Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-08-16
AEROPLANE MAIL
DELIVERY IS MADE
Aviator Webster of Patterson Flyers
is Filmed in Flight at Exposi-
ton Park.
THREE RACES PART OF PROGRAM
Birdmen Stage a Sensational Battle
in Sky with Company A Soldier
Boys on the Ground.

/ At Exposition park yesterday after
noon Aviator II. J. Webster made
one Of The first aerial mail deliveries
Fl in Illinois. Postal cards were pur-
+ chased and stamped at the grounds
+ A. f. Lindquist Of the mailing force CT
] the postoflce was present TO receive
the mail while Carrier John Stengel
: had his auto parcel post conveyance
4 on the ground as a temporary postal
station Several hundred cards were
then placed in sack aud
delivered by Lieutenant Rey-
nolds Of Company A, to Webster,
who after a lengthy flight returned
/ to the grounds and delivered the mail
I 10 a collector ON the grounds. The
! cards were then taken TO the post
Office and sent through The regular
routine and delivered. H. %. Fairal
/ operator for the Western Motion Pic
( ture company was on the grounds and
took a film OF the entire proceedings
/ for the Chicago Tribune,
The mail which Aviator Webster car
riad in his aeroplane from the Exposi-
ton grounds to the Rock Island post
Office and back TO the Exposition park
and then dispatched to the postodice
I for cancellation Of the postage stamps,
was not left at the Office because it was
/ impossible Mr. Webster feared. to
make a safe landing in the city
When Mr. Webster came to the
I Rock Island postoa7ce Saturday TO be
sworn in as a mail messenger, and was
questioned by Postmaster Harry P.
Simpson as TO how he would drop the
mail Mr.. Webster decided it was i'm
possible to make a safe landing, and
when asked if he proposed to drop the
mail sack near the building, he stated
that he could place it within a radius
of four blocks from an altitude OF
1000 feet, but Postmaster Simpson de
cided this would not be a safe PROPOSE
ton as it would je0pardize the lives Of
people in the streets, besides inVolv-
ing possible damage to buildings, and
the aviator then decided to make a
circuit around the city, over the post.
office, and back to the grounds. The
mail was properly stamped with
special aviator stamp on the grounds,
placed in the regulation mail sack. and
came by aeropIane route from 5000 to
1000 feet In the air.
In the mail pouch when it was de-
livered at the Rock Island postofiee,
were 500 postal cards. and a dozen or
more first class letters all properly
stamped. and all were cancelled at the
main Office and promptly dispatched to
their destinations.
With the exception Of one mishap,
which DELAYED the program over an
hour. the exhibition was a success,
more than 5000 people attend +
ing. After his first fight. when he
released the doves OF peace, Lieuten- +
ant O. A. Solbrig broke one of the
supports Of his plane by making too
sudden drop One hour was re
CURED to repair the damage and many
left the field before the battle in the
air took place
Webster and S0Ibrig each made two {
successful fights in their biplaues. f
On his first trip Webster uufurled f
long patriotic streamers at & great
height Both aviators made their
final trips about 6 o'clock armed with F
aerial bombs and conducted a spec f
tacular battle in the skies the scene +
being made picturesque by a beautiful
sunset The birdmen circled about in F
great swoOps over the heads Of the
members of Company A. who took .
part briskly with their rifles. Many
Of the bombs exploded in mid-air, max T
ing the battle effect realistic The
wounded" members of Company a +
were cared for by an ambulance on F
the grounds and rushed TO the ambu- +
lance tents. The battle continued Tor t
over Is minutes.
Three Races Given.
Prior to the flights races were held.
also maneuvers and drills by the sol .
der boys. who did well under the di-
rection of Lieutenant Reynolds. Ar F
thur StaeIens of Moline won the five
mile bicycle race Emil DePorter of f
Moline was second, CAMEL Gidee of +
Moline third, and CAMEL Vande
Brouck Of Bettendorf finished fourth
William GabeI of Rock Island won
the fve-miIe auto race in the time of
TAP. Dave Thomas of Moline fin
ished a close second. The race was
neck and neck throughout, GabeI hold
ing only a slight lead the entire dis
lance.
Louis Link of Rock Island won the +.
three-mile free-for-all motorcycle +.
raea hie time |,o5roe o.8q EI.r+ 80