The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-11-04
AT LAST, REAL AIR
SHIP MAKES TRIP
eaidwin's California "Arrow''
Meets Requirement.. OF the
Exposition Contest.
IS AN ENTIRE SUCCESS
Ship and Builder Given a Great Ovation
After the Flisht-ship Will Make
Daily Demonstrations Here
after, It's Owners Say.


Daily Demonstrations Here
after, Its Owners Say.
ST. Louis. Nov. 3.-After circling ir
every direction at a height of 1000 feet
above the Cascades. in sight of thou.
sands af cheering. enthusiastic spec
ltators on the worlds fair grounds, A
Roy Krabenshue. of Toledo. o.. in COM
mand of the Baldwin airship. returned
to the place from which he had start
ed. over the same course that he had
come. covering the three miles and a
half of the round trip under his own
power and demonstrating the claims of
the inventor. Capt. Thomas S. Baldwin.
of San Francisco. that the california
Arrow" is not only dirigible. but that
1t car make Roadway against a mod
crate b,eez
knabenshue started from the aero
nautic COncourSe at 3:37 o. m. and re-
turned after his remarkable flight at
4.05 p. m. On the return trip the air
ship sailed slowly yer the exact spot
from which it had risen twenty-eight
minutes previously, and glided about
100 feet turtner west, where 1t scared
gracefully to the ground.
The successful flight came as a cli-
iIaGLA IL a Il u vi eIIi0illS.
Baldwin and Knabenshue had worked
for twenty six hours without sleep in
order to prepare for the flight. and the
first essay at an ascent. with Baldwin
himself in command of the airship. had
ended disastrously. the Arrow" falling
suddenly to the ground and breaking
II Of the blades of the propeller.
Repairs Quickly Made.
After a hasty examination Baldwin
announced that the damage could be
repaired at once. and said that Knaben-
shue would attempt another flight in a
half hour. The crowd. which was be-
Ing momentarily augmented. cheered
the announcement and patiently waited
while the repairs were being made.
AT the time Baldwin had stated the
airshtp was again brought from the
aerodrome and hastily groomed for the
flight. AT a signal from Knabenshue
the airship was cast loose and the mo-
tor started.
The ARROW. rose slowly and easily.
When at a height of abou twenty-five
feet Knabenshue turned the rudder
and the aerial craft. answering to its
helm. pointed south and continued its
flight without Interruption.
Knabenshue at that time was not
high enough to clear the aeronautic
fence. and as he rapidly approached it
the crowd held its breath, fearing that
the craft would be dashed against the
'barricade and the aeronaut badly in
,tured OF perhaps killed.
The young man. who chung to the
'frali support that affords the navigator
of the "California Arrow" a %precarious
foothoid. did not share the anxiety of
the spectators. Waving his cap to as
sure those who were following his
every move. Knabenshue moved
toward the rear of the airship. The
Arrow pointed its prov upward. and,
answering tho pull of the propeller.
rapidly gained an altitude of about 1000
feet.
Knabenshue again changed the direc-
ton of the craft n passed over the
crowd In the concourse. which. although
hoarse from cheering, did its best to
encourage the daring youth in COM
'mand OF the swiftly moving ship.
Motor Was Plainly Heard.
The '.chuch, chuch" of the motor
could be plainly heard, and the rays of
the sur glistened upon the silver tinted
blades of the propeller. making n halo
arOund the prov of the flying machine.
After proceeding half to three-quarters
of a mile westward Knabenshue turned
the airship about and again passed
Over h %concourse. at the same time in
~creasing his altitude until he vas about
1000 feet above the earth.
Sailing first to the northeast and then
to the southeast. occasionally making
a complete turn. Knabenshue som
tinsed In a generally easterly direction
the worlds fair grounds and about a
mile n a half in a direct line from
the point of starting.
AT about that time the barely per-
ceptible breeze that had been blowing
from the northwest increased to about
03rvSn ~ tyN~ ~~cl ,~@.~l ~
order to return to the starting point it
was necessary for Knabenshue to
breast this breeze. 1t could be seen
that his first effort to turn the air
ship from a course before the wind
was unsuccessful, and fears were ex-
pressed that Knabenshue could not
complete the demonstration by return
ing to the %concourse. He attempted
several times to turn to the left, n
suddenly swung the rudder sharply in
the other direction. and the Arrow
came into the air. staggered a
and then. gaining power, came toward
the concourse at a speed that caused
the spectators to cheer and to throw
their hats into the air. The demon
stration was observed by Knabenshue.
who leaned far out and waved an
empty alias bag.
Without deviation the california
Arrow" continued in the teeth of the
breeze. gaining speed and rushing
oward the concourse in an imposing
manner
When within a few hundred yards
of The c%oncourse Knabenshue moved
forward: the ARROW responded Inn
mediately to the downward shift and
sailed towards the ground without a
diminishrrent of speed. Knabenshue
entered the concourse from the east at
I; height of about 200 feet. ana. slowing
the speed of his motor. directed the air.
ship over the wooden t~restles that had
supported the Arrow before the
flight started. His momentum was too
great to admit of stopping exactly in
the place from which he had made the
ascent, but the airship settled to the
ground within 100 feet.
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