The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-11-28
MAKE
CAPITAL FAMOUS
RICHMOND ONLY CITY THAT HAS
BEEN FLOWN OVER TIMES
BY BIRDMEN.

Richmond now enjoys the proud
the map OF the world which has been
crossed seven times in one week or
four times in a single day, thanks to
the International Aviators, that glori-
Gus band of reckless skyscrapers, who
exhibited at the Fair Grounds and
above the capitals spires. four days.
last week.
Saturdays flights were by all odds
the best. the most thrilling and spec
tacular and this In the face OF the
strongest wind that blew during the
birdmen's stay here.
John 3. Molsant. a man already
covered with 30 much aerial renown
and prestige that it is difncuit to
conceive OF his small monoplane car
rying IL all on one trip. won further
glory for himself. particularly from
the striped sinners. who are guests
OF Major Wood att the penitsttiary,
by soaring over the state prison twice
Saturday afternoon. The daring ayi-
ator, who came TO Richmond deter
mined to fly over the city because
he had heard the trip would be
fraught with many dangers, went up
in strong wind. and at an altitude
OF 1000 feet scared 10 the peni-
Tertiary. where he descended to with
In 500 feet Of the ground to give the
convicts who were lined Up in the
machine. Then he waved his hand
at the striped unfortunates. started
back to the Fair Grounds. changed his
mind and went over TO ytsit the folk
on Forest HILL Fulton and Church
Hill. returning to the Fair Grounds
by way Of Barton Heights and Ginter
Park. He was given . mighty cheer
when he reached the Fair Grounds
again and was compelled to make q
speech. In which he told OF what he
saw and how he was received by
the convicts.
More Thrills.
As this was not sufacicnt of q
thriller for one day, Simon. Barrier
and Garroz, the three daredevil
Frenchmen, all OF whom had made
individual trips over the city. left the
Fair Grounds but = few moments
apart and sailed over Richmond to-
gether, The sight Of three airships
over the city at one time. spectacle
which has not bsen witnessed by the
people OF any other burg In the
world. caused the most general and
widest cheering heard In the capital
for many years.
An along the line of ny the ayiators
were cheAred. hats and canes were
thrown into the air, and bedlam seem
ed to have been let loose on every
street IN the city. An especially large
crowd assembled at the City Hall,
around the tower OF which the three
monopiauists eireled with tho utmost
case and grace, and Z tremendous ova-
ton was given the cloud ticklers An
they passed the baseball park, where
Randolph Macon and Richmond Col
ieEe were battling on ths gridiron. they
were given another rousing reception.
Stiil another thrill was In store for
the several thousand visitors who went
10 the Fair grounds and the hundreds
who went To the ervirnns OF tho exhi-
bition yard. Garros. the Frenchman
who holds his life so chsaply A. to
risk 1t In the smallest aircraft in the
world. made flight In his tiny De-
Inoiseile, . monoplane measuring by fif-
teen feet from tip to tip. He was I'M
able to go very high in II because of
the stifr wind. but he gave suflicient Of
a show In the little fellow to show
that the baby monoplAnc WAS practical
and in betten weather could carry him
anywhere he wanted to 60. Garros
caused many hearts to leap into
mouths by his reckless operation Of III
little oyer. He few dangerously near
the grandstand and judges' stand on
several occasions. missing the etruc-
ture by two or three feet. and many
were the Kasps Of .'oh!" and "horrors."
az he fiirted with death.
The aviators left Saturday night Tor
Chattanooga. There they will show D
week and go to Memphis. and thence
to New Orleans, afterwards going to
Cuba.
They did not get the support or en-
couragemeut they deserved here, but
they came rather suddenly. and there
were several other big things on the
card for the week they selected to
make their debut here. Richmond
was thrilled to the core OF its heart,
however. and its next meet will be a
hummer.