Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-05-17
AIRSHIP DID NOT FLY
Saturdays Wind UnfavorabIe for
Aviator Spaulding

VIII Attempt Flight Tomorrow Fore
noon at 10 o'clock-People Dlssatls-
satisfied Last Saturday May Have
Money Back.
About 1900 people gathered at the VAL |
lev fair grounds Saturday afternoon in
the expectation of seeing Aviator Iran
d. Spaulding fly in his biplane, but the
wind blew strongly and in gusts, making
a flight very dangerous. 1t had been
announced that in case Of no flight
checks might be exchanged at the box
office, but owing to an unfortunate mis-
understanding no one was present to re-
deem the checks in cash and many OF
the people went away dissatisfied
N. d, Clawson, president OF the Claw
Hamilton Aviation company, expect
ed to be the executive in charge Of the
meet, but he was called to Minnesota
Friday by the serious illness OF his
mother. Mr.. Spaulding was busy with
his machine, and the young people who
had sold tickets left the grounds with
the cash they had collected, 80 that
when people demanded their money
back there was no one present to pay
them. Some Of the people who remain
ed on the grounds until nearly dark,
went direct to Mr.. Spaulding, who I'M
der the conditions could not reimburse
them, but who told them they would be
welcome to come to the grounds any
time during this week to watch the sew
eral flights he expected to make, but
this arrangement was not satisfactory
to those who wanted their money back
at once.
Cards were posted Monday morning
informing the public that the aviator
would make a flight tomorrow morning
at 10 o'clock from the fair grounds.
Persons holding "windchecks" for last
Saturday will be admitted and those who
have lost or destroyed their checks need
but to say the word to the men on the
gates and they will be admitted. Mr..
Spaulding says that last Saturday morn
ing there was practically no wind, and
for several mornings past conditions
have been favorable.
Any persons who paid an admission
fee last Saturday afternoon and who
do not wish to go to the fair grounds
tomorrow, Saturday morning, when Mr.
Spaulding expects to make a flight, may
have back the money they paid last
Saturday by calling at the Office Of the
Clawson- Hamilton company in the Ullery
building.
On hills and other vantage points out
side the grounds many others gathered
in groups waiting the expected flight.
Shortly after $50 o'clock the athletic
events on the track began and these and
the sight of the biplane in the centre
of the enclosure kept the audience in
good humor until about o'clock. At
430 Mr.. Spaulding tried out his motor
and the noise aroused the hope that he
was about to fly, but the wind was
blowing strongly. The propeller whirled
around about two minutes and then the
motor was stopped and was not heard
again until shortly after o'clock, when
1t was tried out about a minute. Many
persons had started to leave the
grounds and the noise brought them
back, but the wind had not died down to
any appreciate extent and no attempt
was made to fly. Probably not a person
on the grounds wanted the young aviator
to risk his life in fight and no person
was heard to say that he should at
tempt to fly in spite Of the weather
He was willing to fly the moment the
wind died down and everybody knew it
All through the afternoon the biplant
was surrounded by a crowd of persons
amnining the handsome machine. Fol
many it was the first sight of biplane
With the wood and metal parts painted
a bright red, the canvas wings and
planes painted gray, and the eight-cyl-
inder motor handsomely nickel plated
the Curtis biplane presented handsome
appearance and was much better
looking machine than the one that Will
lard had here during the fair last fall
On the track a crowd of schoolboy!
enlvened things by engaging in a series
of contests. The lads were willing per
formers and did their part toward
amusing the patrons with a will !
feature of the track events was two
mile motorcycle race between Merrill
Whitney on an Indian machine and Noal
Regal on an M. & NJ motorcycle. TIL
men made excellent time considering tn
poor condition of the track and Regal
was declared winner when he cam
under the tape a length ahead of Whit
ney Whitney's final squirt nearly lande
the race. RECALLS time was as follows
poi1a minutes. rn1es 02X
The other contests were won as fol
. lows: Obstacle race: Francis Fitzgibbons
time, 1.55; egg race, Bernard Dunlevy
time AZ seconds; sack race, Dunlevy
time, 1871 seconds; three-legged race
Howard and Adams, time SA seconds
one-quarter mile run, Dunlevy, tim
1.12h.
After the events on the track tn
crowd examined the aeroplane and wait
ed for the wind to abate, and hop
was given up many went home an
others started for the box Office in tn
hope of getting their money back. A
out-of-town man, who was here wit
an automobile party, sought out Spauld
ing and demanded his money. The avia
tor went to the ticket Office and the
explained that the cash had been take
off the grounds The crowd was aug
mented as the minutes passed an
Spaulding declared he would fly despit
the wind. His friends had difficulty
dissuading him from this course
This was the third advertised fgf
on the fair grounds and the third tim
that a large crowd waited in vain. Tw
years ago George Schmitt of Rutlan
essayed to fly during the fair, but h
machine went about 20 feet into the a
and then fell with a smash Last yes
Mr. Willard of New York waited throug
the fair, but did not have favorab
weather.
Homer A. Lyons brought a 300 poun
irafn rfrtn Lii,