The Washington times., 1905-08-24
ROY KNABENSHUE
STARTLES GOTHAM
Makes Spectacular Voyage
in His Airship.
WITNESSED BY THOUSANDS
Necks Grained, and Hosts Follow Flight
From Columbia Circle to Twenty
third Street.

NEW YORK, Aug. 2A-"It is Just as
safe to make a trip from Columbus
Circle to Twenty-third street and back
in an atrship as it is to travel that
route in an automobile" said c. Roy
Knabenshue, sky pilot, after second
successful voyage above Manhattan
Island,
Five hundred thousand persons, who
watched the aeronaut guide his airship
from the lot in Sixty-second street and
Central Park West to a point 5000 feet
above the housetops of First avenue
aud Twenty-third street, and then re-
turn almost TO the starting place. will
be inclined to agree with Mr.. Knaben-
shue.
The city went airship mad during the
young mans flight. Business in the
section above Twenty-third street was
practically suspended during the half
hour occupied by the flying machine III
its trip. The Rialto was thrown into a
state bordering on hysteria when word
was passed along that Knabenshue
would scatter bank checks, changeable
into real money, during his flight.
Not a Bit FIusteTed.
Weighed down by sandbags hung TO
the frame work of the business part Of
the airship. the whole affair was lifted
by the ships crew and set on two tres
Ties about four feet high. Showing no
more excitement than if he was about
to get aboard a trolley ear. Knabenshue
walked all around the machine and ex-
amined the network and rigging by
which the framework holding the motor
and its driver We're suspended.
The aeronaut climbed through the
network of cordage and piano wire and
sat on the ridge Of the triangular frame.
He took up the steering ropes leading to
the big ruddeT. and, reaching forward,
threw on the power. In an instant the
great wings of the propeller were whirl-
ing. The sand bags had been taken off
and the airshtp was held TO the ground
by the crew.
Knabenshue Gave the Word.
The. ship was pointing due east when
Kaubenshue gave the word 10 let &C
As the machine left the ground the aero
naut threw his weight toward the stern
of the craft and the nose Of the mon
str0us gas bag pointed upward at an in
clire Of nearly forty-fve degrees, In
der the pull of the propeller the airship
shot sllyward. Its pilot had calculated
his distance from the trees which bor-
der the west side Of the park TO a
nicely and cleared them by ten feet
A minute ana half later hna benshue
was hoFeffi9g ever the lower end of the
park. opposite Seventh avenue and about
five hundred feet above the ground
In Wide. Circle.
In a moment the rudder was seen to
swing to port ana the aIrship described a
wide circle. Then The navigator set a
course due south and, with the aid of a
brisk northwest wind made rapid head
way. mounting higher and higher as he
few. Over Forty-second street the craft
was up nearly ! 1,50o feet It was csti-
mated that fully 25o, 900 persons had by
this time sighted the airship, and the
streets were crowded by citizens. all
with faces turned skyward.
When over Thirty-fourth street the
navigator appeared TO be In trouble His
keep to the westward. II was plain she
was ulahing leeWay toward the east. as
If carried by swiftly moving air cur
rent. It was evident that the pilot
would not be able TO make the F'latirOn
building. By the time he had reached
TWentH-thiFd street his ship was over
First avenue. 1t was there that the
machine reached its greatest altitude Ci
about mile.
Back in the Park.
It was just thirty-eight minutes after
the start that the airship lowered over
The plaza. It had descended until It
hung about a thousand feet above the
street. Knabeushue steered his ship
along the southern edge of the park
until over Sixth avenue he veered to
the northwest again.
When Kuabenshue had allowed his
craft to come within hundred feet of
the earth it looked as If he had lost
control of the great fabric and would
crash into the tops of a Ciump of trees.
Suddenly he took a backward step. I-p
went the nose Of the balloon, and the
ship, with all the grace of Il hawk in
flight, rose until the tree tops We're
cleared By twenty feet. Then stepping
forward again Knabenshue tilted the
sirship's bow earthward. and the craft
SKINNED along for a hundred yards
before settling gently TO the soft turf.
There was hardly n perCeptible Jar as
the framework touched the ground.
Knabenshue said his voyage had been
very pleasant, and that nothing occur
red to cause him any uneasiness. He
had encountered several battling air
currents, but insisted that at no tirue
was his craft out of control