The sun., 1908-04-05
CAT WOULDV'TGOB OBGLLOONING
TRJED IT ONCE on Az AEROPLiNE
LND KNOWS NOW 1T ~.
nrlrh.. Instead Ised for Passengers By the
Junior AerOnauts Experimenting on
smith Avenue ROof-Plenty Of InVen.
far, In the club willing 20 Risk q Cat.

tor, In the club willing 20 Risk q Cat.
The ungrateftll conduct OF Pete seriously
ir,ercrpd with the scientific experiments
,r,N, Junior Aero Club Of tho United States
Yesterday afternoon The club, composed
cfIIg and little people who invent aero.
raucs and dirigible balloons and mere
balloons. relied largely upon Pete TO step
,.rvari and immediate himself upon the
altar " science, Not Pete. Peter was far
loocoony.
Pete is just a cat, plain cat, with no claims
10 distinction save the glossiest Of black
rr. large eyes the color Of New Orleans
moIas-es dripping in the sun and a sunny
disposition when nobody attempts
~ Nrnfam him. You can't hand Pete any
hurk You cant walk up to Peter with a
smau aaroplane in one hand and saucer OF
milk in the other and expect to ensnaro him
nothing Of the sort.
Pete has way of arching his back
eularging his tail and hunChing himself
backward like a crab, and you can say
'Pe,Ie. Petite, nice Pciie. come on-n-n-n,
Petite" all you please. but Pete has been
there before. Sad memories remain in
hs brain, no doubt, Of the unfortunate
afternoon when. less hep to the perils OF
asronautics. Pete allowed himself to test
the carrying capacity Of an aeroplane
and spent a most miserable half hour EN-
hrsdng telephone wire until junior
scientist rescued him with ladder
Any unprejudiced person who attended
the experiments OF the Junior Aero Club
Yesterday afternoon upon the roof OF Leo
,,o,cnss workshop, at ?s2 Ninth avenue,
must have sympathized with Pete's re-
uc'anco anl have appreciated his disn-
cfnation toward scientific distinction.
There we're a number Of precocious young
inventors aged from TO n, who regarded
Pete with most calculating eye, and
spproachcd him from all sides with their
aeroplancs
The idea was, of course, that Pete, in
recognition Of many back rlbbings and
chino sratchings and pounds Of catniD and
saucors Of milk and cows liver, would
consent quite cheerfuly to let himself
be tied TO a fine Young aeroplane which,
driven nv brisk west wind, would give
him an easy and healthfnl ride in the gen.
eral direction Of Madison Square and the
Metropolitan tower. he natural pride
Of the inventors who we're bidding for
petes services allowed for nothing less
than that the aeroPlane and Peter would
eventually sink softly and easily to the
ground. alike uninjured. Nobody beliyed
that Pete would he other than a perfectly
good cat still after the experiment, but
Pete simply couldn't see II and that ended
the matter.
Therefore they had to use bricks (vice
Pete. resigned) and sticks and stones, and
while the experiments we're measurably
successful there was a feeling that the
selfish conduct Of Peter left much 10 I've de-
shcd in the way Of aeronautic demonstra-
tion. OF course with the red and blue bal
looms Just the rubber globes bulging with
gas that every faker retails at the county
fairs, experimenting was far easier; they
we're merely wind testers, though serving
further purpose Of instruction in the manu-
iacture and use Of hydrogen gas. For an
hour or two yesterday afternoon the clear
air around Leo Stevens's shop was specke1
with these little balloons, which tackled
up and down. whirled around in circles
dropping, rising and Zigzagging at the
winds caprice, coming finally TO inglonous
ends against the steeples OF churches, cleo
trie wires and the cornioes Of Skysorapers,
The Junior Aero Club Of the United states
II made up of boys all over the country |
who have a wild ambition to fy as the birds |
ny. but it was the local membership that
collected gleefully on MIR, Stevens's roof
Yesterday. Miss f. l.. Todd, organizer Of
the club was in charge OF the demonstra-
ton, and when she wasn't helping Leo
Stevens and his assistant manipulate the
hydrogen tanks she was letting little bal
looms loose or tinkering with aeroplanes or
warning impetuous young inventors that !
II they got too close to the edge OF the roof
and tumbled of they would indlsputably
he total loss
Miss Todd il an inventor herself. Sho
has built an aeroplane which hasn't mani
tested much inclination 70 fly as yet but
which may in time. Some Of these days,
Ehe said yesterday she is going to cit down
calmly and let her aeroplane bear her
whittier il lsteth. There's no reason on
earth. she insisted, why a woman shouldn't
be as courageous as @ man in such matters.
Meanwhile she is devoting her time to in
ierestng the young in aeronautios, instruct
ing them in the first principles Of the game.
Miss Todd has an idea that the pushing and
In the SUBWAY SnG Ja tS9 elevated
are going to be relieved by airships and
therefore -somebody ought 20 take up the
!s7ss1
Albert c. Tiraco, who is the general
director OF the International School Of
Aeronautics, also helped with the aeroplanes
md the balloons, and Little Lord Fauntlerov
took pictures with a camera. He isn't little !
any more but he was once when his mother
Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett, wrote the !
story with her son, Vivian. in mind. Mrs.
Burnett Is one Of the editors OF the Children'S |
Magazine, and the other editor Miss |
katherine ~ Birdsall was there fitting !
about the rooftop and cooperating In a |
general sort OF way. As for the rest, there |
was Stevens, who is a regular ballOonist- |
be has been banged up against the Palisades |
Hld dipped in the Hudson and scattered |
over plOuRhed fields by refractory gas |
bags-who knows the elements OF the game !
and is a sort Of professor emeritus OF the |
Junior Aero Clubs School Of AeronGutics,
Mr.. Stevens ran the hydrogen tanks !
md explained how the gas was made and !
how to initiate the little balloon. Mrs. !
odd and Mr. 1Tiaco explained how the |
direction and force OF the wind might be |
Iested by the use Of the little gas bags and /
how useful these things were 10 profess
slonal aeronauts who wanted to know J.
Just what speed the wind had reached
NJ In what exact direction !: was driving. !
The lectures were not listened 10 az atten-
lively as they should have been, because
ryery kid wanted TO grab an armload Of
Inc balloons and let EN- 90 promiscuously.
l,t to see what would happen.
Away down In Ninth avenue AMI the
nross street there was perfect mob OF
rect youngsters wildly excited over the
Ivings far above them. When a balloon
Happened to weaken and fall there was a
desperate scramble to see who should
snatch the prize Late in the afternoon
me wind dashed 30 rudely over the roof