Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-12-18
AIRSHIP SAFELY
BOMBARDS CITY
KNABENSHUE DROPS MISSILE
ON CITY HALL
Night Voyage Accomplished Without
Any Apparent Difficulty, Buildings
Being Located Accurately
by Aeronaut

A feat often declared impossible and
never before accomplished was carried
out by Roy Knabenshue last night,
when he made an ascent from Chutes
park with his dirlgible airship, drove
swiftly to a point directly over the city
hall and dropped mock bomb; re-
turning so rapidly and silently that he
was unnoticed by thousands of Christ
mas shoppers on the downtown streets.
Aeronauts consider it one of the
most remarkable flights yet made for
ii proves the feasibility of aerial trips
at night. More than that, it demon
strates clearly what has often been a
matter of conjecture-that an airship
might fly over city and work terrible
havoc before its presence. was per-
ceived.
Il myself didn't believe ii was prac-
tical, but it certainly is, said Knaben-
shue, after making his return to Chutes
park 1--WE had no trouble in steering
our way directly to the point selected.
I could clearly make out the principal
buildings and it is no trouble to make
ones way about over the city.
"The bomb we dropped was a large
ballast sack stuffed with paper If it
had been nitroglycerine the city hall
would have been wrecked, the music
company's store opposite would have
been badly damaged and every window
within a radius of half a mile would
have been forced out by the resulting
vacuum No one can realize the havoc
that could have been accomplished.
with favorable weather conditions
for which fleet could wait, it would
be possible to steal in near shore at
night, having as a convoy an airship
boat The decks of this could be lifted
and the ship sent up in the air and in
land Before Los Angeles or any other
city attacked could know what had
happened the airship would be back in
it's quarters and the feet out of touch.
"Or it might be feasible to make an
imitation in some unvisited canyon,
taking night trips only and swooping
down on the city with fleet of air.
ships which would work terrible de-
struction and be more terrifying be-
cause of the mystery. This has been
conjectured, more or less, but my trip
makes 1t certain to me that night air
travel has possibilities which we have
not half conceived.
"The pleasure side of it is certainly
great. / had a wonderful view Of
Broadway with its myriad lights. We
had no trouble getting away or in
making landing"
Invade and Defend
The night demonstration was pro-
posed by J. B. Lehigh of Chutes park,
and was finally worked out in the style
of a military maneuVer. Roy Knaben-
shue. r. L. Rakestraw, his partner
and George Deusler his engineer, con-
stituted the invading force. Dick Fer
ris Captain Harmon Ryus and Jack
Adams formed the defensive army and
attempted to repel the aerial attack
with the aid of an automobile.
Ferris and his aides -de-camp made
a rush to save the mayor and the city
records. They clambered up the city
hall stairs to the attic, Adams bearing
a huge bundle of red fire to scare
away the enemy.
One member of the party succeeded
in finding the tower stairway while
the others rushed around and around,
vainly trying the door of first one Sc
cret council committee room and then
another The solitary watcher in the
tower could hear the airship motor as
Knabenshue dipped his boat lower, but
he could see nothing. There was a
sudden thud on the roof as the mock
bomb landed exactly where the aviator
desired 1t to hit, Then the humming
of the engine stopped abruptly as it
raced back to the place of refuge.
Knabenshue carried out his trial
faithfully in every detail. He rose as
quickly as possible and lost no time in
going direct to the point desired. Be
fore dropping the bomb he turned the
airship toward the south and was gone
from the spot before it struck the roof
of the building. He came back to the
park at high speed. but the watchers
there could see only the flashes of his
electric bullseye as he neared them
until he was about ready to land. In
landing he came almost over the ball
park, until well within range of the
Chutes searchlight. at height of 200
feet. and then dropped safely but swift
ly down.
Dick Ferris and his defending army
found their way out of the building
and hurried to the relief Of Chutes
park, but arrived there after Knaben-
she had reached the ground.