The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-07
NORTH SIDE NEWS.
Describes Ride With Aviator
Mars in Aeroplane.
Topeka Man Tells About Thrill
ing Aerial Trip.
WAS NOT SCARED.
But Knew Nothing Else Was
Ever Like This.
Flying Through Air Beats Any
Auto Ride.

Talk not of the auto to him who has
been to the aeroplane." This is the re-
mark of a Topeka man in speaking of
flying in one of the machines which is
fitting around or rather above the
| Taylor tract this week.
| Now, don't ask me if / was 'up-in-
| the air. - continued. THAT jestlet is
getting stale. Naturally I was in an
| elevated position in the atmosphere for
! a while but in spite of the high wind
which was blowing 1 didn't feel bit
| 'puffed up about it. Il had to spring
something as 1 knew it would be ex-
pected of me)
How did feel? Well I was thrilled
| to my utmost being wherever that isl
as Bertha NJ. Clay would say. No l
wasn't exactly scared, but when the
machine with its frail bamboo and
rubberized or rubbered something silk
| structure began to dip and dive l
| couldn't help thinking that home was
never like this Then 1 comforted my
self with the thought that anyway
| had no wife and no one loved me any
| way. For once in my life l was glad
| this was true.
| Really, I enjoyed the trip from
start to finish. 1 have always wished
to ride in an airship, ever since when
a little boy I saw a representation Hf
| one on a circus poster. That picture,
| however, looked like the machine was
related to a balloon, but l wasted lots
| of time asking questions about the
thing and once tried with the help of
friend to make one-and failed II
| course But as Samantha Ann says:
| TO reSOOm.'
! 'fWhen the aviation meet was first
| talked of fo- Topeka I applied to go up
| up case the airship fest (how's that for
verbal coinage?) should come here. L
am light of body and thought II was
! only meet that I should be an actor at
| the meet (How those high attitudes do
! affect ones headO
| when 1 met Mr.. Mars I felt more
desire to make fiightlet than ever for
truly he inspires person with con
| fidence that he would bring you safe
through any undertaking. came near
saying that as he was an airship cap
| tain he had a high calling and would
| insure a person with nigh IDEAS, out
stopped Just in time although l real
| lied what bird of a funnyism 1t
! would be.
Indeed, as took my seat behind Mr..
| Mars in the machine this one sWeetly
solemn thought came over me; VIII
do anything once, and may have never
a. chance to do this again. Then
| gazed around at the blue sky and
| looked at the blur of the faces of the
| spectators and this other sWeetiy
| solemn thought overcame me: May
leave my debtors and debts to my
| friends
s'These soulful meditations were in
terrupted by the whir of the propeller
and the 'chug-chug' of the engine. The
| machine trmbled like a young girl be-
| fore she enters the parlor at her
debutante party. Then came a rush
| of wind as the machine started and we
were off.
I'm less time than can tell it, as
| the fairy books say, we were up in the
| air. Then I felt very much like a
| country boy who mistakes the elevator
for his hotel room and rises upexpect-
| edly 1t quite took my breath away.
l Ill rxyT1 troll
speed-this doesn't include the Missouri
| Pacific trains. Nevertheless casting
/ my eyes down, saw Mr.. Mars with
look on his face as serene as If he had
been merely operating Veloclpeoe on
| a cement sidewalk.
"And for a moment, until my eyes
became accustomed to the conditions,
the ground looked like a moving picture
show, a scene when the film machine
| has slipped a cog-just a dark blur.
! "GradualIv nv vision become adjust
ed to circumstances. / ventured 20
/ look around. We were nearly a thou
sand feet above the earth. Like toy,
| in the distance 1 saw the dome of the
| capitol building, and the objects which
knew were residences. The sight re-
minded me of a large 'birdseye view Of
a city which the railroad company
sometimes uses to delude people to
| visit a, certain place.
speaking about birds: I think 2
royal parsonage in Europe after taking
| a trip like this said that she thought
she knew what made the birds sing
meaning the rapid motion through the
| air no doubt. I believe I did also but
1 couldn't overcome natural handicaps
and didn't sing. About this time my
nose began to itch fearfully. I stood
| the torture as long as I could without
relieving it, as I feared to. loosen my
hand holds Finally did so and sue
ceeded in giving my nasal organ a COM
forting 'side-swipe.'
did I lose my balance? Such Il
foolish question. Don't you see L am
here? Really though the movement of
my arm made me a little dizzy and in
/ an instant I thought of all of the bad
things had done in my lifetime-even
when I tried to drown our old Tom
cat in our family rain barrel.
i 'By the time 1 regained my conf
posture we were going at what seemed
a fearful rate. The wind made a
deafening 'blub blub' sound in my ears,
or perhaps it was the noise of the ex-
| haust of the engine. looked down and
the Kansas river and Soldier creek
looked like two silver threads which
met. artistic word sketch, amt it?"l
ITO continue the beautiful word paint
irg: On either side of the Kaw stretch
ed the proverbial smiling valleys and
fertile farms To the east irregular
clumps of objects were likely towns.
f&ncied I could see Kansas City also
but may be it was only Lawrence
"Just as I was becoming accustom-
ed to the sensation of flying. our ma
chine struck what is termed an air
| bole' and we dropped several hundred
feet like a shot However before I had
time to realize what might happen we
were again sailing all right. Then Mr..
Mars began to circle around. He made
wide swoops each time getting nearer
the starting place
"Then it seemed that the earth was
coming UP to meet us. If you have TO-
/ cused a camera, and remember how the
objects reflected on the ground glass
appear to come nearer to you as you
turn the screw, you may get an idea
of the impression received as the ma
chine approached the earth.