The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-09-13
CITY WATCHES AIRSHIP
Roy Knabsnshue Makes Successful
Flight Over New York.
Vast Crowds 0top and Gaze at the Novel
Spectaole-Aeronaut Sailed
Long Distance.

New York Ciy.-For the second time
since his arrival in this city, A. Roy
knabenshue treated New Workers. to 9
view Of real airship soaring thou
sands of feet above them and re
| spending to the demands of the daring
navigator in almost perfect fashion
The exhibition was even more remark
able than the previous one when
Knabenshue sailed around Longacre
Square skyscraper.
| Almost 10000. persons had gathered
near the lot at Sixty y-second street and
Central Park vest long before the
hour for the start, and. after the ship
| assembled. business in one Of the busiest
| sections of the city. from Fourteenth
to Seventy-second streets and from
Eighth avenue to the East River, prac'
tically was suspended.
The tact that an airship was sailing
over the city seemed to have a magic
charm. AS it appeared in the sky fac
tories. stores, hotels and cars were
| emptied. and every one stood still with
eyes turned toward the strange craft.
| Even Bellevue Hospital felt the thrill.
| and as soon as the ship was sighted at
tendants. surgeons and many patients
rushed for the street.
The police had their hands full along
the entire lane Of fight, and when the
craft finally was carried back to it's
tent the general marvel was that no
one had been injured severely III the
many crushes.
Additional excitement was caused by
the announcement that knabenshue
would throw checks for S100 apiece
from his ship on the voyage. He scat
tered a mass Of papers. and every
time anything white descended there
was mad scramble for possession.
Instead of checks the crowd found
most of the white sheets were pieces
of newspaper, and there was anger at
the manner in which the crowds had
been fooled.
1t was a little after p. IN. that the
airship was ready to 60 up. Knaben-
shue stepped on the thin framework
attached to the balloon, tilted the nose
of the ship upward and began to as
cend. The craft left the lot gracefully
responding to every movement OF the
navigator, and in less than a minute it
had cleared the fence and was sailing
over Central Park. A crowd OF l5,OuU
watched the start, and great cheer
went I'D as the aeTOnaut appeared.
The reserves from five precincts We're
on hand to maintain order. but the first
view Of the ship caused the policemen
to lose all interest in the crowd and de-
vote their attention to watching the
flight.
After going up about 1900 feet kna-
benshue started in a northerly direc-
ton. heading against the wind. He
went through several maneuvres to
show the dirigibility Of his balloon;
then, turning around, he went south
east. AS he started down town the
cheers that went up were deatening.
AS soon as the ship was sighted III
upper Broadway business and trafhc
came practically to StandStill. MO-
tormen stopped their cars and jumped
to the street to get better view or the
strange craft. Passengers sprang from
their seats, and in a moment the tradl-
tional hurry of New Workers was for
gotten. No one seemed to care about
anything except the airship.
It was Knabenshue's intention to cir.
Gle the .Flatiron building; but because
of the strong wind he was unable to 40
so. In his efforts to accomplish the
feat he rose to height or 3OOV feet'
until the big ship looked no bigger tAan
the ordinary toy balloon. When he
gave up the attempt he turned north
at Twenty-third street and Third ave-
nue. oo
= The shin had descended to about 1000
feet lust before reaching Twenty-third
street. when the navigator slipped to
the rear of the framework and tllted
its nose upward. 1t rose almost per
pendicularly, and 10 those in the street
it seemed the young man surely would
be killed. He remained in that posi-
ton until the ship had descended ABOUT
5000 feet. Then he headed back TO-
ward the starting point.
Reaching the park, Knabenshue
steered the ship over the trees to the
ball ground. AS he came down IL
looked as if he would land on top OF
the trees, but by deft manipulation ne
guided his ship upward again until he
had passed them. Then he descended
slowly and gracefully to knoll, on
which the ship landed.
AS it came down every one IN the
street rushed for the ball ground. The
200 bluecoats who had been sent TO
the park were helpless units in the
sea of humanity AS Knabenshue de-
scended he was greeted with round
after round of cheers, and men ana
women fairly mobbed him in their et'
forts to shake his hands. Before the
| police could interfere the crowd had
pushed the navigator back on the
| framework of the ship. Then, Hflins
| it on their shoulders, they carried hilh
in triumph back to the lot.