The San Francisco call., 1910-01-25
ORDERLY TnRONG
AT AVIATION MEET
Threatening Weather Makes
Crowd Smaller Than Pre-
ceding Day
Many Leave Before Paulhan
Starts on Great Cross
Country Flight

+ Threatening weather conditions yes
terday morning prevented a repetition
OF such rush to the Tanforan avia-
tion field as that of Sunday, and it was
wel toward O'clock before the grand
stand, field and course began to fill.
/ The crowd was not as great as that
which made the trip in Sundays storm,
/ and not more than 5000 persons wit
messed the flights made by Paulhan
during the latter part of the afternoon.
Many who had made the trip by auto
mobile Sunday would not dare the
roads again, and practically the entire
throng was handled by the Southern
Pacific and United Railroads. Special
service was maintained as on Sunday,
and in preparation for the influx of the
morning crowds new platforms had
been built overnight at the terminus,
and crushed gravel had been heaped
into the worst mudholes
Guard lines about the track. amphi-
theater and old paddock were kept
with far less trouble than on the first
day of the meet and no friction devel-
! oped from the handling of the crowds.
Following the appearance of the ma
chine on the field, however. the ranks
of spectators swarmed across the track
and from time to time the mounted
deputy sheriffs were forced to charge
the groups, driving them back to the<
fences of the track.
CROWD Is ORDERLY
The crowd was quiet, orderly and
good humored. Alternately hopes rose
and fell just as the sun shone or as
clouds tobscured the sky. 1t was noon
when Paulhan reached the field and
| though there was Sdrizzle in the air
at that time and not patch of blue in
the sky the wind had dropped and
| Paulhans first statement was a prom
ise to fly before the afternoon was
over unless conditions should change
decidedly for the worse
The band was the only thing to keep
interest alive until o'clock and there
was very little thrill in it's music for
| a crowd bent upon watching the first
flights ever made by heavier than air
! machine in the central part of Califor-
MIA. Paulhan's message flew from lip
to lip. however, and the crowd waited
in patience.
1t was shortly after 3 o'clock when
/ the last prop was taken out from un-
der the roof of. the paddock shed and
the big Farman biplane of which hun
viously caught so much as a glimpse
was wheeled into view and drawn out
to the center of the track Enclosure by-
Paulhans mechanicians and assistants
j The crowd cheered wildly when the
aeroplane first came into view and
again when 1t became evident that the
1 daring aviator was about to ascend.
WEATHER UNFAvoRABLE
Many eyes watched the several small
Ctryl,i l,ioI,
i the strength and direction of the wind,
/ and many wise ones shook their heads
] when two of these miniature aircraft
were caught in eddies of the wind cap
sized and burned. Again the crowd be-
came pessimistic regarding any sue
cessful aeroplane flight when a captive
gas balloon belonging to a local pho
tographer broke from the hold of sew
eral men who were attempting to move
| 1t across the field and was thrashed
/ into ribbons on the posts and spikes of
the fence surrounding the field
Paulhan. already seated in the driv-
ing seat of his biplane at the south ex-
tremity of the field. watched these in
! cidents closely and turned his eyes
again and again toward the clouds.
| The onlookers had almost decided that
the attempt must be given up when the
| buzz of the motor of the aeroplane
caused a general gasp of surprise.
minute more and Paulhap was in the
| air.
From the moment of the first test,
when the machine skinned gracefully
over the field few feet above the
earth, the interest did not abate. Time
after time the aviator was cheered and
| applauded, and at the conclusion of his
| final flight was given prolonged ova-
ton.
/ Lack of careful management was re-
/ sponsible for an announcement that
sent hundreds away after the first few
| trials without waiting for the last spec
! tacular flight. An announcer, supplied
with megaphone, shouted to the
amphitheater that no further trials
for the afternoon was at an end. Many
| left without waiting to see whether
.Paulhan would again attempt to as
/ cend, anxious only to secure transpor-
| tation accommodations. This first rush
! to the trains had hardly ceased when
Paulhan made his final rush across the
! field and arose for his long flight.
| The ovation accorded the daring
! Frenchman at the conclusion of his ex-
! hibition was spontaneous. The guards
| were forced to fight the throng away
/ from him as he walked toward his
! dressing quarters, and men fought for
an opportunity to shake his hand
1t was Monsieur Paulhan' earlier In
! the day.
1t was "Oh, you Louis, when the aft
/ ernoQn was over
Paulhan had made good his promises
and won a new host of admirers.