The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-12
UP IN THE AIR.
Roosevelt Makes a Trip in a BIZ
plane at st. Louis.
Twice Around Aviation Field as
HOxsey,s Passenger.
HE SAYS 1T is FINE.
Invitation Given and Accepted
on Spur Of Moment.
All Over BEFORE Many Knew
What Was Going On.

st. Louis, Oct. 12.-Theodore Roose-
Welt made an aeroplane flight here and
said it was the finest experience he ever
had. He Travelled twice around the ayi-
alton field at Kinloch. Is miles west of
St Louis, in three minutes and 20 sec
onds. He waved his hand at the crowd
of thousands on the field below, most
OF whom were too frightened to move.
When the aeroplane alighted easily a
few feet from the starting place q
mighty shout Of applause and relief
went up.
Arch Hoxsey, Wright aviator, with
whom Colonel Roosevelt made his
flight, said that his passenger made a
good fellow voyager for such trip ex-
cept that instead of being afraid he was
having such a good time that Hoxsey
was afraid he would fall out or inter
fere with the engine, which was roaring
at his side.
The colonel waved his hands at the
crowd below so vigorously that Hoxsey
called out to him:
Keep your hands on the rail, coll
onel.'
Colonel Roosevelt, who had forgotten
to hold himself in, waved his hands once
more, and then obeyed orders.
The coloneis flight was a complete
surprise to everybody. Although he had
been invited to go. no one had the
least idea that he would do so, and he
himself did not decide to go until the
moment before he stepped into the ma
chine.
The trip to the aviation field to watch
the flights there was on the afternoons
program for the coloners day in St.
Louis. He went to Kinloch in an auto
mobile and at the head of a procession
of motor cars which was half a mile
long. The cars were filed with MEM
bers of the Republican state and city
committees and business men.
Ride Was a Fast One.
The ride was a fast and dusty one.
and much of the way the cars were
enveloped in such clouds of dust that 1t
was impossible to see more than a few
was covered with a thick coating of
Missouri dirt when he arrived at the
field.
Colonel RooseveIt's car was driven
directly to the aviation field instead of
to the parking place for automobiles.
Around the rim of the field were hun
dreds of cars. which footed their horns
in noisy chorus as the colonel appeared
on the field. A company of militia
men kept the crowd back.
Hoxsey's machine. a great biplane,
was standing directly in front of the
grand stand. Colonel Roosevelt stepped
from his automobile with Gov. Hadley
at his side, and walked over to it. He
inspected the broad brown planes and
the huge shiny engine and shook hands
I'D like to have you for a passen-
ger" said Hoxsey.
The colonel looked at him without a
word Then he began to take off his
coat 1t was the first intimation that
anyone had that he would make the
trip.
Gov Hadley stepped up quickly,
with a scared look on his face, and
said:
Are you really going up, colone1?''
"Of course 1 am said the colonel,
and without another word he took his
seat, at Hoxsey's direction, beside the
engine. Gov HadIey saw that it would
do no good to protest and stepped
back. He afterward admitted that he
was nervous.
SLOUGH hat and borrowed a gray golf
cap. which he pulled down over his
eyes. The guardsmen were standing
so closely about the airship that few
of the spectators knew what was going
on Hoxsey took his place beside Col
onel Roosevelt, who watched the prep
aratiOns with a smile of anticipation,
betraying not the least nervousn ess.
Four guardsmen seated themselves on
the ground to hold the tail piece of
the airship until the motor should be be
started and the propellers were well
under way.
The Start.
One caught hold of each of the two
great aluminium propellers and Hoxsey
gave the word to start. They whirled
the propellers and the six cylinder
motor barked and spouted smoke. They
turned around few times and then
the motor stopped.
After two more trials the motor was
started and the blades spun around
rapidly. The photographers who had
II Il,
chine had barely time to step aside
before it bounded forward over the
grass as the guardsmen released it.
Colonel Roosevelt gripped the rail
hard and looked straight ahead. The
aeroplane skipped over the field for a
few Yards, then lifted its nose in the
air rising easily.
Some of the spectators thought they
recognized Colonel Roosevelt as the
aeroplane cleared the guardsmen and
believe them when they said so. Mem
bers of the party which had gone to
the field from st. Louis with the colo
mel began a mad hunt for him.
where's Colonel Roosevelt?" they
asked, running up to the guardsmen-
Hes up there" one of~the soldiers
said, pointing to the airShip. The
aeroplane sped quickly around the
field at height of less than 100 feet.
1t made the first lap of mile and a
that it was really Colonel Roosevelt
who was Hoxsey's passenger. When
the colonel swept past the grandstand
he leaned forward a bit and waved his
hands. The spectators were too fright
ened to call back to him and the crowd
was silent, watching the aeroplane
with intense excitement. The flying
machine sped by and made the turn
seen to bend over and shout something
into the co1oneFs. ear. The engine
cracked and spluttered, hurting the
aeroplane forward at a speed of nearly
a mile minute, but from the ground
it looked as though it was travelling
comparatively slowly. it sailed SO even
ly and smoothly. There was not
breath of wind, and the engines did
not miss fire once.
At the end of the second lap Hoxsey
dipped his planes and the aerop1ane de-
scended easily, striking the ground as
lightly as feather. The machine rolled