Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-08-21
MAY FLY TOMORROW
Aviation Meet on Sunday Disappoints
Large Crowd.
PROMOTERS NEARLY MoBBED.
Angry Crowd Threaten to Tear Ma
chine to Pieces and Promoters
Skip Out. AviatOrs Still
Here Trying to Fly.

A week ago today a stranger came
to Decorah who said his name was
Friedman, and that he represented
company engaged in going about
the country giving aviation meets,
and wanted to interest the people Of
this city in such an event. He rent
ed the fair grounds, had some large
bills printed at one of the local of
fees, placed advertisements in the
city papers, and gave the details of
the great days entertainment they
were going to furnish. The article
which appeared on the first page of
the Public Opinion was given to us
by him just short time before we
went to press. He announced an aer-
oplane flight by noted young avia-
tor, automobile races with famous
drivers holding racing records, mo-
torcycle races and a base ball game
between Ossian and Decorah.
When Sunday came there was
large crowd on the fair grounds, and
about as many grouped along the
road and on the hillsides. Autos
drove in from a distance and the
crowd altogether numbered probably
between two and three thousand peo-
pie. Somehow a good many of the
people had a presentiment that the
think was fake, and this probably
accounts for the fact that so many
remained outside. While the ball
game was in progress the people had
an opportunity to look over the aero
plane, one of the Curtiss biplane
type, which was on the grounds,
seemingly ready for action. The mo-
tor was started two or three times,
and seemed to work perfectly.
The ball game was close and ex-
citing one, and was watched with in
terest by large crowd Ryggs
Pitched for DEBORAH, Sullivan catch
ing, while Heuser and Graf of Cal
mar We're Ossian's battery. Both
sides played good game, and with
the score to 1 in Ossian's favor the
game was called after the seventh in
ming to start the aeroplane, it being
later, no more scores being
made by either side.
The motorcycle races were splend-
id. There were four entries, Grinna,
Mccall, Monson and Engle, and in
the two races finished in the order
named. The races were close and ex-
iting at times between second and
third places, but Alexander Grinna
was easily winner, almost distancing
his competitors in both races.
About four o'clock the airship was
taken to the southeast corner of the
fair grounds, turned about. and prep
arations made for the flight, but the
blamed engine wouldn't start, and
they cranked and fumed and fused
with 1T for two or three hours, un-
til finally it started, and the crowd,
already disgusted, took heart in the
hope that they were really to see a
flight. A start was made and the
machine skinned along the ground
about hundred yards when one Of
the main stays snapped and it stop
ped. Then the trouble began. Near
ly everybody commenced to yell
fake" The promoters of the meet
had engaged several policemen on
their account for the afternoon, evil
IDENTIFY thinking they might have need
of them, and they called for the po-
lice to protect them. The crowd
hooted and cussed and told them that
if the machine did not go up, that
they would tear it to pieces. Some
wanted their money back, and others
with the ball team. 1t needed only a
leader to turn the crowd into mob,
which would have torn the machine
to shreds and probably several would
have been injured. Manley PEGGY,
the Cresco wrestler, got into an al
tercation with one of the men and
struck him in the face. But finally
explanations were made as best they
could, men were sent up town for
lumber, a new stay was fashioned
and put in place, and another at
tempt was made to fly. The machine
started from the base ball amphithea-
tre. skirting the ground for two hun
dred yards, when the aviator lifted
the front wheels from the ground and
the tail of the machine dragged,
showing plainly that it was overbal-
anced, and would turn somersault
IL taken into the air. 1t was then
dark, but the crowd stayed and de-
manded satisfaction. Meanwhile the
promoters skipped out with the mon
ey. Then the aviator told his story.
He said that he was Mr.. Pound, Of
the Chicago Aircraft Co., and had
nothing to do with the affair, except
that the promoter, Mr.. Friedman had
come to Chicago and engaged him
to come here to make the flight. That
the machine was new one. the en-
gine new, and never installed in the
machine until last week. That they
doubted very much their ability to
place the engine into the machine
and give 1t tryout in time for this
Il Continued on last page.)