Omaha daily bee., 1906-09-29

Attractions.
street fair at carnival grounds.
The Girl and the Bandit" at the Boyd
AT the Worlds Mercy" at the Krug
Lady of Lyons" at the Burwood.
Vaudeville at the Orpheum.
Attsndsnce This Year, Last year;
Wednesday .,.......... 1853 2,sSl
Thursday .............. b,1D6 o'aS
frioay .''''''.,'.''''i. @ffU @'ee
Airship sailing has not yet become q
craze in Omaha, even II Aeronaut Charles
X. Hamilton did make two successful
flights yesterday afternoon from the
Kings Highway in the Knabenshue diris-
ible balloon. Considerable local interest
had been worked up over the arrival and
advertised flights of Mr.. Hamilton and his
big aerial ship, the first to appear in this
city. While both flights were successful
the gasoline engine which furnishes the
motive power was not In as good working
order as 1t will be today. which was tho
reason the aeronaut made two short
trips. This afternoon, weather conditions
favorable Mr.. Hamilton will sail over the
business portion Of the city and make aft
ernoon calls at the various sky parlors
of the large buildings, and In that OF Sky
Pilot Welsh.
Thousands view ship.
Before the ship was brought out from
its canvas confinement in a tent thousands
passed through the enclosure and were
enlightened as to the workings of the
strange creature and the man who navi-
gates It. 1t was just 4:s0 p. m. when the
airship was brought out Of the tent and
4:52 when Aeronaut Hamilton had every
thing In readiness for the first ascension.
After the ballast and the mechanism had
been adjusted to a nicely the attendants
reieased their hold and the airship sailed
l. lmA
toward Eighteenth and Douglas streets.
Hamilton at once showed the perfect con-
troll he had over his ship. He gyrated
around over the carnival grounds and then
over toward the city hall and telephone
building, returning TO his starting place
six minutes later. After placing some
more gasoline in the tank and adjusting
the machinery the ship was started on a
second fight the second trip being a course
toward the high school and over the car
nival grounds. The second flight took up
six minutes.
Receives Great Applause.
The manner in which Mr.. Hamilton
brought the ship to the starting point
without the slightest mishap and through
labyrinth of wires and trees ELECTED
both wonderment and applause. 1t Is Gus
tomary In landing for the acronaut to
drop a guy rope when near the ground
that he may be assisted to the ground,
but when landing the second time yester-
day Hamilton inadvertently threw the
rope over a wire, Nbut by dexterous hand
ling Of the ship effected a gentle landing
unasssted
The way Hamilton tackled against the
wind and directed his airship at will was
convincing proof that he is master of This
art and beyond the experimental stage
In dirigible ballooning.
The ship is drawn by an eight and a
half-foot ash frame propeller placed in
front of the ship and operated by a five-
horse power gasoline engine. rudder
at the rear of the ship is used for steer
ing When Mr.. Hamilton wants to reach
higher altitude he moves to the rear
on a triangular spruce framework, thus
tipping the nose OF the gas bag upward.
and II he wants to descend he moves for
ward, thus lowering the front of the ship.
Having reached desired height, he sits
at point near the center OF the frame
work.
Vast Crowd watches IL.
Thousands OF spectators inside and OUT
side of the Kings Highway watched the
flights of the airship from every vantage
point The windows and roofs of every
large building were crowded with anxious
watchers and when the word was passed
around that Hamilton was ''up in the air.
thousands downtown stopped business and
craned their necks toward the sky. Many
had been inclined to be skeptical on the
airship question. but when Hamilton
waved merry salute from his perch 500
feet in the air to the cheering multitudes
there was not one who would not say that
the aeronaut had made good every promise
made by the Knights Of Ak-sar-Ben. who
brought the airship to town.
In connection with his feats of yesterday y
there is something interesting in the per-
sonality OF Aeronaut Hamilton Many ex-
pected TO see a daredevil man who held
in little esteem his life and who merely
made ascensions on his nerve and for the
money there is in it. While Hamilton has
no particular philsnthropic motives in MAX
! ing his ascensions, yet he wins admiration
by the manner in which he goes about bis
work. He has nerve and plenty OF II. but
he has full confidence In his airship and
knows what he is doing. He Is skillful
and takes no needless chances. He never
gets excited and knows every detail OF
his craft as well as being a skilled
navigator Of the air. He II quite unas-
suming. EXTREMITY temperate in his habits
and genially disposed.
Another Trip To-day.
| The airship will be here during the
/ carnival season and Hamilton will go up
again at 4 o'clock this afternoon. besides
making several trips next week. II, J..
Penfold, Emil Brandeis and Al Powell Of
the Board OF Governors OF the knights OF
Ak-sar- Ben we're IN the airshlp tent yes
lterday afternoon at the time OF the as
tensions and were pleased with the showing
made. They believed the feature the best
! ever brought here under Ak-sar-B Ben
] auspices. They are specially pleased with
I the results OF yesterday In view OF the fact
| that so many thought another Ak-sar- Ben
| carnival hoax like the ground ho9 and