The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-07-15
$4,000 WITNESS.
MAN-B|RDs FLY
Ia Chappelle and Hoxsey Make Sue
cessful Flights in Wright Machine
at State Fair Grounds.

Something Detroiters have been
reading about with the keenest kind
OF interest during the past few
months, was produced before their
very eyes at the state fair grounds,
Thursday afternoon, namely, the
flight of an aeroplane.
The spectacle of the b;rd-men in
the air made one feeh that il was only
q vision, aud the multitude In the
grand stand and on the ground seem
ed struck with Nawe as the machine
started on its initial flight There
was but little applause at the start
of the exhibition, but the crowd had
apparently recovered from its daze
when the operator, Duvall La Chap
pelle, descended and alighted from the
car, for the entire assemblage cheer
ed wildly.
The appearance OF the aeroplane In
the air was awaited with keen antici-
patton by almost everyone in attend
ance, as scarcely anyone but those
connected with the machines had ever
seen such perfrmance. The major
ity Of the spectators, who numbered
about $4,000, were visiting Elks and
they were particularly anxious to see
the flights.
For more than an hour the aviators
tinkered and fused about a plane In
the enclosure opposite the grand
stand, each blow with hammer or a
turn with a wrench making the gather
ing all the more impatient.
Finally, at 4 o'clock, an hour after
the scheduled time to start, La Chap
pells climbed into the machine and,
after being pushed few yards along
monorail, used TO give the machine
start, IL began to rise like bird
He circled the race track three times
and then came back to the point from
which he started, landing with as
much ease and grace as Through he
were operating an automobile on the
ground. In alighting. however, the
skIds scraped the edge OF little hol-
low and one OF them was slightly dam
aged. II was quickly repaired an
then Arch. Hoxsey, whose own ma.
chine was out OF commission, entered
that OF La Chappelle and did some
daring work.
First he sailed around the grounds
at an almost even altitude OF about
| 100 feet, then he sent the machine sky
ward, some so feet, only TO come down
again at an almost perpendicular dir
| to within a few feet of the ground, al
which hight he skinned along FOR
some distance, after which he ascen'
ed into the air again and repeated the
dipping" performance.
The people held their breaths as he
went through the different stunts, for
! IL was new to them and they expect
| ed, every moment, TO see him fall ou'
| OF the machine and be dashed to
death. However, Hoxsey was right
home in the air and he showed per
feet confidence in his ability to handle
| the plane safely, having frequently
dofled his cap and waved his hand az
the crowd below.
When he finally alighted he was
given an ovation, and, in response to
requests from the grandstand, he was
brought TO the grandstand and intro
| duced him TO the crowd. Hoxsey
bowed graciously and smiled his &C
acknowledgements.
Later Hoxsey made q high fiigh'
reaching an altitude Of 1900 feet. >
| this distance his biplane looked Nc
bigger than hawk in the air. Grad
ually and slowly he came back to
wards earth. but he didn't leave tho
air for 20 minutes, in which ttWe h.
covered Is miles, said to be western
| record.
Prior to the aeroplane flights. L.
Broker, Of Minneapolis, gave an ex'