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[[newspaper clipping]] CROWD WRECKS LOOSE'S MACHINE Novice Airmen Meet Mishaps and Spectators Scramble for Souvenirs An amateur machine and an amateur record were broken at Selfridge field yesterday. George H. Loose, driving an original biplane owned and built by two Oakland men, crashed is aircraft into a heap of wreckage after taking it on a half mile jaunt, and a crowd of curious tore the helpless machine into shreds of souvenir size. An innocent bystander from South San Francisco, W. W. Brawn, received a splinter from the machine's propeller in his forehead and was treated at the emergency hospital on the field. Loose dove from his seat when his plane dug into the ground and thus saved himself serious injury. Then came the army freight wagon, drawn by four mules, to bring back what the crowd could not carry away. [[newspaper clipping]] Fly in Own Machine [Special Dispatch to The Call] SANTA ROSA, April 23. – Fred J. Wiseman, the well known automobile racer, and his mechanician, M. Peters, both of whom narrowly escaped being killed in San Jose last summer while making an attempt to lower their own record around the bay, made several successful flights in an aeroplane of their own manufacture near this city last night. The machine, a biplane with some entirely new features, was brought to the Laughlin ranch, six miles north of here, six weeks ago and assembled by the young men themselves. The special feature of the new machine is the motor, the cylinders of which are copper instead of cast, as in all other motors made. The idea was taken from the chemical fire extinguishers and has proved to furnish an engine of less than half the weight without weakening the resistance power. According to reports the machine made three flights and answered all requirements most satisfactorily. Both Wiseman and Peters took turns handling it in the air and are greatly elated over the success of their efforts. The machine is about 34 by 44 feet and is believed to be one of the strongest on the market. It will be given its first public exhibition at the rose carnival aviation meet a week from Sunday, following the automobile races. [[newspaper clipping]] [[newspaper clipping]] AMATEUR AVIATORS AND PRIZE WINNERS Major E. Smith, Senior Judge, Announces Lucky Contestants in Novice Class. The results of the flights of the amateurs who entered the events in the novice class at the recent aviation meet were published yesterday by Major Erneste V. Smith, paymaster, United States Army, who officiated as senior judge at Selfridge field. The names of the fortunate aviators and the price money won by each are as follows: Hugh A. Robinson – Half a mile straight, qualifying flight, $250; two and one-half kilometers circular, qualifying flight, $333 33; first prize for speed (five kilometers), $250 (time, 5 minutes and 5 4-5 seconds); second prize for duration, $125 (actual time in the aid 13 minutes); second prize for distance, $125 (total distance flown 12 1/2 kilometers, or 20 miles). Total prize money won by Robinson, $1333 33. Fred E. Wiseman – Half a mile straight, qualifying flight, $250; two and one-half kilometers circular, qualifying flight, $333 33; first prize for distance, $250 (total distance 28.86 kilometers, or 46.2 miles); first prize for duration, $250 (actual time in the air 49 minutes and 43 seconds); second prize for speed, $125 (5 kilometers in 6 minutes and 2 2-5 seconds); third prize for altitude, $75 (105 feet). Total prizes won by Wiseman, $1283 33. Lincoln Beachey – Half a mile straight, qualifying flight, $250; two and one-half kilometers circular, qualifying flight, $333 33; second prize for altitude, $125 (150 feet); third prize for duration, $75 (3 minutes and 14 1/2 seconds). Total prizes won by Beachey, $858 33. Clarence Walker – Half a mile straight, qualifying flight, $250. Robinson and Beachey, who are students of Glenn H. Curtiss, flew standard Curtiss biplanes, with sixty-horse-power Curtiss engines. Clarence H. Walker, who is the son of the late David Walker of Salt Lake city and San Francisco, flew a standard Curtiss biplane, equipped with a four-cylinder thirty-horse-power Curtiss engine. Wiseman used a biplane of his own make, having Farman features, and equipped with a seventy-five horse-power Hall Scott engine. He is going to apply to the Aero Club of America for a professional pilot's license, and will make his test flights