The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-15
AVIATOR GRAY LANDS
IN GOOBER BALL PARK
Makes Successful Flight to Petersburg Jack
Stearns Will Accompany Him on Exhibition
Flights on Friday, at Fair Grounds,
for Flood Sufferers.

Completing a successful cross coun-
try flight. George NJ. Gray, one of tho
best known OF the younger members of
the Wright stable of birdmen, left
Richmond yesterday afternoon at $40
o'clock and arrived In Petersburg at
1870 o'clock, alighting in the ball park
OF tho Cockade City at exactly 4:4S
o'clock, to the amazement of several
hundred Goober fans who were out
watching Heinie Busch and his. faith
tul doing their daily chores. The
flight consumed exactly fifty minutes,
not very fast time under ordinary cir
cumstances. but better than average
time under present treacherous atmos-
bheric conditions. due to recent storms.
Aviator Gray an unassumin8 indt-
vidual. despite his frequent nirtations
with the land across the Styx. returned
to Richmond last night. He will be
back In Petersburg to-day and make
preparations for his return flight. when
ne hopes to establish speed record.
At the Fair Grounds when the air
man began his flight were gathered
hundreds of people. curious to see the
man made machine which had actually
conquered the air. Ii wasn't exactly a
new sensation to the people OF Rich
mond They remembered Ralph John
stone, the two Moisants. Frisbee. ST.
mon and Garros and their flights
through and across the city. They had
been close to these men and had
watched their seemingly supernatural
defiance of all known laws. But they
had never actually watched a man who
new out into uncharted space 20 find
his way to nclghborinR city.
AS Gray moved eastward along Broad
street thousands craned their neck to
catch glimpse of the man. Many
had thought that Miss Jack Stearns
the avlatrice. who liz to fly with Gray
during the exhibition flights at the Fair
Grounds Friday. would be passen-
ger. But. unfearful as he is of his
own safety. Gray would take no chances
Tor his fair companion under existing
conditions. Normally there would have
been small danger attaching But af-
ter unsettled weather, and especially
after storm periods. the air furnishes
pitfalls and charging waves. just as
does the ocean Gray was willing to
breast the waves or take the consc-
Guences, and so WAS Miss Stearns If
Gray had allowed IT.
Turning due south mt Ninth street
Cray flew directly ever the National
Bank building at an altitude Of about
1000 feet He KEEP, this height All the
way to Petersburg. Arrived AT the ball
park. he descended In graceful spirals
and made his landing. II was "a new
sensation for the usually unperturbcd
people on the south side Of the Appo-
rfattox. They couldn't quite grasp it
al At once. They had experienced the
sensation OF beating Richmond on the
bail field and of receiving visitors from
ny trolley or on the steam cars but
here was an Individual who had actu-
ally flown across two rivers and had
landed safely.
Miss Stcarns was one OF the FIRST to
greet Gray when he returned to Rich
inond. She wasn't anxious about him
or his safety. She wanted TO tell him
how horrid he had been not to let her
go along. Somehow or other, this
dainty bit OF womanhood has become
ohSeSSed 10 nvt IN he
has flown with Gray around the Adj
rondack Mountains across Niagara
Fails. through every portion OF Gull
pepper County. where the women of that
section presented Miss Stearns with q
loving cup. and. in fact she has navi-
gated and charted all of the aerial
passages in almost every section Of the
country.
They say she is the first woman from
the state of Virginia TO brave the air
torrents. She doesn't boast of this
fact: merely tells it as one OF the
many things they say about her.
Down at Palm Beach where Gray
not only gave exhibitions, but carried
the more venturesome on some OF his
trips. they viewed Miss Stearns as
something of a superwoman 1t was
another OF Aladdin's wonders. this
thing of a woman, and a womanly wo-
man. more nearly girl. who looked
better on "A ballroom floor than in the
cal bin of an airship. riding around at
all hours OF tho day and night. taking
q trip toward the stars with a smile
on her face and landing with color in
her cheeks. eager and anxious TO try
another spin. Even the members of
Sterner material. who managed to
choke inward fears after taunts from
the women folks and rode with GRAY
left earth. clutching TO the guard rails
and returned with blanciied cheeks and
with prayerful thanks coming from
between chattering teeth.
Miss Stearns Will accompany Cray
on all OF his exhibition flights at the
Fair Grounds. She will show just how
practical ii is to carry passengers or
course, she has implicit confidence In
Gray. She knows that he is careful
does none of the funny tricks while
carrying people aboard. But even il
She had less confidence, she quietly
confesses that she can't any more help
wanting to fly than other girls can help
liking orchids. and violets. and garde-
MAS, and sweet peas, and bonbons But
she likes flying. and the other things
too. Sometimes she takes her candy on
her Nights
Since the exhibition Friday afternoon
1t begins at $3.50 oclock-is to be
largely for the benefit of the flood suf-
ferers in Ohio and Indiana, a large
crowd is going to attend First, there
will be the astounding flights of Gray
These will give something to talk
about.
Then, and above everything else,
will be the novelty of watching a
slight girl with very evident charm.
seated beside the driver, laughing and
waving her hands as she asccnds to-
ward the land of mystery
Richmond has seen birdmen, but
Richmond now will have an opportu-
nifty to sec its first birdwoman
Saturday afternoon Gray will circle
hall III
flight appointed representatives will
take collections from those present for
the benefit of the flood sufferers.