The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-10-26

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 25.-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 about
nine or ten miles an hour, the airship
Arrow, owned by Thomas S. Baldwin
OF San Francisco. in charge Of A r.
Knabenshue Of Toledo, made an un-
announced ascension from the aeronau-
tic concOurse at the Worlds Fair to-
day and landed near Cahokia, H.. a
distance OF nearly ten miles. The flight
attracted the attention Of thousands OF
persons. who cheered almost cOntinu-
ously as the big machine passed over
the exposition grounds. left the resi-
Cence section Of St Louis far beneath
* and SCARED high above the towering
Office buildings Of the business district
CllIglng 70 the framework 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 airship. Knabenshue direct
ed the movements Of the flying ma
chine and unanswered in circles and
against the wind high over the mon
ster exhibit palaces of the exposition
before an accident TO his motor rem
dered the big fan-like propellers useless
and curtailed his command Of the air
ship.
STEERS AS HE PIEASES.
Notwithstanding the breaking Of the
motor, Knabenshue did not lose COM
plete control of the machine but with
the momentum given by the wind he
was enabled to steer the machine in a
course that varied several points in
each direction from the trend Of the
wind and land at a point of his own
selection.
After he had landed, Knabenshue
stated that when he found he could
control the movements Of the airship
even after the motor was useless he
determined TO make the test a fair one
and decided to effect a landing on the
east side Of the Mississippi River.
Steering his balloon so that he could
gain the best speed from the wind,
Knabenshue directed it's course over
the southwestern residence district Of
st. Louis. Passing rapidly eastward
the Arrow reached the downtown dis
fr1ct. where its appearance was the
signal for the greatest excitement
Practically all business was suspended
while the airship passed over the city.
From its movement the spectators
could not determine whether the pro-
pellers were working. as the big ship
seemed 10 respond 10 every demand
made by its navigator and to change
its course at viii. not at the vagaries
OF the wind. Although then nearly a
mile high, knabenshue could be seen
occasionally moving back and forth on
HIS dangerous standing place, keeping
his ship under control and directing its
movements either upward or downward
IS he desired.
From the Missouri side he passed TO
the Illinois side Of the Mississippi River
and having completed his seIf-imposed
task headed toward Cahokia and
brought his airship TO the ground about
half a mile from that little hamlet.
When within about ten feet OF the
earth Knabenshue threw out his gran
pie and one OF the hooks caught on a
large tree standing on the edge of a
clearing, and the machine settled slow
~ TO the ground, resting lightly upon
its framework.
OF A UNIQUE DESIGN.
Knabenshue alighted and secured the
airship to prevent injury from the wind.
and hurried to put himself in commu-
nicstion with Baldwin, who had re-
manned at the Worlds Fair grounds.
and assure him that the Arrow was un-
injured. The flight occupied exactly
one hour. The motor broke about if-
teen minutes after the airship left the
aeronautic concourse.
The airship was constructed under the
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