The San Francisco call., 1909-04-25
SIXTIETH YEAR
/ IS CELEBRATED
BY SACRAMENTO
Twelve Thousand Persons From
Valley Towns Attend Carnival
and Enjoy Entertainment
Aviator's Flights, Athletic Con-
tests and Water Spectacle
Make Day Memorable
Especial Dispatch TO The Call

Especial Dispatch TO The CALI
SACRAMENTO, April "A. = sacra-
mento was 60 years old today. In cell
ebration of the event the city gave a
party and 1900 persons from various
valley towns attended. AS fitting one
who has reached the full three score
the city entertained in her best style.
An airship flight and ballon ascension
by Roy Knabenshue, the California
aviator, an athletic meeting with 800
athletes competing. and a water car
nival greater than ever attempted be-
fore on this coast were the features
of the day.
sixty years ago tonight a small body
OF men met in an old frame hall in
street near the river front and or
ganized town board. Sacramento
began its being. Tonight 40. 600 per-
sons lined the two banks of the Sacra-
mento river to witness a great electric
water spectacle and testify to the
growth and prosperity of the Queen of
the Sacramento valley.
SIXTY THOUSAND IN so YEARS
Sixty years ago Sacramento was a
town and trading point for the mining
towns that were springing into being.
tonight 1t is the fourth city in Cali
lornla, claiming 10000 children as its
own
The sixtieth birthday broke clear.
but strong north wind came with
dawn and the thousands who tramped
10 the mammoth sand lot near the
Southern Pacific depot were disappoint-
ed when it was announced the airship
flight scheduled for 1880 o'clock would
not take place until late in the after
noon.
The weather man promised the gale
would snbdue by evening and his
promise was fulfilled. BY $3.50 the reg
lister showed a wind velocity of but
five miles and Roy Knabenshue pre-
pared to make fight in his dirigible
balloon
The long cigar shaped bag with mo-
tor propeller and rudder suspended be-
meath it was brought out of the tent
where 1t has been kept since its arrival
here last week. and Knabenshue
mounted the frame.
CROWDS CHEER AIRSHIP
With deft maneuvering Knabenshue
scared gracefully out OF the lot
reached a height of 500 or 500 feet and
taking a course east by south, circled
around the capitol dome and the tall
spire on the Catholic cathedral Then,
turning the nose of the machine toward
the wind. he maneuvered up and down
and sidewise until he was again over
the sand lot. After circlinz slowly
he descended within 25 feet of the spot
where he started, and, stepping out.
received applause from the thousands
gathered there.
,erI,o Ia ferI,f
Office building roofs were crowded with
men and women and the open places
over the city afforded waiting places
for hundreds who stood with upturned
heads to witness the first fight of an
airship ever attempted in the interior
of the great valley of the state.
BALLOON "TRIP SUCCESSFUL
Half an hour after aIighting from
the airship. Knabenshue stepped into
the basket of the mammoth racing bal
loon United States and began an as
cension. He was accompanied by ]. J.
Lloyd Harry Gimba1, Frank Adams and
Assistant Secretary of Commerce
Crane. Rising slowly from the sand
lot to a height Of 200 feet. the balloon
drifted eastward for seven or eight
miles, alighting at $50 o'clock on the
Peter ranch four miles east of ,Agri-
cultural park.
On his return to the city Kna nabenshue
said he had made a, most successful
flight, and expressed satisfaction that
he was able to make the airsnip flight
and the balloon ascension without ac-
cident. Not thing marred either event
and the thousands who were disap-
pointed by the announcement in the
morning that both flights would have
to be postponed owing to the high
wind were fully satisfied.
CONTESTS AND RIVER CARNIVAL
During the afternoon the athletic
contests were held at Agricultural
park more than 800 athletes from
various valley towns and bay athletic
clubs taking part.
The celebration tonight closed with
great electric and water spectacle on
the Sacramento river. Ten thousand
red white and blue electric lights. $50
river craft and great display of fire.
works helped to make this a fitting
end to the celebration.
Both river banks were lined for
blocks long before Chairman w A
Never in his motor boat led the NAM
moth parade which opened the spec
tacle.
AS the 100. or more motor boats
formed in line, each bedecked with
Japanese lanterns and penants. a COM
bined band on a large barge IN the
center of the stream struck up an air
and instantly the entire river front
was flooded with light from the myri-
ads of incandescents strung along both
banks. on the barges and across the
Southern Pacific bridge.
THOUSANDS on RIVER RANKS
From the Southern Pacific bridge to
x street the river was lined with thou
sands. Boxcars in the Southern Pacific
Yards along the water front We're COW
cred, and the freight shed roofs held
hundreds more. The crowd can not be
estimated.
As an incident to today's celebration,
but not as part of 1t, the Sacramento
chamber Of commerce this morning
drove the first stake for the new cnam-
Der of commerce building TO be erected
at the Southern Pacific depot. where
exhibits will be maintained for tho IN
spcction of Immigrants and others pass
ing through the CITY,
The stake was driven by d. W. Car
michael of the chamber of commerce,
short -r,cnfeb Ixr