Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-17
AVIATOR MAKES
ADVERSE FLIGHT
KNABENSHUE'S AlRSHlP DOES
REMARKED WORK
Owners Wives Take Trip in Dirigibles
and Enjoy Sensation of Being
Hundreds of Feet
in Air
Especial to The Herald.l

Especial to The HERALD
PASADENA, March 16.-Balloon
day at the carnival of sports was
marked by one of the most remarkable
exhibitions of airship steering ever
seen in America when Roy hnapen-
shue, accompanied by his brother-in-
law, l.. NJ Rakestraw, made a night
over Tournament park against eX-
tremely adverse circumstances. "A
double balloon ascension folloWeu. III
which Mrs. Dick Ferris and Mrs. Roy
Knabenshue established the record or
being the first women in California to
take q balloon trip by a journey OF
nineteen miles and a height of 1900
feet in the air.
Knabenshue made an airship flight.
although a strong and rather colu
wind was blowing, and a change, I'M
mediately following his ascension, ex-
ercised all his skill. When he bal
anced to get off the sun was behind
clouds and the air was cool, SO that
the gas was condensed and the snip
went up with lighter load than usual
Before he had circled once around
over the park the sun shone on the
dirigible. quickly expanding the gas,
and the airship responded by rlslTg 10
height of 1000 feet.
Knabenshue united the throat of the
envelope to allow the rapidly expand
ing hydrogen gas to escape without
bursting the envelope itself. in the
meantime fighting against a wlnu
blowing faster than twenty-five miles
an hour He came over the park but
was unable to get low enough to land,
and tackled back for another trial.
The outflow of gas and the force Oh
the wind pushed the nose of the arr
ship back until there appeared to be
a large hole where the point belonged.
When the ship was veered around
I'D = Mi FOL I
down like boat in a stormy sea, put
steadily crawled against the gusts until
over the park once, more. The landing
rope, which had been dropped, still
hung several hundred feet above the
ground and the spectators began to
believe that Knabenshue would be I'M
able to land at his starting point.
Fears Not Realized
On the next trial the fears of the on
lockers seemed about to be realized.
for the airship, while almost low
enough, was outside the grounds ana
the strong wind apparently bested 1t.
With the engine at full speed it hung
stationary over a grove of oak trees.
then came steadily over the center OF
the grounds. In fighting against the
wind the ship tackled southwark, put
Knabenshue brought it back and II
came down in the center of the heid.
practically at tIle punt lioiH ""iSii '-AS
start was made.
The spectators who had breathlessly
watched Knabenshue crowded around
and congratulated him on his exhlDl-
ton of genuine aerial navigation.
1T was one of the most difficult
trips,I have experienced" he said, "but
it was a good demonstration of flying
the ship against odds. l thought the
wind would hold me back once, but we
went through it,"
Although the trip was only the third
airship experience by Mr. Rakestraw
he took it coolly. While the gas was
expanding from the influence of the
suns rays and the ship was mounting
upward Rakestraw kept one hand ON
the Tightening envelope and reported
its condition from time to time to
Knabenshue.
After the airship had been housed
the Ferris balloons, United States and
American, We're made ready for the
ascension. Roy Knabenshue took up
the United States with Mrs. Knaben-
shue and Mr.. and Mrs. Dick Ferris as
passengers. With Captain Mueller.
who followed in the Americans basket,
were r.. r. Server, assistant secretary
of the Pasadena board of trade, and
three other Pasadena men-C. M. My
ers, r. C. Halstead and Charles Mar
tin. Although Mr.. Ferris Is the owner
and he and his wife. well known as
Miss Florence Stone, have been inter-
ested in ballooning for several years,
it was their first trip.
The United States went up to
height of mile, travelling southeast,
and was lost in the clouds while still
ascending. The American kept lower
at the start and apparently went far
ther east, but later appeared to be
moving southwark.
After one and one-half hours in the
air, great part of the time above the
clouds, an easy landing was made at
Puente and the party returned by au-
tomobile. Mrs Knabenshue and Mrs.
Ferris both said the trip was delight
full.
I at was a perfectly grand experience
and / enjoyed every minute of it,"
said Mrs Ferris. Il had no sensation
of fear at all: the thought of being
above the clouds was certainly novel
one"