at Petaluma on February 12th. While the members of the executive committee of the Citizens' Committee are not prepared to issue a statement of the finances of the recent meet until after a meeting of the auditing committee, it was announced unofficially yesterday that at least 70 per cent of the money subscribed for the meet will be returned to the stockholders, and possibly the entire amount. President Scotford expects to have a statement ready for publication today or tomorrow. [[newspaper clipping]] WISEMAN, SANTA ROSA, FLIES WITH BIRD MEN Qualifies in Aviation Meet for the Amateurs His Machine, Engine and All, Was Built in California, and Makes Excellent Showing in Preliminary Flight at Selfridge Field San Franciso, Jan. 17 – The amateurs broke into the lime-light at the Aviation Meet here today when Fred J. Wiseman of Santa Rosa, with his 75-horsepower engine, made in Berkeley, in a California-built aeroplane, made several successful flights. When Wiseman wheeled his machine up before the grand stand, it was announced that a Californian in a California-built machine would attempt to make a record. When his attendants released the machine Wiseman rose in the air like a professional, and was given a hearty, and prolonged greeting. A gust of wind caught him as he passed the end of the grand stand, and drove him from the course, but he continued on making a tour of the soldier tents, passing over the slough, and making a beautiful turn landed in front of the grand stand, where he had started. He had covered a distance of two miles. The judges announced that as he had failed to keep the course it would not stand as an official record, but Wiseman simply smiled and said he would fly again. Half an hour later he took the air again and covered the course easily and with great steadiness, circled the pylons and returned, qualifying for the future amateur events. The last trip was about a mile and a half. [[newspaper clipping]] ^[[S.R. Rep May 5th]] NEW ENGINE ARRIVES FOR FLYING MACHINE The new engine for the Wiseman-Peters flying machine has arrived and a force of mechanics is busily engaged in installing the same. It is an eight-cylinder engine of the most approved type, and capable of generating eighteen hundred revolutions of the propeller of the machine every minute. It supersedes an engine of four cylinders. Parties visiting the flying machine while it is on exhibition will have the pleasure of seeing the mechanics actually at work on the big bi-plane. This will be an added feature which will prove attractive. [[newspaper clipping]] WISEMAN HAS VERY NARROW ESCAPE Airship Partially Wrecked by Sudden Wind Squall Terminating Most Successful Flight It does seem as if misfortune after misfortune has been following the Wiseman-Peters bi-plane. Another accident befell the airship at Reno on Thursday and Fred J. Wiseman, the aviator, came near being seriously injured. A dispatch from Reno gives the following details of the accident: "Reno, Nov. 17,– Wrecked in his most successful flight before the Reno public, Fred Wiseman of Santa Rosa narrowly escaped injury at the race track today when his biplane was practically demolished. Rising 40 feet from the ground the birdman was caught in an air eddy from the grand stand, which he overtopped. This overset his machine, sending it crashing to earth. Wiseman was thrown out, but sustained no injuries. When up about 40 feet the biplane commenced to drop, diving straight toward the earth, when Wiseman managed to regain control and altered its course slightly, bringing it back to an even keel. It plunged to earth, the motor spinning furiously, and struck squarely in an irrigating ditch, thus preventing the wheels from revolving and allowing a safe alighting. "There was a crash when the wheels crumpled underneath and jammed through the bottom plane and one of the wings bent and snapped. "The birdman shut off his engine as he struck, preventing the propeller from tearing the car to pieces. The sudden shock threw Wiseman from his precarious perch straight into the wires and stays. He was caught in these and wavered to and fro for a few seconds as the machine quivered. Then he extricated himself and jumped away from the debris. "The aeroplane will probably be taken apart and the broken planes and mechanism packed away for shipment to California. Wiseman, Prentiss and the half dozen mechanicians that accompanied the outfit left the race track for Reno tonight."
