The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-10-12
Arch Hoxsey Pilots Former
President Around Field
ALL TAKEN BY SURPRISE
No One Suspected That Roosevelt
Would Accept the Invitation TO
Fly But He Jumps In and
Makes the Trip

st. Louis, October 11-Theodore Roose-
welt made an aeroplane fight today and
said it was the finest experience he ever
had. He travelled twice around the avia-
ton field at Kinloch, Is miles west OF
st. Louis, in three minutes and 20 sec
onds. He waved his hand at the crowd
of thousands on the field below, most Of
whom were too dumfounded to move.
When the machine alighted easily few
feet from the starting place, a mighty
shout of applause and relief went up.
Arch Hoxsey. Wright aviator. with
whom Colonel Roosevelt made his flight,
said that his passenger made good fell
low yoyager for such a trip, except that
instead of being afraid he was having
such good time that Hoxsey was afraid
he would fall out or interfere with the
engine, which was roaring at his side
The colonel waved his hands at the
crowd so vigorously that Hoxsey called
| out to him:
Keep your hands on the rail, colonel"
Colonel Roosevelt, who had forgotten
| to hold himself In, waved his hands once
The coloneps fight was surprise to
everybody. Although he had been in
vited to go, no one had the least idea
that he would do SO, and he himself did
not decide to go until the moment before
he stepped into the machine.
The trip to the aviation field to watch
the flights there was on the afternoon
programme for the coloners day in st.
Louis. He went to Kinloch In an auto
| - LAa Nf nj
motor cars which was half a mile long.
The cars were filled by members of the
republican state and city committees and
business men.
A Very Dusty Ride
The ride was a fast and dusty one,
and much of the way the cars were en-
veiolea IN suen cioucr s,f dust that " was
| impossible to see more than a few feet
ahead.
Colonel Roosevelt's face was covered
| with thick coating of Missouri dirt wher
| he arrived at the field
| Colonel Roosevelt's car was driven d.
| restly on the aviation field, instead of to
| the parking place for automobiles.
Around the rim of the field were hum
dreds of cars which footed their horns In
noisy chorus as the colonel appeared.
| The spectators were massed in throngs
| on every hand and company of militia
| men kept them back.
| Soxsey's machine, a great biplane, was
standing directly in front of the grand
stand. Colonel Roosevelt stepped from
| his automobile with Governor Hadley at
| his side and walked over to it. He in
| spected the broad planes and the huge
| engine, and shook hands with the avi-
| ator.
I'D like to have you for a passen-
GER" Hoxsey said. The colonel looked
| at him without a word. Then he began
| to take off his coat. 1t was the first
intimation that anyone had that he
would make the trip. Governor Had
| ley stepped up quickly with serious
look on his face and said:
Are you really going up, colonel?''
| In the Aeroplane
"Of course l am,' the colonel said
and without another word he took his
seat at Hoxseys direction, beside the
engine. q
| Governor Hadley saw that it would
| do no good to protest and stepped
back. He admitted afterward that he
was nervous. =
"rhis is my district. and it extends
up into the air, I suppose. I feel a
sense of responsibility while the colonel
| is in my territory" he said.
| Roosevelt removed his slouch hat
and borrowed a grey cap. which he
pulled down over his eyes. The guards
men were standing so closely about
| the airship that few of the spectators
knew what was going on.
Hoxsey took his place beside Colonel
Roosevelt, who watched the prepara-
| tions with smile of anticipation, be-
| traying not the least nervousness. Four
guardsmen seated tn themselves on the
ground to hold the tail piece of the
airship until the motor should be start
| ed and the propellers well under way.
| One caught hold of each of the two
great aluminium propellers and Hoxsey
gave the word to start. They whirled
| the propellers and the six-cylinder mo-
tor barked and spouted smoke. They
turned around few times and then
| the motor stopped.
| After two more trials the motor was
started and the blades spun around
rapidly.
The photographers who had been
swapping the colonel in the machine
had barely time to step aside before II
bounded forward over the grass as the
| guardsmen released 1t.
| Colonel Roosevelt gripped the rail
hard and looked straight ahead. The
machine skipped over the field for a
few yards then lifted its nose into the
air, rising easily.
| Hunt For Roosevelt
Some of the spectators thought they
| recognized Colonel Roosevelt as the
aeroplane cleared the guardsmen and
| swept out into view, but no one would
believe them when they said so. Mem
| bers of the party which had gone to
the field from st. Louis with the
colonel began a mad hunt for him.
| where's Colonel Roosevelt?" they
asked, running up to the guardsmen.
Hes up there" one of the soldiers
said, pointing to the airship.
| The aeroplane sped quickly around the
| field at height less than 100 feet. II
made the first lap of mile and a hall
before the crowd was convinced that il
really was Colonel Roosevelt who was
the passenger. When the colonel swept
past the grandstand he leaned forward
| a bit and waved his hands. The spec
tators were too surprised to call bacl,
| to him and the crowd was silent. watch
| ing the aeroplane in tense excitement
| The machine sped by and made the
| turn for the second lap. Hoxsey could
be seen to bend over and shout some
thing into the coloners ear. The engine
cracked and spluttered, hurting the aero
plane forward at speed of nearly a
| mile a minute.
At the end of the second lap Hoxsey
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