Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-06-15
AFRONAUTS PLAN
GREAT CONTEST
DISTANCE AND ENDURANCE
RACES PROJECTED
EVENTS TO TAKE PLACE DURING
PoRToLA FESTIVAL
Leading BaIloonists Invited and Eight
Already Have Accomplishments
and Knabenshue viii Rep
resent Los Angeles

Dick Ferris, Roy Knabenshue and F..
A. Van Tassell will represent Cali
fornia against the remainder of the
country in a great balloon contest,
starting from San Francisco next Oc-
tober, which will be held under the
auspices of the Portola festival COM
mittee. Already eight of the leading
balloonists of the country have noti-
fed Secretary Boushey they Will par
ticipate.
The festival committees plan is to
have ten or more balloons leave the
heart of San Francisco on one day of
the Portola celebration for distance
and endurance competitions, and suit
able prizes and trophies will be
awarded. The start probably will be
made from the site of the old city hall,
which will be cleared before that time
and the contestants either will sail
down the peninsula or across the bay
and into the great valley.
The exact day which will be given
to aeronautics has not been de-
termined but the time of holding the
festival, October 10 to %, will permit
extensive ballooning. San Francisco
climate is at its best and the members
of the committee believe the eastern
balloonists who attend will have more
enjoyable experiences than they have
ever found through balloon journeys
in the east. They promise that no
Californian will mistake the balloons
for birds and shoot at them, as is fire.
uuently the case in New England and
the southern states.
Invites 6aIIoonists
Homer Boushey secretary of the
Portola festival, has written to all the
leading balloonists of the country and
to aero clubs, extending invitations to
the balloon meet at San Francisco and
calling attention to the joys of winter
ing in California. He is confident that
a number not only will make the trip
at the festival, but will pass the winter
ballooning at California points. Los
Angeles is likely to see some of the big
eastern balloons next winter.
The Portola contest will assume the
proportions of a national event, for
which California will have at least
three entries. Dick Ferris probably
will enter the United States and new
balloon which he has ordered from
Roy Knabenshue. Gen. P. A. Van Tas-
SELL the motel San Francisco aeronaut,
will defend the honors of the bay coun-
ties. Charles A. Coey will make the
start with his balloon Chicago and
DdlioOH Enthusiasts rum oI' LUIS -
dianapolis, New York and other cities
probably will take part.
The Portola festival, so named in
honor of the first governor of Califor-
MIA. Gaspar de Portola, is intended to
show to the world San Francisco
magnificent recovery from the disaster
of three years ago. For that reason
the committee in charge thought 1t
especially fitting to give recognition to
the new status of aerial navigation.
The Importance the festival al
ready has assumed is evidenced in
President Taft's agreement to open the
celebration in person and the promise
of the leading nations of the world to
send battleships to represent them in
the naval feature of the festival.