The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-08-26
BENBoW STILL BELIEVES IN HIS
AlRsHlP.
WHAT he EXPECTS TO DO
Says Will Sail Over Exposition
Grounds and Have Machine
Under Absolute Control.

No matter if Santos -Dumont has
packed his big gas bag and returned
to France and some of the others
who thought, or professed to think
they had airships that would fly,
are heard of no more, Mon
tana's inventor has not quit, but is
hard at work as usual and expects to
soon give a practical demonstration
of his flying machine. He has re-
moved his "ship" from Delmar park
to the exposition grounds and once
more st. Louis has become interested
in him and his invention.
With the retention of all of his for
mer confidence in the ultimate success
of his invention, Mr.. Benbow also
retains his accustomed modesty and
whenever possible avoids the report
ers and interviewers. Occasionally
he recedes from his rule of silence
One of these occasions occurred three
or four days ago, when he consented
to speak to the correspondent of
Montana paper and said something
concerning his hopes, ambitions and
expectations.
II don't know what / will do-but
/ know what / will try to do with
my airship," he is quoted as saying.
II would much rather not talk or
make any promises because, be-
lieve, the reading public are tired Of
seeing airships that fly-on paper.
When I make my experimental trip,
which I will the first fine day, either
all the world will hear of Benbow
OF Montana or he will never be heard
of again.
Big Prize a Myth.
What I think l can do is to sail
ever this entire exposition, raise or
lower my ship, turn at will and come
to earth when and how please.
CAS- for the contest and aerial races
that is all of, and the 100000 prize
is a myth.
"You see man must make a rate
of 20 miles an hour to win prize,
and none of us can do that, not even
Santos No, you can put a
peg in that statement there will be
no race-for the management is too
far behind already to slough off $780,
600 more
Wants to Deliver Goods.
Zone of the first things ! want to
do is to show these people here that
l can deliver the goods; after do that
people will come to me and can make
a living by demonstrating i'm other
places. How did I know l can fly?
kept cable attached to my ma.
chine, but when try here they can
simply cut me loose. Baldwin of
Frisco is the only other man who
ever sailed in an airship in America.
Santos-D Dumont could if he wished,
but that is another story.
Only Two Machines.
"There are only two flying ma
chimes on the grounds today. The
other fellow is Geary of Memphis,
Mo-, who patterned his machine after
a horsefly. Dumont went home and
took his machine with him and it is
said there is a scandal in the affair.
The Frenchman could not make good
his boast to sail 20 miles am hour and
used this excuse to get away. Any
way he gathered up his traps ana
left for France This left no one
here but Geary, so the fair people
sent over to Delmar park for me and
here am.
'sIn few days will be able % get
some pure gas and then / win take q
trial trip free. After have salied
once will fly for them as often as
they pay me. have never had my
machine or myself photographed and
will not until fly here"
/ A Brief Description.
Benbow's propelling car hangs d.
rectly under the big $4,000 foot gas
bag. The bag is egg shaped, Is feet
long and 21 feet in diameter. The
car Is made Of aluminium; it is 80
feet long and weighs $50 pounds with
Benbow up. A gas manufacturing
plant has just been completed on the