The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-16

Late this forenoon j. G. Mars agreed
to give an aeropiane exhibition at Law
renee this afternoon between the hours
or 1880 and 4. A purse of $1,000 was
raised by citizens for the exhibition,
which Will be given on the MetcaIf
tract. Immediately after the fight he.
will start for Louisville.
Kansas City, Mo-, June 16.-J. c.
Mars, the aviator, who ATTEMPTED an
aeroplane flight from Topeka to this
city, and was forced to abandon the
trip Tor the day after alighting at Mid
land. Kan, 80 miles from Topeka, de-
cided this morning not to resume the
! fight.
The engine of his machine was so
oadIy damaged that it could not be re-
| paired In time for the flight and Mars
| announced that he would not resume
| the flight to Kansas City. He arrang-
ed today to ship his aeroplane to Lou
| lsv1lle, KY, where he is entered in an
aviation meet after this afternoons
fight.
! The damaged engine was not repaired
until late this morning and as Mr..
Mars had to fill the Louisville date
Mr.. Strang of Kansas City, under
whose auspices the flight was being
made called it off as it would have been
necessary to complete the journey this
| desire.
| 1t had been the intention of Mr..
| Mars to make a fresh start from Mid
| land, head southeast, crossing the river
/ a short distance east of Lawrence. A
| freshening wind caused him to post
pOne the start.
| The hours sped by and the wind did
not show any signs of slackening. 1t
was after Z O'Clock last night before
| Mars thought it advisable to brave the
| air currents again. At 1881 for the
fourth time of the day the machine
rose hundred feet above the earth
the Skylark described small circle.
| Then 1t returned to the ground. Again
1t rose, and again returned. Again the
aeroplane scared upwards. This time
| Mars managed to fly southwark to Bis
mark. less than a mile from Midland.
AT BlSmark he alighted ard announced
! that he would not make another ascent
until this morning. While the
machine was at Bismark last night
virtually all Lawrence went out to see
Ii. Mars and his party came into Law
renee after dark. Later the aeroplane
| was brought in on d hayrack. Here the
engine was given a thorough overhaul
ing. 1t was found a valve in one of
| the cylinders had been broken. The
repaired ribs were inspected and tight
ened. Shortly before midnight the ma
chine was again loaded on the hay
rack and taken to the point east of
Lawrence, ON the south shore of the
river, from which this mornings fight
was to have commenced.
Excitement at Midland.
The Lawrence Journal printed the
following story of Mars arrival at
Midland:
The people out at Midland were the
most surprised inhabitants of the
United States this morning when the
areoplane came down in their midst
Arch Garvin, who was at work in his
| alfalfa field, said: Il was working in
the field, when suddenly looked of
towards the west and there 1 saw 1t
coming in the air. 1t was low down.
too, not flying very high either, and
then it came down here. 1 was sur
prised.''
At 1 o'clock Mars came in to town 20
take lunch at the Eldridge, and the
people waiting at the field saw then
that it was no use waiting and so they
all came back to town.
A Today will be one that the people of
Lawrence and in the vicinity of Mid
land will never forget. They had read
and read about airships, and the like,
but they had never seen one and never .
: thought they would get to see one
really fly.
When the plans were first published
by the Journal that local men were
trying to bring an aeroplane event
| here the interest manifested was
great, but today Lawrence was entire
J ly demoralized. Business men left their
|. stores professional men locked up their
offices, women forgot their housekeep-
ing, and men, women and children
tried to find some way to get out to
Midland. Never even has a flood. a
| fire or any disaster of any kind,
caused the furore that Mars did when
he lighted in the Garvin alfalfa field.
Aviation" field at Midland this
morning would have presented al. the
| appearances to stranger, of a regu-
lar one chosen for aeroplane maneuv-
ers. In the center was the necessary
central figure, the machine-the bird
of the air poised as if ready to fly
working at the engine were the ma
chinists busy with tools. gasoline and
. what not-all professional looking.
, All about was the crowd, some
standing, others sitting, all waiting to
|. see this greatest promise of wonderful
/ science demonstrated, all waiting to
+ have proven to them that the problem
: | of aerial navigation had finally been
solved. over there in the center was
, an impromptu soda wagon" composed
: of a horse and cart and man wear
: ing a wide brimmed straw hat and
! | overalls, calling, Here's where you get
your ice cold soda pop" Over there
farther along some one was selling
cigars and over all was a spirit of
ioIlity, of fun at the occasion
Ali up and down the road by the
aviation field were strings Of automo-
biles and other vehicles. Farmers
s hitched horses to their wagons and
| loaded in their families. dressed as
came.
o When asked if he lighted in the field
for rest or for what reason, Mars said:
s'No, L didn't stop to rest My engine
1 wasn't working right and 1 had to
q come down. 1 chose this place to
q light in as the surroundings were
n ideal"