The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-08-16
WATCHES BlRDMEN
IN THRILLING FLIGHTS
z. w. Meyers Tells Of the Wonders
to be Seen At the Aviation
Meet in Chicago.
HYDRO ) AERoPLANE wo

HYDRO ) AERoPLANE WONDER
A. Home, on Land and Sea and Sky
Runs Like Auto, Swims Like
Fish, Flies Like = Bird.
f. w. Meyers returned on Monday
morning from a brief business trip
to Chicago. He was fortunate enough
10 be in the city during the big avia
ton meet and he comes back declar
jng that the fight of the airships was
the most wonderful and inspiring
thing he has ever seen.
On Sunday afternoon there were
eleven of the flyers in the air at the
same time and during the course OF
the afternoon more than score OF
the, biplanes and monoplanes made
flights.
The biplane looks like a big box
kite with small box kite for tail
The ships are Of different sizes, but
the wings are between ten and twenty
feet long, making the width of the
boat something more than twice that
of the single wing. With some the
driver sits in front, much as if riding
bicycle, while with others the driv-
er sits back with the engine. The
propellors of the biplanes are just be-
hind the big wings. the blades are
long and have the appearance of the
wooden ceiling fans used in many
stores. The monoplane is the pref
tier machine. 1t carries two single
wings instead Of two double ones. The
propeller is in front and whirs like
a gigantic electric fan. In the air
the monoplane looks like big drag
on fly. They are very speedy and
dart through the air sometimes at the
rate of ninety miles an hour. The
hydro-aeroplane was the wonder OF
wonders. This is first an automobile
and will run on land at the rate OF
thirty miles, an hour, next it is a bi-
plane and will fly at the rate of sixty
miles an hour, third 1t is water craft
and will plough through the water
faster than any other boat in exist
ence. This triumph of the inventors
brain exhibited at Chicago. 1t came
out of its hangar and rapidly crossed
the park by its own power, running
as easily and smoothly as an auto,
coming to the fiAs at the edge of the
lake front it glided gracefully into
the air, flew over the distinctions and
over the tops of ships and settled in
the lake as costly as duck takes to
water.
In the water it appeared perfectly
at home, going at high speed and
throwing the waves high on either
side. After few minutes in the wa
ter it rose from the surface and took
an air fight and thus it went in and
out of the water until it finally lifted
itself high into the air, flying out over
the, land and then settling down for
a little spin on it's wheels in it's auto
mobile capacity. In general appear
ance it was much like the other. 'bi-
planes, except that hanging beneath
it was little fiat bottomed canoe
shaped boat and a thin wOodprow
which enabled it to ride the waves.
The biplanes tried for an altitude
record, and such sky-climbing. They
became just tiny specks in the sky
and often the clouds came between
them and the earth and they were
shut off from the view of the spec
tators who were looking straight up
to see them. One biplane looked just
as if it was climbing along the edge
of fleecy white cloud.
Some of the races We're out over
the lake and the planes would fly out
until they were lost in the deep blue
of the sky. Presently there would be
a new droning sound high in the air
and there was the plane returning
from its trip over the lake. There
were speed races. Races about the
course at a speed of about a mile
minute. The race was close one and
the biplanes would come down the
stretch neck and neck, jockeying at
the corners, flying over and under
each other, taking the turns with an
apparent recklessness that made
ones heart stand still. Some of the
aviators delighted in the daring ex-
hibitions. They would rise to a con-
siderable height and then swoop down
with frightful speed almost to the
earth's surface, and then at touch
of the lever they would rise, lighter
than a bird. They went dipping and
turning almost over the heads of the
crowd. Beachey, who went over Mag
ara Falls in his air boat, was the.
1nost spectacular of the drivers. He
sent his machine humming down