The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-13
RACING is
THE COMING SPORT
Spirit Shown at Los Angles Pervades the Country
and Other Cities Plan to Guido Her IN future.
Would Make st. Louis Capital OF Aviation.

ton capital The Aero Club of Amer
lea with headquarters IN Ne" YORK.
will have much to say on this suolec''
but St Louis already has strong
lead. Because of its central location
ST. Louis is regarded by many acre.
plane and balloon men as favorable
Headquarters for those great meetings
of aviators which in the next re"
years are sure to be held somewhere
as the development OF aerial macniheS
marches forward and the problem OF
MIR navigation advances toward solu-
tlon. 80,
ST. Louis has two aero clubs. Inc
town is aviation mad. Last October
there was an aviation meet OF COT
siderable Importance on the gronm a,a
occupied in 1904 by the Louisiana Pur-
chase Exposition. but the perform
unces of Curtiss and the other aero
planlsts were distinctly and dismally
disappointing. Curtiss blamed It upon
the wind. A crowd estimated at 3oo.-
600 people waited on the grounds seven
hours to see Curtiss fly seven secon ul.
But. for all that, when he did fly the
enthusiasm was tremendous. foI liie
first time west of the Alleghen1es
man navigated the air IN Macti''e
heavier than the atmosphere
Dozen Licensed pilots.
st, Louis is already the balloon cap
ital of the country. There are Ileatly ,
dozen licensed balloon pilots, one ~
whom may be counted upon 70 Hi a., :,
in the week. There is woman, MIS-. MISS
Julia Hoerner, who is qualifying for q
pilots license. Among the ST. LOUIS Y. 5
pilots who have been In Los Angeies
ten days, taking part IN the sas, pd T.,
events and working up sentiment IN
favor OF their city as the av1atlo :,
centre. are Fl. Eugene HONEYWELL, s
Louis Won Phul. James w. Bemis ana
Harlow b. Spencer. Each Of THESE men
have made several long distance
flights. ~, ),
/ In Los Angeles, as at every av ,,,. ~
! meet nowadays. three distinct kinds OF
air navigators have engagcd IN .n ms
contests and exhibitions. First IN PONY
and promises to solve the problem r, !. o.
air flight, is the acroplane. The d1rlgl.
Bile airshlp, contrivance supporleo
by bag Of gas shaped like potato :
and operated by a gnsolene motor, =
next in interest, Then comes gu, our an.
cient friend the balloon. the big g ss
bag, carrying suspended paSRet
which launched forth at the Will O
the wind and goeth where IT llstet u
nawadays that timid women are no
AFRAID to go up If a competent pllo
| is aboard. yet the flights Of the So.
| 900 cubic footers at Los Angeles have
furnished many thrills to the Groves Groves
II
enthusiasts, headed by Dick Ferris
who was one Of the prime promoters
II Of the January meet, have had dream
II Of floating over the high Sierras, TIN
II deserts an d the Rocky Mountains t
II the Atlantic coast. Last winter Fer
II ris promoted an expedition to accom-
II plish this feat Two big balloons wer
Il started. being announced as on thel
III Nay across the continent Los Angelo
II ,is about twenty miles from the Pa
| cific Ocean One of the balloons head
II ed due west and went out over IN
IL pacific few miles, then made land
| ing at the first opportunity. lest y D
| forced to reach the Atlantic coast b
going around the world
II - .Cn0lsed Up" His story.
II The other balloon disappeared, re
II two days nobody heard anything apot
II It, Then the pilot and his AID rear
II peared in Los Angeles, and the niie
II sold to local newspaper tnrlilln
IL account Of the conqGeringO fAthe Slerru
IL range He had flown over the snow
iii TONED peaks and landed In the dreal
III Nevada desert, His description OF thos
III mountain tops seen from above TOT q
III first time by mortal man was as el
HI thralIing as any OF DIR. Cooks graph
Ill essays anent polar snow fields.
III A little investigation revealed !,
fact that this humble precursor OF !, =
Cook In the realm OF fairy tales q
iii written his fiction while he lay unu
II the igloo shelter OF a peach tree
II a ranch less than a dozen miles ~
iii Los Angeles. He had made his VA
Iii ing there, tied his balloon 70 the tr
~ gAd slept two nights beside the pusK'