Year: 1873




On Tuesday evening and yesterday fore
noon number of boys were distributing
a neat-looking circular in the upper part
of the city above Fourteenth street. In
the Fifth Avenue Hotel and in front of
well-dressed persons stood reading the
circulars, all evidently much interested.
The circular, which is printed ON half.
sheet of French note, is as follows:


THE ART OF FLYING.


Professor Cantell A. Biglie, Scientific School Of
Wisconsin University, has the honor to inform the
public that he will give ali exhibition. of his COM
peted apparatus for navigating the air on Wednes-
day afternoon, the 9th instant, at three o'clock
precisely, in the vicinity of Trinity Church. The
Professor proposes TO fly from house to house,
across Broadway, at angles; then from Trinity to
Bowling Green, and return; and will ascend as
high as Trinity steeple, and hover few moments
IN that vicinity; An opportunity will be given
after the exhibition to examine the apparatus. The
public are respectfully Invited


A San reporter learned that these cir
culars had been extensively distributed
among the bankers, brokers, and mer-
chants down town. AS early as halfpast
two large crowds who had read this aston
ishing announcement began to assemble in
the neighborhood of Trinity Church, the
crowd extending from Liberty street as
far down as Bowling Green. The side
walks were lined with men, women and
children, all gazing intently heavenward,
and it tried the best efforts of the police
of the Broadway squad to keep passage
way clear on the sidewalks


Many staid old gentlemen stood on the
high steps of the offices nearly opposite
old Trinity, and frequently consulted their
watches with evident anxiety, and then
turned their eyes toward the cross on
Trinity Church spire. Many a gentleman
quit his business earlier than usual, and,
wandering up Wall street to Broadway,
turned his eyes upward, and pointing to a
lofty roof informed the friend with him
that the Professor would probably soon
make start from that point.


AS the appointed hour was announced
by Trinity's bells, numerous groups stood
on the house-tops, awaiting the Professors
flight Many faces were being recognized
in the street as being those who at that
hour are usually promenading upper
Broadway, 1t was astonishing how many
had deserted their favorite tramping
ground. A throng of men on the roof of
the building on the southwest corner of
Broadway and Rector streets attracted
much attention from the immense multi
tude that had gathered in front of that
building. One old gentleman, a director
of one of the down town insurance COM
panies, thought he saw piece of canvas
tluttering in the breeze, and told the by
standers that the professor was about to
start. The multitude began to surge to
and fro to get nearer view. Just then a
newsboy shouted: "Say, old fellow! !
guess you be near-sighted; that ar is
white apron" and it subsequently proved
to be one of Delmonico's French cooks in
full uniform on the roof.


Two men were standing at the corner of
Wall street. One said to the other,
" Bob, you are pretty fellow to bring
me down from FOrdham to see this blamed
SELL"


"Well, l came as far as you did, )" replied
the other man.


About this time Officer Robert j. Wal
lace, of the Broadway squad, called the
attention of those near him to the second
line on the circular, and then read it as
follows: Professor Can-tell-a- -Big-lie, Ev-
erybody in that multitude soon had bust
ness elsewhere.-N Y. Sun.