The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1919-08-11
REPORTER
FLIES FROM
MICH. CITY
Thousands Electrified at Oar
ings loops and Tai; Spins
Yesterday.
Ry r. L. HrDY.


Crimes Reporter. The nrst newspaper
reporter TO Az from Michigan City ro
Hanmond)
Hammond today Is in the grip 81 tss
Il wing fc% cr The arrival yesterday oe
Lieut.. Ballard and his dying circus
started things and after h had twice
climbed to the clouds and gailS ,ooped
the loop. wing slipped. nose dived AMI
just houndered around most anS old WA
and then landed safely. folks realizci
that air travel must be about as sa.e
as dodg.ng autos, street cars and traIas
on the ground
AND HE'S SOME BOOSTER
Lieut.. Ballard is boosting Uncle sam
air service All summer he has be.a
travelling from city TO city with his
group Of mechanics doing stunts. haul
ing passengers and above all signing ~
recruits. Last week he opened a cam
pagn at LaPorte, but moved on .
Michigan City to finish out the week. Fiys
men signed Sunday afternoon before he
left the place looked good to him. buf
from the interest the youths OF Ham
mond are showing he is due to be agree
ably surprised
RIs WIPE OBJECTED.
Have newspaper man meet Ballard II
Michigan City Sunday noon. came tho
telegram to Sergeant Robert Craacr
Saturday, evening from Major Ryan lt
Indianapolis. That meant me according
TO an agreement which Sarge and I had
worked out month ago. Somehow a
the time drew near. had hoped that II
government would call OFF its campaig~
but here it was face to face True thc
wife was objecting. but who would has
the nerve to pull such an excuse:
Iu4
Ballard at Michigan City and his raa.
te--of-fact way soon had me believin.
I would be safer in his ship than :
home in bed His mechanical equipment
had already started for Hammond -
there was nothing to mold him thcr'
We headed at once for the landing fe.I
and after brief warming UP the r1otqr
was ready FOR the fight. Someone han
ruislaid one helmet and goggles 50 II
was up TO me to come bareheaded. w
! climbed aboard and without any prelifr-
inaries were OFF. With scarcely hur,r
we took the air ard started climbing
DIYTEEENT THAN EXPECTED.
! II was altogether different than Ia
4 been expected. There vas none OF III
| convuisive. gripping or siludderin-
downward looks, It's true I felt r.
I! Iieved that there was a tight botto1s
2 y
! that exhilarating sense of rushfpg
through the air which can be gained IN
no other way.
/ With forty miles ahead OF US az the
crow flies. I settled back for half hour
/ in the air We were soon up ? 600 fea
and still climbing. Beneath stretched
/ the sand hills clumps of woods tin
I crooked lines indicating streams and IN
straight white bands Of the stone road-
/ We were soon making between eight
and ninety miles an hour Ballard
/ pointed down with his hand. Ne7v
/ York Central express train was beneati,
Us A few minutes later and il was fl
in the rear Farms looked like puny
/ little lots and the whole world looked
! fiat, Just like you could land anywhore
Lake Michigan at our right was biz
( haze
AUTOS LIKE RABBITS
AT 1000 feet the earth looked about
the same as at 1000 except that III
patchwork OF the fields was smaller an
an automobile looked more like a rabbi
At this ght we passed over Gary. Tho
/ steel mills resembled q few shacks
while the city presented a scattered. d.
serted appearance. like everybody hal
gone to the ball game at Hammond
! Ballard had never been IN this part of
the state before and thought II was
Hammond. By yelling hammering and
motioning against the terrific rush o.
the air I managed to show him II wa
farther west Then East Chicago cam.
/ in view The way that place is com
/ pletely shut in by the other cities
at once noticeable from the air. kees.-
ing TO the south of the Grand Calumst
We swung to the southwest and circl.I
over the Standard Steel Car plant thcn
getting our bearings kept on west ~
State Line st. Here the crooked streets
or Glendale and that part Of town balie5
things UP a little but the Schrurn heII
was finally sighted
FINE LANDING.
with couple OF wide circles fl
which he descended rapidly Ballard ina
" had the old ship down at a low
level Then skimming above the roos
Of farm house and just clearing a.
tassels Of the corn field he glide6 light
to the ground and came to stop. Nv
neck was stin from bracIng my head
against the air pressure in looking fnr
the held and I was temporarily deaf rs
post But this all left IN sho~t
time and now I am nearly as Wild over
it as E. y Bunnell
Then came the crowd Although aa
hour earlier than had been expected. tho
people were looking for the plane and
in few minutes the deld was aiivo
with them. Thousands came during -,
I afternoon and more arc visiting th
field today Every recruit signed wi.'
be initiated AT once into thc pleasur
: Of the air ard in the meantime citize-s
are arrar ging with the pilot where pos
sibIe to be taken on short spins Tica..
Baliard and his crew will he here all