The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-08-23
PLAYED TAG IN THE AIR.,
FLIGHTS BY jim WARD
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
"I've lived sixty-five years to. see
this" exclaimed an old man in the
bleachers at the fair grounds Satur
day, as Jimmy Ward, the boy avia
tor, flew past him in "The Shooting
Star" and went soaring up into
space. 1t was Arthur Graham OF
GAINESVILLE. Mr.. Graham missed his
train for home, but said he was 60
ing to bring his family to see Jimmy
again on Sunday.
Jimmy Ward made six fights at
the fair grounds Saturday and Sun.
day, and every one of them was
successful. Ward did not take any
passengers with him, as he had
only single passenger machine.
Miss Alice Schmidt of Lake Wash
ington was not to be frightened in
the least and she was on deck Sat
urday, and was ready to fly, but was
told that it was impossible to take
a passenger. The young lady walk
ed away with a sigh; she wanted to
fly and was denied that pleasure.
Had Jimmy Ward had his passen-
ger-carrying aeroplane, there is no
doubt but what she would have had
the honor to soar in the air with
him.
There was large sprinkling of
women among the crowds that
watched Ward fly. They were as
much interested in the wonderful
exhibition as the men, and the
eyes of the small boys almost pop
ped out of their heads, so excited
were they when the airman made
his flights. Ward demonstrated that
he can fly. He is not fakir. He
is an aviator. He is not "chesty"
He is a modest, unassuming young
man, product of Minnesota, and is
among the large number who have
made good
Many Did Not Pay.
At Saturdays exhibitions about
900 paid admissions were recorded,
but this does not represent the num-
Der of people that saw the birdman
fly. The hills outside the fence
were damned with people who did
not pay. Over on the Omaha rail-
road tracks stood few boxcars and
these were crowded with eager spec
tators who were seeing a fine ex-
hibition for nothing. ---: .. -
A force Of special policemen in
charge of Martin Wiltgen kept the
crowds back. Those acting were
taken from the ranks of the firemen
in North Mankato and Mankato and
were w. H. Anderson. F. Madigan,
Frank Wilde, Paul Dethloff and w.
Bohrer. These had their hands full,
both during the baseball games and
the flights.
The famous airship, Shooting
STAR" was pulled out of it's hanger
about five o'clock Saturday after
noon and pulled down past the
grandstand to the turn in the race
track at the north end. Here Jimmy
Ward tested the machine, after sur
veying the fair grounds and laying
out the place where he would light
AS rule he always uses seventy
two test gasoline, a high power mix
ture, but he did not have any of this
Saturday and so mixed a high and
low power gasoline himself, and
then tested its effect upon the mo-
tor. 1t worked all right, and after
Hxy hn cd
self, and started the propeller. The
cornfield back of it began to wave
as though a stiff breeze were blow
ing. \.
At the signal, the men who were
holding the airship back let go and
Ward shot ahead He had to 60
at the rate of thirty miles an hour
before the airship would ascend
Just in front of the grandstand, he
made turn with his wrist, the
planes responded and turned at an
upward angle, and the Shooting
Star" arose smoothly and evenly, as
the crowd began to shout and cheer
him. Then for few, minutes all
was quiet, except the bee-like noise
from the fan, as Ward swept up
into space. -...- .-..
Went Up Wonderful Height.
Ward went up to wonderful
height, especially in the second
flight. But in the first he scared
serenely on, going south, then veer-
ing in and passed over the fair
grounds in northerly direction. He
repassed over the grand stand, TO-
ward the south again, above the
Fowler & Pay lime kilns, then went
over the old Fletcher property, over
the high hills toward Eagle Lake,
and returned to the fair grounds,
making a spiral dive and lighting
near the baseball diamond.
AS he turned abruptly downward,
murmurs of surprise could be. heard
in every direction, but when he turn
ed the planes again when only a few
feet from the ground, shooting
straight ahead and then running
along the ground. people shouted
with admiration to think that he
lighted SO gracefully. 1t was indeed
pleasure and here and there could
be heard remarks that the spectators
certainly got their moneys worth
even If they saw only one flight
Ward remained I'D i'm the air ahout