![Transcription Center logo](/themes/custom/tc_theme/assets/image/logo.png)
This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.
bleachers at the old Armory Park (Swayne Field), where the ball game between the Toledo Mud Hens and the Indianapolis Indians was in the last half of the seventh inning. The framework struck the top of the bleachers and broke in two. The ball game came to a halt. The dirigible was lifted off of the fence and deflated and the ball game proceeded. After being repaired, the new dirigible was taken on an exhibition tour by Knabenshue and Hamilton. Later, it was destroyed by fire at Des Moines, Iowa, as the aftermath of a storm. Knabenshue has made a successful flight over the Des Moines fairgrounds at 7:00 P.M. in the evening and had then hangared the dirigible for the night. During the night, a severe storm blew down the hangar. A broken pole passed through the dirigible, allowing the hydrogen gas to escape. This came into contact with some electric light wires in the hangar tent and the resulting explosion and fire destroyed the hangar tent and dirigible, plus Knabenshue's captive balloon. It was a severe blow to Knabenshue. As a result of the loss of the three ma dirigible and other causes, Knabenshue's exhibition business fell off for the next few months. On June 13, 1908, Knabenshue called Orville Wright and suggested that he wanted to come down to Dayton (from Toledo) and talk over the exhibition business with him. Knabenshue told Orville "Everyone now wants flying machines." The results of this visit were not fruitful, because the Wrights were deeply involved in negotiations in Europe and were building their first airplane for the Signal Corps, which had to be demonstrated before a Board in September.