The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-17
FLY HERE MAY 21
Squadron of Five AirplaneS
Sets Local Date.
Big Machine in Record Flight
to Funston Today.
CIRCUS IN CAMP FOR 3 DAYS
Then Huge Army Planes Will
Come to Capital City.
State Journal Correspondent in
Narrow Escape.
CIRCUS IN CAMP FOR 3 DAYS
BULLETIN.


Camp Funston, Kan. May 1.-THE
| flying circus of five DeHaviland planes
/ in command of Colonel Clagett ar
rived here at O'Clock this afternoon.
The squadron covered the 129 miles
from Wichita to this point In two
sader plane" the pathfinder for the
squadron, broke a DeHayiland speed
record for this distance. The CRU
sadcr's flying time between Wichita
and Funston was fifty-five minutes, an
average of 40 miles an hour.
Wichita, Kan, May 17.-(Special to
State JournaD-Wet grounds at
Wichita probably caused the date
| of the arrival of the great plane
squadron at Camp Funston to be ad-
vanced two days, Col. Henry B. Clagett
announced this morning. The Cru
sader," carrying Lieut.. Ben P. Adams
and Charles A. Sloan, State Journal
correspondent, arrived at Wichita yes
| terday after a two-hour "trip thru a
| heavy rain cloud, from Oklahoma
| City and landed in field so muddy
that the wheels of the plane sank to
the hubs and nearly caused a dis
astrous accident.
The CRUSADER left this morning
for Camp Funston, where it will be
| Joined during the day by the remain
der of the squadron flying direct to
Funston from Oklahoma City.
The ships will remain at the army
camp Sunday, Monday and Tuesday,
general overhauling taking place, To-
peka being the next stop.
Both Oklahoma City and Wichita
| held great demonstrations during the
| stay of the planes in their cities
Squadrons from Post field and Enid
aided in a monster air carnival at
Oklahoma City and thousands turned
out at Wichita in a peace celebration
whi~h rivalled the famous armistice
day.
Narrow Escape.
Oklahoma City, May 1.-THE thin
! hollow steel "joy stick must go, avi-
ators here preparing for their take
| off, on the second leg of the Dallas-to-
Boston recruiting flight, agreed this
morning.
Lieut.. T. S. x. Reed and Lieutenant
Perry of Post field, who narrowly es-
capped death late yesterday when their
aileron control snapped to a two-inch
stub were not the least earnest.
Reed and Perry were executing the
| barrel rolf when the accident oc-
| Cured. Reed had to reach down to
the stub, burying his head below the
windshield, striving to keep the plane
pointed nose down and trusting to
| luck for a safe landing place. The
| landing was a miracle.
/ Aviators declared the steel controls
are too flexible and unsafe. The
! STICKS 1reQue1Jly Denu an IHCIl anu d
/ half under strain. they say, and they
| expressed the belief that many a help
| less flyer, dead under the wreckage of
| his plane would have told of a broken
10y stick as the cause of his fall.
The Topeka reception for the flyers
| is to be a nota BILE occasion comparable
only to the receptions here for the re-
turning soldiers from France.
| Washburn campus has been Sc
lected as the landing field for the
flying circus by the Topeka aviators
| appointed as a special Chamber OF
Commerce committee in charge OF
| this work.
In arranging for the field for the
| flyers it was thought best to give over
the entire details of selection and
preparation to experienced aviaturs.
Major Cook was taken to the field to-
day by Lieuts. Chester Wahle and FL
win Olander, formerly pilots in the
aviation service. Major Cook ap-
/ proved of the selection and stated
! that he felt assured that everything
| possible is being done to care for the
| flyers in a material way.
He said that he is sure the "circus"
men will appreciate the technical work
the local men are doing in the effort
to make the squadron of airmen feel
at home.
The field is to be panelled with the
| big white IT. which denotes land
ing field to an aviator in the air. A
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