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Ruth Law, aviatrix, flew over St. Louis a little after 2 p. m. today but failed to "bombard" the city with liberty bond literature as promised. Her husband, Charles Oliver, after seeing her take the air at Jefferson Barracks at 2 p. m. and barely miss a fall through encountering an air pocket, said the flight was the most sensational she ever had made.
Miss Law was first sighted by reporters stationed on top of the The Star Building at 2:05 p. m. At 2:16 p. m. she flew directly over the top of the building, and kept on a straight northeasterly course, passing over Merchants Bridge at 2:21 p. m. At that time her plane was a mere dot in the sky.
The aviatrix did not make the promised circles over the skyscrapers, but came first into view from the southwest, flew directly northeast, and 'cat-a-corner" over The Star Building from its southwest corner to northeast.
Miss Law holds the record for the longest non-stop flight in the air by an aviator in the United States. She made this record when she flew from Chicago to New York last year, making only one stop and that because she ran out of gasoline. Her present exhibition flights are for the Liberty Loan bond campaign.
It was estimated she flew 1,000 feet above the street today. The airplane engine could be heard plainly down on Olive street as the aviatrix passed over The Star Building and thousands of pedestrians witnessed the flight.
When Miss Law arrived back at the Barracks from a luncheon at the Mercantile Club, where 1,000 men and women honored her, she walked to her husband and said:
"Do you think I'd better go up?"
"I've nothing to say   I will not advise you," he replied. She had remarked on the way down that the wind had veered slightly, until it would not be a "following" wind. She expressed indecision as to whether she would make the flight. 
A few minutes before 2 o'clock she attended a reception at the officers' quarters, and at five minutes to 2 was back on the roped-off parade ground. A crowd of 5,000 rookies, soldiers, officers and motorists from St. Louis had assembled.
"I'm going up if there's a chance," she suddenly remarked to her husband. She quickly donned leather aviator cap, horn-rimmed goggles and ordered the propellor started, She climbed into the seat, and without putting on gloves, prepared to start away.
"Well, get ready," she shouted to her husband the mechanicians. The barracks band played "The Star Spangled Banner," the crowd cheered and shouted "Good luck" and the machine rose. Miss Law waved one hand, and then threw some of the liberty loan paper "bombs."
When the machine was up about 500 feet, it suddenly dropped about 75 feet, but was quickly righted. Oliver, her husband, shouted, and a second later said to a reporter for The Star:
"My God, that's the nearest escape she's ever had. That was an air pocket she struck. An air pocket like that killed Beachey, and it would have been mighty bad for her if she had been up a thousand feet or so like he was when his plane struck the pocket."
Miss Law swept over the river, turned a wide circle and in a few minutes was circling over her starting place. Oliver thought she was coming down and ran to get her a sweater. He thought she had abandoned the trip, but when she continued due north, he said that she never had made a more sensational trip than this promised to be.
Oliver said she carried gasoline for only four hours in the air. She hoped to reach Chicago, 259 miles distant, by 4:30 p. m. She said she would land there in Grant Park. Oliver will follow by train tonight. A large crowed of persons on top of The Star Building shouted to Miss Law when she passed over, hoping she would drop paper bombs, but she did not do so. As far as she could be seen approaching the building, and as far away as the eye could follow, she apparently did not drop bombs.
It is presumed the high wind, which rocked the plane slightly from side to side, prevented her from taking the risk of releasing the driving apparatus, or stabilizer.
At the Weather Bureau it was said the wind was blowing 23 miles an hour. She had gone up in a wind she believed to be 14 miles an hour. The tops of all downtown buildings were crowded with men and women. Two hundred persons were on top of the Railway Exchange Building. 
Miss Law arrived in St. Louis last night from Joplin, Mo., and registered at Hotel Jefferson. Her Curtiss biplane was hauled to Jefferson Barracks and she went there last night, returning to the hotel at 10 p. m. Before 4 a. m. today she was up and at the barracks again. She worked with her husband, Charles Oliver, and two mechanicians all morning on the plane, correcting engine trouble which had prevented her contemplated flight from Joplin to St. Louis.

