The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-07-10
STATE JOURNAL
TO ESKRIDCE BY
AIRPLANE SOON
First Kansas Newspaper To Be
Delivered via Clouds.
GOdsey-Webber Flight To Be
Made Next Week.
TOPEKA TO Be HEADQUARTERS
Air Service School VIII Be
Established Here.
Make State House Spiral Dive
From 5000 Feet.
GOdsey-Webber Flight To Be
Made Next Week.
topeka TO Be HEADQUARTERS
Air Service School VIII Be
Established Here.
Make State House Spiral Dive
From 5000 Feet.

The Topeka State journal VIII be
the first newspaper in Kansas to de-
liver papers to out-of-town subscribers
by airplane. And the readers of the
Topeka State Journal at Eskridge,
Kan, will be the first 10 receive this
service.
Definite arrangements were made
today with Lieut. Thomas Webber.
who is now in Topeka with an air
plane to make a special trip to Esk-
ridge week from tomorrow to carry
Topeka State Journals. Lieutenant
Weber will be ready to start from
his flying field at Washburn just as
soon as the presses start with the
home edition and in less than fifteen
minutes after this the readers at Esk-
ridge should receive their afternoon
papers, In all probability they will re-
ceive copies Of The Topeka state Jour
nal before home subscribers are
reached by the carriers in the out
skirts of Topeka.
Arrange ents also are being made
with Lieutenant Weber to give this
special State journal service to other
towns within radius of forty miles
of Topeka and ii is hoped that every
town where The Topeka State Journal
! has large circulation can be included.
Wcbbcr Is Experienced.
Lieutenant Webber. who is an Eng
lishman and who has had six years OF
IL
in the Royal Naval Flying Corps of
Great Britain. along with mis- manager.
Roy Godsey a former Topekan. and
Pat O'Brien. his mechanician. expect
to make Topeka permanent headquar-
ters. Lieutenant Webber said today
that he hopes to make this his per-
manent home. as Topeka appeals to
him as one of the most beautiful cities
1 he has ever flown over or lived in.
Flying School Here.
webber now has his wife in the
! city and he says that when the pleas
! ure flying season is over this fall he
expects to open flying school here.
i Between now and then, however, he
will spend practically all of his time
giving thrills TO Topekans who want
to get in the clouds and entertaining
| those who enjoy staying on the
ground and watching those who have
desire to go up.
Among the thrills that are sched-
uled for the immediate future is an
actual demonstration of Kansas
governor up in the air literally, figura-
lively and actually Thru Godsey he
has extended an invitation to Gov.
Henry Allen to take a trip with him
/ at the governors convenience and
: Godsey received a semi-official assur-
ance this morning that the governor
would accept the invitation.
Spiral Around Dome.
Another thrill that is promised for
the next few days will be dare devil
/ flight over the dome of the state
| house. Weber, accompanied by
/ Godsey, who formerly worked in the
state house as a newspaper corre-
I spondent. will ascend to an altitude Of
! 5000 feet directly over the state house.
/ They will then do straight dive di-
rectly to the top of the dome. When
! they get just above the dome the
straight dive will be transformed into
: spiral and they will spiral around
J the dome and dip to the tree tops on
! the statehouse lawn. Atmospheric
| conditions will have to be just right
| for this. but Godsey promised this
morning that the exact hour would be
announced in the Topeka State Jour
nal and extended an invitation to all
to be on the state house grounds to
watch the performance.
Those who have watched Webber
wend his way thru the clouds over To-
peka more gracefully than a bird. have
marvelled at the ease with which he
handles his plane. Godsey. his man.
ager. explained this by saying that he
is one of the most experienced avia-
tors in the United States and by tell
ing of some OF his feats.
Webber began his air career six
years ago. going into the air after
having been in automobile work for
several years. Before he became a
flyer he was an inspector for the
Packard Automobile Co. When the
war broke out he was given a first
Heutenant's commission in the Royal
Flying Naval corps Of the British gov
ernment ard saw fourteen months ac-
tual service. During this service he
made fifty-six trips across the English
channel.
After his fourteen months active
service ne was sent to Canada and
was made official inspector OF all
planes turned out by the Canadian
government for use in the war. Later
he was sent to the United States az
an instructor from the British service
and trained aviators at a Delaware
field and at Guerston field at Lake
Charles. La. He graduated 1872 flyers
for the United States government dur
ing his service in the United States.
Immediately after the signing OF the
armistice Webber saw the possibilities
of pleasure flights at so much per
flight and with Shis mechanician. Pat
iO'Brien. he built the plane he is now
using in Topeka. a Curtiss N ia.
which was constructed especially for
him.
Since taking up pleasure flying he
has carried more than 500 passengers
thru the air and has never given one
so much as a scratch. In addition to
| the regular $40 and s25 trips he
makes. he also makes special nigfyI