Viewing page 7 of 24

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

successful dirigible, called the White City Eagle, and was making short flights in it from the White City grounds. At that time Wild had a shop in Chicago devoted to his aerial experiments.

On December 14, 1905 he had a harrowing experience on a trip over the city when a strong wind suddenly arose carrying him out over Lake Michigan. Frightened, he cut loose all his ballast and rose to a higher altitude where he luckily found a layer of air that carried him back over land.

On January 3d, 1906 he took off from White City and cruised over downtown Chicago for 1 hour, 45 minutes, his longest out-and-back airship trip at that time. Following this Wild packed up and shipped his airship to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he made several flights during the Mardi gras celebration. During the month of May he operated the airship as a resort attraction at Cincinnati, Ohio. From there he shipped to Indianapollis, Indiana and was there for a time, then back to White City during the late summer months. That fall he operated his ship in Decatur, Illinois for a time to close the season.

During the winter months of 1906-1907 he made a new airship, called the Comet, which he operated until 1910. In May 1907 Wild was one of the founder members of the Aero Club of Chicago. In October he operated the Comet at the St. Louis, Missouri dirigible competitions during the Gordon Bennett Balloon Races.

In 1908 Wild made 40 flights with the Comet, 14 in one week at Waterloo, Iowa. On September 14th he remained in the air 5 hours, 20 minutes at Louisville, Kentucky for a new American dirigible endurance record. In October he had the Comet at the Jacksonville, Florida Exposition where Lincoln Beachey was also operating his airship. At that time Wild was also associated with Carl Bates, J. E. Scott, E. E. Herbert and Ray Harroun in Chicago conducting flying machine experiments, and Wild obtained permission to conduct flying tests in Washington Park by pre-arranged appointment. That fall he did some lecturing on aeronautics and on November 16th he piloted the balloon United States in races from Chutes Park, Los Angeles, California, landing in Colorado, 300 miles away.

In 1909 Wild completed
another airship, called the Eagle, and made flights that year with both the Eagle and the Comet. During the summer season he made