Ruth Law, aviatrix, will fly over downtown St. Louis at 1:30 p.m. today, if engine trouble in her airplane can be remedied.
She arrived in St. Louis last night from Joplin, Mo., and with her mechanicians remained all night at Jefferson Barracks working on the plane. She registered at Hotel Jefferson with her husband, Charles Oliver, and at 10 o’clock went to the Barracks.
The Chamber of Commerce War Board announced she would fly over the downtown section at 8:30 a.m. today, but at the Barracks it was said she would not take the air until 1:30 and will then fly over the city and on to Chicago, without stopping. She hopes to make the 250 mile trip to Windy City in about two hours.
The tentative plans for her entertainment here today contemplate a luncheon at the eMrcantile Club at 1 2o'clock, to be attended by 1,000 persons, invited by the Women's Central Committee on Food Conservation. A downtown parade also was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. 
Continued trouble with the airplane may cause abandonment of these plans, as she may not return to St. Louis, but remain a the Barracks until she starts her flight.

The program as announced by the Chamber at 9 o'clock was as follows:
10:30, start of parade at Twelfth street and Clark avenue, led by 500 First Regiment soldiers, First Regiment Band, the War Board, and members of the Women's Food Conservation Committee.
Route of parade, over Twelfth street to Washington avenue; east on Washington avenue to Broadway; over Broadway to Olive Street; west on Olive street to Twelfth Street south of Twelfth street to Chestnut street; east on Chestnut street to Seventh street; north on Seventh street to the Mercantile Club, arriving at 12 o'clock sharp.
During her flight over the city Miss Law will "bombard" it with circulars containing a picture of herself and urging persons to buy liberty bonds.

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When Ruth Law flies over St. Louis this afternoon she will hurl missiles on the gazing crowds, but they will help and not injure America in the war, for they will be appeals to buy liberty loan bonds. The low pictures show both sides of her "bombs."

Henry L. Doherty, Esq.,
60 Wall Street,
New York City.

My dear Mr. Doherty:
Please permit me to congratulate you upon your generous patriotic offer to defray the expenses and thereby make possible the ton days' flight of Miss Ruth Law in behalf of the Liberty Loan. Equally valuable will be the cooperation of your organizations in making the arrangements in each short time and insuring the greatest success of the flight.
I recognize the tremendous appeal to popular interest which will be made through the effort of Miss Law and assure you that we appreciate your cooperation.
Cordially yours,
R.W. Wooley
RWW S Director of Publicity,
Liberty Loan 1917

The above is a facsimile of a letter from Mr. R. W. Woolley, director of publicity, Liberty Loan of 1917, do Mr. Doherty. Mr. George Williams, general manager of the new business department of all the Doherty companies, considered Miss Law's flight of such great importance that he is devoting all of his personal time to it. Mr. Williams now is in Joplin arranging final details for Miss Law's reception here Monday and her flight over the cities of this district. Mr. Williams is the man in whose brain originated the idea of lighting the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor. It will be recalled that Miss Law flew around the statue as President Wilson touched the button lighting liberty.

RUTH LAW DROPS "LIBERTY" BOMBS

 Bombs from the sky were showered on Cleveland Monday.
 They were paper bombs dropped by Ruth Law, famous woman aviator, and each contained a message urging the purchase of Liberty Bonds.
 Miss Law, in her airplane, rose from Nela Park late Monday, intending to stay in the air two hours.
 "I hadn't planned to fly until Tuesday," she said. "But the weather is too fine to waste. I may make another flight Tuesday."
 A crowd gathered at Nela Park to see her start.
 Miss Law won fame as an aviator by breaking the American record for long-distance flight last fall. Then she visited France and flew above the trances.
 In Cleveland Monday she wore a khaki uniform with the insignia of the United States Army Aviation Corps on the high collar of her closely-buttoned coat.  Her skirt was short and her stout boots high-laced.
 "Next to this uniform," she said, "I like best to wear a kitchen apron. Charles says I'm a fine cook."
 Charles is Charles Oliver. In private life Ruth Law and Mrs. Charles Oliver. Her husband is her manager. 
 Miss Law is slight, with light hair and blue eyes. In an apron, it's easy to imagine, she'd look not a bit the part of a daring aviator.

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Transcription Notes:
[[image: partial picture of a person wearing a dress and laced boots]] [[image: circle image with word "A LIBERTY BOND IN YOUR HOME OR A GERMAN BOND ON YOUR HOME! WHICH IS YOUR CHOICE? MINE WAS A BOND. BUY YOURS TODAY. RUTH LAW]] Edited to reflect new Transcription Center simplified instructions. For example, [[signature]] notations were taken out. [[image: circle image contains a picture of a woman and the text around the edges: I HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO DO MY BIT ABOVE THE TRENCHES. WILL YOU DO YOUR BIT WITH YOUR MONEY?]]