the temperance Of
the Arrow. just before the Arrow ar
rived in position over the concourse
fence, the motor was again seen to
hesitate, three or four waYering reva-
lutions followed and then the silver
colored blades hung motienless, while
the aIrship was again grasped by the
breeze and hurried back over tile dis
tance it had won against the wind.
knabenshu, undaunted by the second
breakdown, hung far out over the side
of the aerial vessel and waved his cap
toward the hundreds of persons throng-
ing the aeronalItic concourse.
IA breeze which was blowing at the
rate Of about FIVE miles an hour from
the east waited the airship away from
its course, 1900 or 1000 feet below.
As long as it could be discerned the
crowd watched its movements and sew
cral hundred persons remained at the
concourse until word had been receiv-
ed from Knabenshu that he had alight-
ed safely and that neither he nor the
Arrow had been injured, beyond min
or accident to the machinery in the
latter. AS the vessel was SO near the
concourse, Captain Baldwin decided that
it would entail too great aloss of time
to defioat the bag and carry the Ar
row back to the world S fair.
Volunteers we're numerous and Bald
wins plan of carrying the Arrow back
to the concourse by hand was agreed
on and with relays Of bearers the march
was started. While tits was being
done, the lead rope was dragged from
the hands Of BaldWin's assistants and
the airship broke loose and scared into
the air. When last seen the airsllip
was drifting rapidly in a nortllWesterly
direction.
AT III o'clock nothing had been heard
regarding the probable location Of the
airship which Captain Baldwin felt
confident had BY that time landed
through the condensation of gas, and
he decided not to look farther for any
tidiilgs.
Airsfip hadn't been heard from at
noon.