Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-11-27
AIRSHlP SAILS
ABOVE THE CITY
KNABENSHUE DEMONSTRATES
HIS SKILL
MAKES HEADWAY AGAINST A
STRONG WIND
Ascends from Ball Park to Height of
Three Hundred Feet and De-
scribes a Wide Circle
Over Town

Roy Knabenshue made his initial
flight as a resident of Los Angeles yes
to-day afternoon, leaving Chutes park
at 4 o'clock. The perfect control he
maintained over his airship evoked
cheers from the spectators at the park
and along his route over the business
section.
He made an ascent from the ball
park TO a height of 300 feet and headed
north, after describing a wide circle in
the air to demonstrate the working of
the craft. At Fourth street he turned
over the business section and came
back to Chutes park, landing exactly
at his starting point. The airship
went up and descended as gracefully
as any bird, making good Roadway
against q strong wind
After the flight the ship was stored
in the shed back of the ball park.
Knabenshue will make another ascent
from Chutes park Sunday afternoon.
Captain Mueller writes from Ehren-
berg that his voyage there has proved
to his satisfaction that Los Angeles is
a wonderful place to initiate a long bal
loon trip. In spite of his hazardous
experience he is greatly pleased with
his trip.
Had the United States been inf1at-
ed with mixed hydrogen and coal gas,
as at the earlier start" he says, Il be-
lieve that we would now he in Texas,
perhaps even further east.
1--WE left Los Angeles under unfav-
orable circumstances. 1t was quite
cloudy, and these influences moved me
backward and forward up to an alti-
tude of $4,000 feet, where we reached a
favorable current. The who surface
beneath the balloon was closed with
clouds, which moved in all directions.
More than six different air currents
could be distinguished beneath us at
one time.
Rope Draes on Mountains
"As we Travelled in the direction of
the mountains we had to cast over
ballast to keep in the favorable cur
rent. We crossed so close to the sum-
NIT that our trail rope dragged on the
tops of the mountains. We had but
four sand bags left when we left the
clouds and saw the open desert. Cross
| ing the mountains we encountered a
cold wind which condensed the gas, and
we rapidly descended. AS we would
not throw out sandbag, the basket
struck the earth, and the jar jolted out
bag of sand, some papers and por-
ton of the food we had with us.
Then we struck a warm current and
| went up again Immediately to a height
of 10000 feet. In going up so swiftly
the basket was whirled furiously all
the way. BY an investigation of our
losses we found that we still had three
sacks of sand and that the balloon
rigging was in perfect condition; so we
decided to journey to the Colorado
river.
1--WE struck a favorable current at
an altitude of more than 10000 feet and
at o'clock we reached a large river,
which we thought was the Colorado.
We could also see a town and some
surrounding ranches. After passing
over the river we decided to land as
we were not in condition to continue
the journey. At that time we were at
an altitude of 10000 feet, and it was a
difficult task to land in the right place
between the river and the mountains
In fact, i. was the worst job 1 ever
tackled.
81 opened the valves, but there was
no downward motion at first, as the
hot winds had a tendency to press the
bag upward. In passing from under
current to under current the balloon
struggled like a wild horse. We landed
with a thump after sliding few hun
bred yards"
Captain Mueller has packed up the
United States" and will arrive in Los
Angeles Saturday.