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kept tied with a cord or piece of webbing, and allow some gas to escape. While on the ground, an external balloonet was sometimes used as a storage vessel. If the bag became too tight due to overheating, some of the gas would be transferred to the ballooned to relieve the pressure. 
After his spectacular appearance in the St. Louis World's Fair, Knabenshue's reputation as a daredevil was made and soon he was touring fairs and air shows across the country, making up to $5,000 a week. He learned to shift his balance along the rigging to change the dirigible's center of gravity. He figured how to control the tiny engine through long rods running along the frame, and how to steer the dirigible by pulling the lines leading to the cloth rudder.
One of the most interesting events that made headlines in early aeronautical history occurred in Los Angeles on February 15, 1905. For many months there had been considerable discussion whether a dirigible was faster than an automobile, especially over a specified course. Those associated with the dirigible development, such as Baldwin and Knabenshue, contended the dirigible was far superior and would be an easy winner. Those promoting the sale of automobiles contended that the auto was faster and safer, more reliable, and would be the winner. 
To settle the matter, a ten-mile race was arranged covering a course from Chutes Park in Los Angeles to the Raymond Hotel in Pasadena. The automobile was a new Pope-Toledo, considered the fastest automobile of the day. The dirigible was the "California Arrow"