The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-29
Lieut.. III. r. Kelley in Curtiss
"Ship" Lands in Topeka.
On His Way to Camp Funston
for Exhibitions.
STOPPED FOR GAS AND OIL
Made Trip, Kansas City to To-
peka, As Minutes.
Plane From Carruthers Field,
Fort Worth, Texas.

With the stars and stripes painted
on its 'tummy." a huge Curtiss Es-
pano Suiza military airplane swooped
down upon Topeka, swerved in circles
at a low altitude over the city and
landed gracefully and without acci-
dent on the Washburn campus shortly
after noon today. Out of the plane,
hooded and uniformed, stepped Lieut..
H. R. Kelley, the pilot and his me-
Fine day. they told the awe
stricken commuter populace that
gathered breathless around the ma
chine.
Then the mechanic began search
for oil and gasoline.
The airplane flew from Kansas City
to Topeka, distance of 65 miles up
the river. in As minutes. Just nice
little morning jaunt. An hour after
the landing the machine TAXED"
along the campus south of the obser-
vatory, rose to the air, swished over
the trees, left a trail of smoke be-
hind and headed toward the river.
Then it disappeared in the misty west,
enroute to Camp Funston.
On an Inspection Trip.
Lieutenant Kelley is from Carruth-
ers field, Fort Worth, Tex. He is a
general instructor in flying at tho
| army aviation school down there. He
| is out making a tour of the camps
| of the United States, hunting new
| IDEAS and distributing army informa
| tion.
He will give exhibition flights at
Camp Funston for the soldiers to-
morrow, Saturday, Sunday and posi-
/ bly, Monday. Then he goes on TO
another camp somewhere in the
United States"
wild Reports Out.
There's a strange airplane circling
the city" "Are the Germans COM
ing in airp1anes? "Is the plane
,circling above the city hostile?''
s"When will he commence to drop
hbombs?" Such were fair examples of
the questions which came tanning in
over the telephone wires of the re-
| porters' room at the State Journal
| about noon today.
| crowd of several hundred people
4 had collected on the campus at Wash
burn college several hundred yards
| southwest of the observatory build
| ing. The hot noon sun beat down on
! the shining wings of a trim aeroplane.
A star in a circle done in red. white
and blue dispeIfed any. doubts as to
the nature of the craft. The dapper
little officer IN charge, Lieut.. Harold
4 r. Kelley, OF the. aero corps, with his
quick smile and readiness to answer
all the foolish questions of the quickly
| assembled multitude, did the rest
Lieutenant Kelley bears out the true
| type which tradition says is correct for
aviators. He is small, 1.-the. quick
moving and never misses a detail
| either. of the surrounding country OF
what is going on around his plane.
Campus Nearest Place.
| A landing was necessary, according
to Lieutenant Kelley, because his ma
chine. which he had driven from Kan
sas City this morning in forty-five
minutes. was nearly out of gasoline
u,
only place that he could see, close to
the city, where he could safely land
and replenish his supply of oil and
gas in the shortest possible length OF
time. With the willingness of the
crowd to assist him in every way Lieu
tenant Kelley and Mechanic L. A
Storm, who accompanied him, did not
| have long to wait before the supple:
had arrived and the machine, 150-
horsepower Curtiss planes equipped
with a Hispano-Suiza motor, ]. N. All.
was ready to be on it's way.
Leaving Topeka at 1:40 o'clock
Lieutenant Kelley expected to arrive
in Camp Funston this afternoon ir
| about one hour from the time he lef
here. At Funston he will put on al
exhibition of flying, pulling all the
| stunts of which his machine is capa.
BILE 1t is not one of the fastest fight
ing planes but is more on the obser.
| walton order and will carry two mer
while the fighting planes are one mar
planes.
While flying cross country, accord
ing to the officer, he maintains ar
average height of between 1000 and
5000 feet, flying something under 81
miles per hour.
Both officer and enlisted mar
seemed rather tired, and since they
=, were not to have any dinner unit
they hit Funston, were not in the bes
of spirits However, they were pleas
ant and willing to answer all questions
IHkI A nnEI FInI1T