Viewing page 164 of 459
This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.
[[newspaper clipping]] WISEMAN'S FLIGHT TO SAN World's Record For Biplane Made – Fourteen Miles in 12 Minutes and 20 Seconds [[image - portrait photograph of Wiseman]] Injury to Propeller Forced Aviator to Alight One and One-half Miles from Town --- Will Fly at Cloverdale Next Week and San Jose Later. Fred J. Wiseman accomplished his flight to within a mile and a half of this city Saturday morning, and before his arrival, all Santa Rosa was anxiously waiting to get a glance of him in his aeroplane. Spectacular Flight The flight of Wiseman to this city was the most spectacular stunt that has even been pulled off here. He made a splendid stat under adverse conditions, being forced to rise from the ground in adobe soil. Nothing that has occurred here in recent years has been the cause of so much general interest as the coming of the first air ship to the City of Roses. Wiseman's machine is not badly damaged, but it will required some little time to make the repairs and get ready for another flight. The machine dropped heavily into the soft mud on the Enz dairy farm when Wiseman alighted, the wheels sinking up to their hubs in the soft mud. Wiseman was uninjured. The weakened wire which sagged sufficiently to come in contact with the propeller blades was the cause of Wiseman having to alight. The propeller was broken, bits being knocked out of it at the ends, and it will have to be replaced by another. Besides these things, two other pieces of the light frame of the machine were broken. At the time the wire caught in the machine Wiseman was about one hundred feet in the air. As the wire caught there was a vivid streak of fire from the machine, and then the aviator made a graceful landing. The front portion of the machine, which is elevated some distance, struck the mud and dug up a portion of the field, but it was not sufficiently hard to break that portion of the machine. The machine landed in the Hearn district, less than a mile from the point where Wiseman intended to come down and make his final landing. As he was flying low, and a heavy fog was hanging over the valley, few persons from this city saw the machine in the air. Wiseman was making a beautiful flight when the wire caught in the propeller and forced him to come down, and he dropped to the earth without danger. The scene where Wiseman landed was a busy one. Many autos from this city, besides motorcycles, bicycles and carriages and buggies, hastened to the place and saw the wrecked machine. Most of these persons contented themselves with a view of the machine from the road, about two hundred yards distant. Some of the visitors to the machine essayed to talk to its side, which was through a cow lot, and at each step the pedestrians sank in almost to their shoe tops. The REPUBLICAN representative was the only newspaperman to get to the machine after it landed. Those who went to the machine were amply repaid for their time and trouble. Wiseman's Account Fred Wiseman, when seen by a REPUBLICAN representative, stated that it was near Ely station that he started his flight Saturday morning. He said, "Getting away was just like a fly trying to get off fly paper." He stated that in starting a runway was made of canvas, but that before getting into the air he got into mud and it was one hop after another until he finally got into the air enough to sail off. He met a wind at the Denman pass that was sweeping through there and was nearly upset. Throwing all his weight to the upper side of the aeroplane, he was able to right it again without any damage being done. In describing his trip, he said that he sailed off to the south and east of Denman, describing a figure "S" to the foothills northeast of Petaluma, then made a circle further to the east and started north toward Santa Rosa and home. At first he tried the upper current of air. In doing this he went something like 400 or 450 feet high. He found this treacherous and so came down to a lower elevation all the way north. On his trip to this city he did not pass over Penngrove, so he stated, but instead kept close to the hills to the east, sometimes going over them. Wiseman stated that the engine missed always through the trip and did not work as it should at any time. He stated he varied his course so as to pass farm houses. One thing that (Continued to last page) [[box]] Aviation Field, Santa Rosa and Petaluma Aero Navigation Co., Trip No. 1 Mr. John P. Overton, Santa Rosa, California: Petaluma invites Santa Rosa to her Industrial and Pure Food Exposition. Respectfully yours, Geo. P. McNear [/box]] [[box]] To His Honor, Mayor James R. Edwards, Santa Rosa, Cal.: Petaluma sends greetings and best wishes to Santa Rosa by aviator Fred J. Wiseman. G.P. McNear. [/box]] [[newspaper clipping]] PRESS DEMOCRAT READERS TO BE SERVED BY WISEMAN Home-Coming of the Birdman May Occur any Time [[line]] Press Democrat Lookout at Cotati Will be Given Signal as Airship Passes that Point, Provided All is Well, and Public Will Be Notified by Means of Steam Whistles and Alarm from Fire Bell. [[line]] Fred J. Wiseman, the Santa Rosa aviator, is about to make his flight from Petaluma to Santa Rosa, and will start as soon as weather and other conditions are satisfactory, but it is impossible to say exactly when the trip will be made. It will occur within the very near future, and may be made today. The Press Democrat has arranged with the management to be kept constantly advised as to the developments, and the public will in turn be notified by the blowing of whistles and the ringing of bells, as was the case regarding the news of the vote on the Panama-Pacific Exposition bill. Wiseman will serve Press Democrat subscribers with papers all along the route, and in order to avoid confusion and prevent disappointment The Press Democrat will have a man on duty at Cotati to telephone the news ahead as soon as the airship passes that point. [[?]] signal will be given and the machine will be brought to earth. In addition to serving subscribers along the route with copies of The Press Democrat, Wiseman will also carry a grocery order for the firm of Hickey & Vonson, of Petaluma, entitling the holder to a quantity of merchandise on presentation at their store. Wiseman will also carry legal documents from a well-known resident of Petaluma, to be deposited in the Savings Bank of Santa Rosa. When you hear the whistles all begin to blow, and when the firebell also joins in the din, get outside and prepare to "rubber." for it will mean that Fred. J. Wiseman, the Santa Rosa aviator, in the first practical airship ever constructed in California, is coming home. Wiseman will be given a great reception upon his arrival here. [/newspaper clipping]] [[newspaper clipping]] DOPE O'RENO Fly little birdman, higher, higher. Money first in case of fire, Please be careful what you do Or we will dig a grave for you [[line]] "If one of those planes is a sixteenth of an inch out of the way It's curtains for us, said Fred Wiseman. That curtain stuff may be alright, but who'll hold a net [[?]] break the shock [[line]] The Grim Reaper [[torn newspaper section]] [/newspaper clipping]]
