The Republican journal., 1911-09-14
Aviators Men of Adventure
Many Thrill Seekers in the Air Were For.
merly Acrobats in Leading Circuses.

merry Acrobats in Leading Circuses.
Aviators have sprung from almost
every walk of life, but the greater num-
Der have come from the ranks of those
who follow lives of adventure. They
include former lion tanners, tight rope
walkers, automobile racers, motor boat
racers and loop-the-loop bicycle riders,
along with college athletes and sports
men. All have demonstrated that they
possess iron nerves and probably most of
them would not care a fig about going
up in the air if danger did not Turk in
every wire of the canvas-winged bird
that carries them aloft. In fact one
aviator recently remarked that this lack
of safety was the fascinating element in
flying
The Wright brothers, like Glenn H.
| Wright still enjoys talking about the
time he rode big high wheel. In re-
lating one of his experiences about a
year ago he said he didn't believe that
he had the courage to repeat it. He re-
ferred to the experience as inspired
by the foolhardiness of youth. 1t was
a ride down steep incline.
Glenn H. Curtiss often tells of the
first motorcycle built by himself. He
made heavy frame and then cut it into
two parts and attached the motor. He took
it to little bicycle shop at Cold Springs
and induced the owner Of the shop to
| hold it while he mounted, The engine
developed at least seven horsepower and
1 there was no way of regulating it wher
1t once got going and no way to stop it.
HOPING FOR BEST.
Like streak of lightning it shot away
/ up and down hill. Curtiss realized that
he was in for it and steered along the
middle of the road, hoping for the best
He sped down the road, cut across the
! inlet of Lake keuka and flew on over
the State road through the town of Ur-
bana and finally came to a halt on the
hills overlooking Keika Landing. Fortu-
nately no damage was done.
Curtiss continued to improve on this
invention and next built freak machine
that beat the worlds record at Ormond
Beach, Florida. Because of its unique
construction it could not be entered in
the regular classes and therefore the
record was not official.
! Capt. Thomas S. Baldwin, the dean of
the air, has made much of the history of
aeronautics in the last rs years. Aero
nautics took him from the realm of aero
bats. When boy his skill in turning
fipfaps and somersaults carried him
into the circus sawdust. From the arena
he climbed to the high wire and from the
high Wire to the parachute. From the
parachute he was graduated to the dirg-
ible balloon, thence to the aeroplane.
When very young Capt. Baldwin was
left to shift for himself. He started in
by delivering papers and lighting street
lamps. When Is he turned book agent
TURNS A soMERsAULT.
1t was while engaged III this work that
by chance he turned a somersault near
one of the hotels at Hot Springs. A
circus performer happened to observe
the feat and at once proposed that they
practice double trapeze act. 1t took
no persuasion to induce Baldwin to aban-
don his career as book vender to be-
come an acrobat.
Between times Capt Baldwin prac-
tised balancing on tight rope and it
was this experience that gave him His
first idea of equilibrium. IL was after
three months of hard work that he was
enabled to make his bow before Hot
public appearance Capt. Baldwin said:
by hat collection, was great success,
but my rope walking feat all but ended
in failure. l clambered on the roof of
the building, but as l stepped on the
rope all my desire for aerial glory fled.
| trembled like leaf in breeze l was
afraid to go backward or forward, but l
went ahead. In some miraculous way |
crossed the chasm, and gaining conf
dence, l walked back. That was my
first actual problem of equilibrium in
fighting the air."
Subsequently Capt. Baldwin became
associated with Harry Victor, another
horizontal bar performer. Two years
later the latter was killed while giving
an exhibition at Columbus, Ind. Capt
Baldwin escaped uninjured. The trap
exc gave way.
BALDWIN TOURS WORLD.
Baldwin next took up the parachute
and made tour of the world He gave
exhibitions at Alexandria Palace in Lon
don. The late King Edward VII, then
Prince of Wales, was one of those who
watched him. On one occasion by shift
of the wind the aeronaut dropped near
the royal box. On his trip around the
world Capt. Baldwin visited the heather
dLu oCIul-uSdCHGH COuIIllICo. DtNeIdl
months ago he made aeroplane flights in
the same cities.
Many of the younger men in the bust
ness have been trained by Capt. Baldwin.
Bud Mars, when boy of Is, met the vet
eran aeronaut, who taught him the trick
of parachute jumping. This did not
prove any too exciting for the youngster
and he joined circus. He learned to
turn somersaults on the back of ring
horse.
Mars again showed his versatility when
one day the lion tanner disappeared. He
applied for the job and got it. He soor
abandoned the lions to perform higt
diving feat, this because the man who
had been doing the trick made a miscal
culation one day which ended his life.
Next Mars returned to aeronautics
making balloon ascensions. While in Los
Angeles he attended the first flying ex
hibition given in this country and secured
an engagement with Glenn H. Curtis!
| soon after the meet closed He has hooy