The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-09-12
BY j. Iawrence TooIe.


SAN FRANCISCO, CAL, Sept. IL.
Into a sky as blue as the waters of
San Francisco bay, Robert G.. Fowler,
pathfinder Of the first transcontinen-
tai air line in the world s history.
started from tie stadium In Golden
Gate Park at 81 O'Clock this after
noon on the first lap of the long flight
that Will end at the edge OF the At
lantic.
one hour and ffty-one minutes af-
ter he swung swiftly over the break
oers of the Western ocean, Fowler
made his first landing at Sacramento,
ninety miles away. A two hours rest,
and at So o'clock Fowler was again
awning. This time Auburn was the
goal. There to the welcoming music
of whistles and bells he alighted a,
6;36 O'Clock
Tonight this most daring or man
birds rested in the shadows of the
towering Sierras at Auburn. To-mor-
row he VIII essay the awesome feat
Of Vaulting that age-old barrier.
There does not seem "a chance that
this human falcon Will not sweep on
trium phanty to New York to claim,
the prize OF $50, 900 which William
Randolph Hearst holds out to the first
air man who wings his way across the
continent.
Boy il Confident.
Bob Fowler started on his his
tory-making flight with a confident
grin on his boyish face The spec-
tacle OF his start was a thing to make
the most sluggish pulse beat faster
| Yet of the ten or more thousand peo-
pie banked upon the stadium and flut-
terfng like files about his airship
Fowler alone was imperturbably cool
Ills hand was steady. The eye that
looked out over giittering levers to
take final slant at the upper air was
I clear and unblinking. BY no tremor
gesture of fleeting glance did the boy
betray fear. There was no fare
We'll wave to the crowd, no srandstand
play, no salute to the girls on the side
lines.
With this boy, who is deliberately
playing his life as a pawn In the great
ZANE OF progress, 1t was business at
/ that moment-serious, momentous bus
mess And just as he did not fuss
or fritter at the start, SO did he re-
fuse to fuss and fritter. lie cut no
elddy circles for the plaudits OF the
crowd. and he did no dizzy dips TO
feed his vanity on the cheers, BY the
clock 1t was 81 minutes after ]. wnen
he took the ,alr.. HE rose, at ars easy
grade toward = cloudless sky one
straight 'rfsfrrg sweep oat until the
edge of the Pacific sang under his
planes. then a graceful turn. No bird
could have spun around more sweet
~. Then, back. straight overhead, 500
feet over the eyes gazing at the sill
very undersides of his planes. Over
the crowd he few on a line Tor MS
goal as straight as the course OF a
! homing bee.
At Sacramento.
AT Sacramento" Fowler said. lust
before he started. IT Will drop down
and eat a sandwich"
And he did. AT IS minutes after
3 O'Clock he swooped to rest at Sacra
mento for that sandwich he had prom
Used himself
In two hours, lacking nine minutes.
Fowler had put ninety miles " nis
great flight behind him.
rest until 5: rs. and the great avia-
tor was again away. A. s SO o'clock
Fowler entered Auburn. gracefully CIR
cied the courthouse dome, and made
a beautiful landing on 4 railroad cur
on to the north of the town
And now the great race Is oh II
earnest. Tomorrow the high Sisrrag.
down on whose jagged peaks only the
eagle has looked since the world be-
gan viii be reached II all goes well
Fowler viii be the first OF this now
breed OF pathfinders to cieave his
course across this great obstruction.
The deserts await him beyond VIII
he make morrow's hazardous pas
sage? Those who watched his frilless.
| fitless start from the edge Of the Pacific
to-day have the supremest confidence
that he will