Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-27
TREAT FOR CONv|CTS
Twelve Hundred Prisoners See
Flight by Moisant.
SPECTATORS UNDER GUARD
Simon, Garros and Barrier Fly Over
Richmond Housetops.
WHOLE CITY IS THRILLED
Race of the Three Aviators Watched
by Thousands of People From
the Roofs of Skyscrapers.
WHOLE CITY IS THRILLED

RICHMOND. Va. November o6.-Thirty
minutes before Rene Simon. Roland Gar
ros and Rene Barrier, French aviators,
made spectacular flight over Richmond
together today. John b. Moisant cut the
figure eight at an altitude OF LOO feet
above the city and circled around the
state penitentiary on two flights as
special show for 200 convictS who
Sazed aloft, terror stricken and silent
The double pententiary flight was ar
ranged today by the Times Dispatch for
the benefit of life prisoners, many of
whom We're locked within the gray walls
long before the advent of street and mo-
tor cars. All of the prisoners were
brought into the courtyard under guard.
Men high on the signal towers gave the
word that Moisant was within sight. AS
he appeared above the walls and dipped
gracefully, the army in stripes was too
badly chilled by the spectacle to shout.
Cutting away from the prison, Moisant
pointed the nose of his monoplane higher,
sailed directly over the tall buildings of
the city and made a sharp turn that he
might fly again by the place where the
convicts awaited him. On the second
trip he flew still lower. circled again
and then returned to the aviation field
where 10000 people had assembled for
the closing day of the meet.
Flight of Three Aviators.
After Moisant had been forced to bow
and smile to the grandstand, GarrOs.
Barrier and Simon. all of whom had
flown ocer Richmond earlier in the week,
went into the air, their secret plan being
to make a cross city flight together
Simon. first to get away, disappeared SO
quickly that his companions, racing be-
hind. were unable to find him until he
turned above the high tower of the city
hall. From almost every housetop people
followed the aviatorS as they sailed
gracefully and high.
Driving a faster machine, Simon again
eluded Garros and Barrier, as they raced
abreast in an effort to overtake him. Just
they cut through shorter turn
Simon veered to the left and disappeared
again, his motors throbbing perfectly as
he travelled faster than a mile minute.
While GarroS and Barrier were still well
abreast they passed over Broad Street
Park and it's foot ball crowd. across the
shopping thoroushfares SO low that the
whirrinS motors could be distinctly
heard. After Garros and Barrier had
alighted in the center of the starting
field Simon, directly between the sun
and the crowds suddenly swooped down.
Watched by Thousands.
While the sight of three aeroplanes in
the air at once above the housetops was
thrilling indeed to the whole city, which
looked on in wonder, the flight of Moisant
was by far the most spectacular. As he
came over Capitol square from the east
he had gradually dropped to an altitude
of 600 feet, the Belmont Park numbers
under, his planes being easily read by
thousands of people who had climbed to
tn top of skyscrapers when word came
from the fair grounds, several miles
away, that the first crOss-city flight of
the day was starting.
Moisant at times could hear the cheer
ing in the streets. His dip as he passed
over the penitentiary on the second jour
ney in that part of town and his sudden
turn made the most exciting scene of
one days crowded flying.
Moisant arrived here this morning from
Cuba to bring the meet to a thrilling
close. No city in Europe has ever seen
seven cross-city flights, said Mosant,
land no band of convicts ever saw an
aeroplane above their walls"
Only one man in the big prison missed
the show. He is in the chamber of death
awaiting execution next week Just be-
fore Moisant's flight began. the prisoner
was notified that Gov. Mann had de-
clined to commute his sentence to life
impriSOnment.