Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-24
AUTO WILL RACE
AIRSHIP JULY 4
OWNERS OF BOTH MACHINES
EXPECT VICTORY
Run to Pomona VIII Begin at chutes
Park-Aeronaut May Return
In Air If Conditions
Right

The race between the Man Angel"
airship, ofewhich Alva L. Reynolds Is
the inventor, and a white steamer"
automobile, to take place July 4, from
Los Angeles to Pomona, is now as
sured The challenge of Mr.. Reynolds
to the owners and operators of auto
mobiles in the city of Los Angeles,
published in The Herald Friday morn
ing, was accepted Friday AFTERNOON,
and the $1,000 side bet was covered by
Captain II. d. Ryus of the White
garage.
The White steamer which will make
the race is stock machine somewhat
faster than the ordinary car. At 10:30
the morning of July 4, the race will
start from Chutes park. The airshlp
will be located in the ball park and the
automobile will also start from inside
the enclosure.
The finish of the race is anywhere
inside the city limits of Pomona. The
distance by road from Los Angeles TO
Pomona is approximately 33 miles,
which distance will show the real worth
of the afrsbip as no other fight could.
If the aifship owned and invented by
Mr.. Reynolds is successful in covering
the distance from Los Angeles to
Pomona it will be the longest fight
ever made by an aerial craft under its
own power.
May Return in Air
If the conditions are not adverse an
attempt will be made to come back
from Pomona in the air. The aeronaut
who will direct the Man Angel is
George ID. F'risbe, who has navigated
it successfully on all its former voy-
ages.
-
taken by Los Angeles people in the
contest, but the government of the
United States has also directed en-
gneers to observe the approaching
flights and to report as to the worth of
the machine.
The value of an airship. such as the
Man Angel, in time of war is apparent.
Such a machine would be able to carry
soldiers or engineers who could report
on the enemy's fortifcations. 1t is bet
ter for that purpose than ships pro-
PEELED by gasoline, for it is noiseless
and does not require that gas should
be let out nor ballast discharged.
Is Easily Operated
On a calm day, a skilled operator of
the machine can ascend several thous-
and feet in the air and return to the
exact spot from which he started. On
account of the small size of the craft,
it is influenced by winds much less
than the larger airships.
The total weight of the frame is
less than 30 pounds, which with the
operator amounts to about $50 pounds
Each 1000 feet of gas contained in the
bag exerts a lifting power of about 65
pounds. Therefore it is necessary to
have bag holding little less than
1000 cubic feet of hydrogen, which is
by far the smallest bag ever used by
aeronauts. tH.
Although the automobile would seem
to have every advantage, it is by TO
means certain, it is sad, that the big
White steamer will arrive in Pomona
before the diminutive airship.
Can Make Good Time
Unless strong head winds are en-
countered by the navigator of the
machine, good time can be made and it
is not probable that the trip will take
more than an hour.
In accepting the challenge, Captain
Ryus stated that he thought it was
the best sporting proposition that he
had ever had the opportunity of ac-
cepting and that he believed the air.
ship had as good a chance to win as
the automobile, but on account of the
reliability of the White steamer, he
was willing to venture. Besides the
chauffeur, the White steamer that will
make the race will carry Mr.. Reynolds
and a representative of The Herald.
The first of the series of five flights
will be made today from ChuteS park
by the Man Angel. These flights are
regarded as tryouts for the big race of
the Fourth of July. Another will take
place a week from today. The flight
today will take place at o'clock from
the Chutes ball ground.