The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-05-28
Aviation Meet Saturday Afternoon Was One of
the Most Successful Exhibitions Ever Made
By Birdman
WILLARD MADE TWO THRILLING FLIGHTS
Military Features Added Greatly to the Exhibi.
ton When Little War Game Was Played in
the Messenger Meadow.

The most wonderful thing of the
present day, is likewise the most
simple thing This paradox describ-
ed the aeroplane more fully and in
manner more easily understood by all,
after you had seen Willard fly yester-
day afternoons; than would a yard of
description of how flying Is done.
No more perfect exhibition of the
successful conquest of the air, was
ever shown than. the exhibition of yes.
terday afternoon in Keokuk which
was witnessed and applauded by sew.
eral thousand people at the first avia-
ton meet he'd in southeastern Iowa
Mr.. Willard made two flights, the,
first one OF FIVE minutes and the sec
ond one of seven minutes duration
with military features at the close of
the fight. He did not ascend pos.
sibly higher than $50 feet in the air
and ATTEMPTED no trick .,evolutions
excepting a few dips combining the
flights to great circles around the
aviation field. ~
A half hour before the first fight
was made western wind came growl-
ing through thegroye where the aero.
plane was standing in it's hangar OF
canvas and it required the efforts of
several members of the National Guard
to hold the tent down and keep it
from being blown over. At that
moment, an aeroplane exhibit was UNI
thought of. But after few discon-
tented growls by the wind. the sun
came out from behind the clouds the
air was calm and man was flying
through the air like bird. absolute
ly unafraid of the elements, while
thousands stood and watched with no
fear whatever for the man. 1t seem
ed to those who watched, to be about
the safest thing person could do.
The flights took place in the Mes
senger pasture at the edge of town, a
long level strip of green which bord-
ers Belknap boulevard. All along the
barbed wire fence was long line OF
people who watched the fights and
cheered and applauded at the close,
In the immediate neighborhood we're
many more people who were enabled
to see the exhibit without paying the
small price asked. Less than one
thousand people paid to get into the
field; many times that many stood
around close by.
The exhibition was scheduled to
take place at 2:30 o'clock but at that
time there was heavy wind blowing
and few scattered drops of rain.
Long before that time the crowds had
gathered in the vicinity and the
chances were slim for flight the way
the wind was Directing.
Soldiers patroled the roads and
stood guard about the field The
khaki suits added to the scene pre-
sented and the aeroplane in its hang
ar was the object of much interest
Everyone who came into the field.
first went to the canvass shed and
looked at the big machine with its
seven cylinder engine and great wood
en- propeller 1t was really an ugly
looking thing for the canvass planes
were soiled and splashed with OIL
the vanished stays were unpublished
and the gasoline tank was dented.
There was nothing spectacular about
the aeroplane and people were disap-
pointed If they expected to see a
beautiful artificial bird
The machine looked as though it
nae seen hard usage and that 1t was
more than an experiment. 1t looked
like 2 veteran.
1t behaved like one later on.
The First Flight.
It was after 800 o'clock when the
machine was rolled out OF It's shed