The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1911-09-08
LIGHTNING STRIKES
The AVIATION FIELD
LOUISVILLE SUNDAY
MANY STUNNED, AMONG THEM
THE FAMOUS j. A. C.
McCURDY.
GRAND STA D FUSES BLOWN OUT

Field and But for Mccurd
The Event Would Have Beef
Spoiled.
! LOUISVILLE, KY, Sept 5.-Fou
bolts of lightning struck the avia
ton field at Churchill Downs yes
terday, stunning fifteen or more per
sons and damaging Aviator Charles
Foster Wizards biplane, one Of
them striking the Anzani engine
which lie and his corps of mechani
clans had finally put into condition
after working nearly all night. One
bolt struck a telegraph post outside
the Downs, impairing the telephone
service in the vicinity and blowing
out many fuses in the grand stand
This caused some excitement, and
three women tainted while the storm
was in progress.
Another bolt hit the hanger east of
the grand stand and Aviator ]. ii. D.
McCurdy, Aviator F. A. Wildman,
Manager R. R. Young, Exalted Ruler
George H. Fisher, of the Elks, four
or five mechanicians and several re.
porters were stunned.
The storm broke while Aviator Nc
Curdy was soaring about at a dizzy
height in an attempt to break his
own altitude record. He was forced
to descend.
The elements furnished aerial ex-
hibitions not on the regular pro-
gramme, but the crowd was game
enough to stick and see it through.
When the rain finally ceased az $3.50
o'clock, and it was announced that
the third and last fight of the day
would be given, there were still
about 5000 persons on the grounds.
The brunt of the days work, as on
Saturday, was placed on the should
ers of young McCurdy, he making
all three fights, the last of which
was spectacular.
The afternoon started suspicious
ly. Wizards engine, French and OBJ
stinate, which marred Saturdays pro-
gramme, had finally been subdued;
McCurdy's headless biplane was in
perfect condition; young R. o.
Rubels little Bleriot, though without
an operator, was ready to fly, and
only a few gray clouds were drifting
about in the western sky. At 2:30
o'clock the crowd was as great as
that of Saturday and people were
still coming. Another advantage was
that only slight wind was blowing
and everyone was prepared to see
some tall flying.
Today will be the big" day OF the
meet, the events beginning with the
street parade this morning, which
will be seen many elaborate floats
depicting allegorical and historical
subjects. There will be a siX-furlong
race for 3-year-olds, in which eight
thoroughbreds have been entered, a
pony race in which there are seven
entries, and another mule race.
Aviator McCurdy left the ground
on his first flight at 1901 O'Clock. He
flew around the track five times,
passing in front of the granistand
each trip and bringing forth a great
shout from the crowd by his skillful
maneuvering and demonstrations of
control. He landed perfectly slanting
to the ground in excellent fashion.
McCurdy seemed to have mastered
the tasks of starting and flying an
aeroplane, not one mishap having oc-
Cured in the eight flights he had
made, and wild applause greeted his
descent from the first aerial jour
ney, which was made in front of the
grandstand He had been in the air
four minutes.
/ The outlook was not good at 5
O'Clock, when rain became a drizzle,
with Willard's machine disabled
again and the field and track muddy
with miniature lakes. 1t was thought
for a time that the flights were
over for the day. 1t became known
that the aviators, under the rules of
the Aero Club of America, which
provide that one fight constitutes
an exhibition in case of inclement
weather, were free to put their ma
chimes in the hangers and suspend
operations until today if such were
their choice.
But young McCurdy, who aved the
day Saturday, came forward again
and volunteered to make another
flight, saying, however, that the con-