Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-07-31
B. MARS ESCAPE
Merry Flyer, Hurt in Erie, Pa,
Fall, Victim of Previous
Accidents.
TAKES AVIATION TO EAST
Made Two Hundred and Fifty Flights
in Orient and Created ProdiS-
iOuS Excitement.

]. c. (Bud Mars. who was hurt
when he fell with his aeroplane at
! Erie, Pa, is rapidly recovering.
Mars is one Of the most picturesque
| and daring Of the hiers and in little
more than a year has made his name
famous as an aeroplanist in many
| parts Of the world
| 1t was shortly after the Los Angeles
| aviation meet. early in 1910, where
Mars made several sensational bal
loon flights, soaring TO tremendous
| heights, that he went to Hammonds-
port, y. Y. and became a pupil of
Glenn II. Curtiss. Less than six weeks
after that he was on the road giving
exhibition flights in an aeroplane and
startling thousands by his daring.
Last December Mars started for the
| orient. He returned early in June,
after having made go flights and leav-
ing the populace of country after coun-
try agape with wonder. He was the
first to carry aviation to the far east.
Mars spent his childhood days on
the shore Of Lake Michigan, but early
went to Chicago to win his fortune.
He tried the theater and from that
drifted to the circus, making his first
appearance in a trapeze act and later
becoming the understudy OF high
diver. For some months he was a
Spectacular attraction" and won
name for fearleSsneSs and daring.
BALLOONING WITH BALDWIN.
He next came before the public as
pupil of Captain Thomas S. Baldwin,
the balloonist, and soon was appearing
at exhibitions as Mars, the lion Derved
daredevil" He was then sixteen
years old. and ever since he has made
his living by the conquest of the air.
He early experimental with the gid
err" which he christened the Fool Kill
err" and with this contrivance gave
exhibitions
Mars became associated with Israel
Ludlow during the jamestown expo
sition, and they built number of huge
men carrying kites. with which they
made experiments over Hampton
Roads.
After the jamestown exposition Mars
formed the United Balloon corpora
ton, having interested nearly all the
aeronauts in the country and several
capitalists in the venture. The finan-
cial depression Of 1907 wiped the cor
poration out and Mars own fortune
TOO.
1t was in the fan of 1909 that Mars
became official pilot Of the Oakland
(CalD Aero club. It was while making
his balloon flights at Los Angeles, ear
ly in 1910. that Mars was attracted by
the possibilities of the aeroplane, and
his reputation attracted the attention
Of Mr.. Curtiss.
Mars made his first professional aero
plane flight in Memphis. Tenn, shar-
ing the hnnors of the day with Cur
tiss. He had a narrow escape from
death that day as his aeroplane bump
ed into an automobile.
In August. 1910. Mars made a num-
Der of spectacular flights at the
Sheepshead bay race track and on
Aug. % almost came to grief in an at
tempt to fly from the course across
the NarrOws. He was carried TO sea
by a strong wind, and when opposite
the Atlantic Yacht club his machine
collapsed. He was then 1000 feet in
the air. lie was picked up by tug
little the worse for his experience and
taken to Sea Gate.
1t was by his trip to the orient,
shortly after the Belmont park meet
last fall, that Mars made his name
known all over the world. The party
that started on this trip included Cap
tain Baldwin, Mars, two agents, three
mechanics, Tod Shriver and his wife
and Mrs. Mars. They showed in this
country at Norfolk. Denver, Phoenix
and Stockton and left San Francisco
in December. Captain Baldwin stop
ped in Japan.
In Japan Mars flew at Osaka, Kobe. /
Nagoya, Tokyo and Yokohama, and at
Osaka there was the biggest crowd /
that ever witnessed an aviation per
formaace. at least 10000 people saw
the flight
THE people just ate IT up said /.
Mars, the upper class and the rabble |
alike. They wanted to know how soon I
they could have a fleet OF them"
In Japan. as well as in the other /
countries where he few. Mars and his /
party were treated royalty. In one Of /
his flights in Japan he reached an alti- /.
tude Of $500 feet, a bit Of daring that 4
won for him the admiration Of the 4
populace
In China Mars few at Picking and
at Tientsin. and at first his fights
threw the people into 4 panic. In In /.
dia and in the islands under Eng
hsh domination Mars and his party
received every sort Of honor that the .
native potentates could bestow. He
also few at Manila. IN Honolulu, Su- 4
matra, Java, Singapore. Calcutta. Ko- F.
rea. Siam, Siberia, Russia and Poland Z
At Bankok. in Siam. Mars took the
king Of Siam as a passenger for I
twelve mile fieht. His last fight .
abroad was made at Warsaw late IN
May.