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FLYING CIRCUS WILL THRILL FAIR CROWD

James Leaps from Speeding Auto to Plane.

Notice has been received by the state fair association that Ruth Law, accompanied by the members of her flying circus, will arrive in Des Moines Tuesday ready for the series of aerial flights with which she will entertain fair crowds.

Miss Law is having her plane shipped here this year, instead of flying to the city in it, as is occasionally her custom. The planes of the other members of her company are also coming by rail. Fear that an accident might injure them and cause delays in the program here brought about the precaution.

The two aviators who will share headliner's place with the popular aviatrix are Lieut. Verne Treat, and American ace of the world war, and her youngest pupil. Louis (Daredevil) James.

James is noted for his stunt of leaping from a speeding automobile to catch hold of a rope ladder dangling from a speeding plane. He twists his heels into the ropes and hangs head downward after he has grasped the ladder. Treat drives the plane from which the ladder is hung.

Treat also appears in a program of illuminated night flying, interspersing many daring loops and dips. Miss Law's famous trick is climbing out on the wings of Treat's plane and standing there while he loops and speeds. The flying circus will perform each afternoon and evening in front of the grandstand, beginning Aug. 26.

Birmingham Boy First To Transfer From Automobile To Aeroplane at High Speed

Twice transferring himself from a fast-driven Premocar racing automobile to a Curtiss airplane at the fairgrounds yesterday afternoon, Louis James, a Birmingham boy faced death in his second attempt to accomplish the feat that has resulted in the death of some of the world's most famous aviators.

James, by means of an eight-foot rope ladder hanging from the right [[?]] of the flying machine easily transferred himself from the automobile to the flying machine in his first attempt. On the second attempt the automobile made a score or more trips around the race track before James was able to transfer to the aeroplane.

Upon grasping the rope ladder and swinging into the air on the plane which was traveling at the rate of 90 miles an hour, James was suddenly seized with cramp in his right arm. Aviator Vernee Treat, who was piloting the aeroplane, realizing that something was wrong on account of James' failing to climb into the cockpit of the machine, began to circle the race track flying low.

The aeroplane circled the race track for [[fuflly?]] 20 minutes, with young James hanging on the rope ladder, unable to move. Finally Pilot Treat, seeing that James had reached the top of the ladder and had grasped one of the guy wires, took the chance of landing the plane realizing that if he remained in the air much longer, young James would necessarily have to release his grip, which would result in his death.

Luckily, as the aeroplane on its downward flight neared the ground, James had the presence of mind to fold his feet underneath the wing of the plane, thereby saving himself from probably death or serious injuries.

CIRCLED RACE TRACK
The hundreds of people who had assembled at the fair grounds to witness this unique sight, stood gasping for breath as the aeroplane circled the race track with James hanging on the rope ladder unable to move.

By the skillful mind and guiding hand of Aviator Treat, who is declared to be among the best aviators of the United States, the life of young James was saved, and he is left to enjoy the record that he established for himself here yesterday.

James is a member of the Ruth Law flying circus who have been staging exhibition flights at the fairgrounds for several days, preparatory to filling engagements in the larger cities of the east and north.

Pilot Treat was a member of the One Hundred and Sixty-third Aero Squadron of the American Expeditionary forces. He is one of the few "aces" who served through the entire war. He is considered one of the best aviators alive today, and this was borne out when he showed his skill in saving the life of young James.

WINNER OF RACE
Larry D. Stone, driver of the Premocar, which is made in Birmingham, was the winner of the Birmingham races during the recent state fair. He is considered one of the best racing car drivers in the United States. He was steadily holding his machine in the curve race track, making the curves at the rate of 97 miles an hour all during the time young James was trying to catch the rope ladder.

The Ruth Law flying circus is owned by Ruth Law, the world's famous aviatoress who holds the world's record as being the best lady flyer in the world.

The feat accomplished by young James has been tried on some of the greatest straightaway tracks in the world, but was first accomplished on the clay curved race track yesterday afternoon at the fair grounds by a Birmingham boy.

Motion pictures of this feat were taken by representatives of the Fox and International News Service companies. These pictures will be shown at one of the local theatres at some time in the near future.

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DAMON
The first U.S. Navy Calendar of the [[?]] Jan. 1917.

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Charley, as usual, was as busy as a switch engine and making as much noise as a Midway spieler in an effort to get everything in shape and start the teams off for what is going to prove one of the best exhibition stunts to be shown out of doors during the coming season. He didn't know whether it would be done successfully; neither did the pilot, or the man of iron nerve who was going to risk his life in grabbing the trailing ladder.

It was a raw afternoon. I believe the field at the fair grounds is the hottest place in summer and the coldest in winter of any spot in the district. Some of the boys who had stood around until they were chilled had gathered up some paper and boards and kindled a little fire to warm their feet. I, along with the others, had cold feet bu the nervy young fellow who was to be the first passenger to travel by the car-airplane route luckily did not develop "cold feet."

All the sport writers and Henry Vance were on hand. I mention Henry because it takes something unusual to get him to circulating on a cold and blustering afternoon. The protographers were lined up-that is, the stationary variety. For some cause the motion picture man, while present, did not have his machine in operation. I believe there was some question as to the chance of getting a picture from the ground and some doubt as to whether an ordinary car could keep close enough to the racer to get a good picture.

Several groups were taken, some showing the principal actors in and near the airship, and the racing car, and others in different positions. There was a small gallery of aviation fans on hand to see the try-out. I spied Jim Dent and his wife sitting over in the grand stand. They looked a bit lonely as they had it all to themselves. I kidded him for not getting a closer view, but he said: "I wanted to see how it would look to the fellow who had paid his good money to see it from the grand stand."

It seems that in spite of the request in The Age-Herald for a road three-quarters of a mile long without obstacles, not one was found that was available, although an effort was made to do so. There was always some handicap to every highway visited. Either trees, houses, or telephone or telegraph wires, or traffic made it impracticable to attempt it.

But obstacles to overcome are but a challenge to a man like Charley Oliver and his stunt artists.

"Got any river they say are uncrossable?
Got any mountains you can't tunnel through?
We specialize wholly on the impossible, Doing the things that no man can do."

This is their creed and motto, for if anybody else can do it, it queers their game.

Charley and his bunch not being able to sit down and wait for good roads, for fear that if they did some other fellow might make good on a bad one, just simply made up their minds that they would use the track. Now, it wasn't by any means suitable for the experiment, as the rains had made it heavy, which means that it would be hard for the racer to get up speed and still harder for the man whose business it was to grab the rope to stand up in the car when it was bumping over rough spots.

The far side of the course from the grand stand running parallel to the Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic tracks was selected for the try-out. The crowd made for the spot where the change was to be made. Cameras were made ready. The airplane was tuned up, the racer's engine began to whirr, and in a few minutes the former was circling in the air, while the latter was circling the track, and both going at a terrific clip. To add tenseness to the scene, no one knew the outcome, and in the background was a sense of a tragedy.

I think I know something about exhibition drivers in airplanes, as I have seen some of the world's greatest cracks. By the way, while Ruth Law and I were standing in the center of the field watching the air pilot, I spoke of Alabama's great flyer, Milton Elliott, and she put him down as one of the best she had ever seen. Now, in spite of all the improvements in airplanes, Ruth Law in her old machine, which she still uses, is able to do somethings in the way of driving around and lighting in a track that no one else has been able to do.

I state this because she remarked on the beautiful flying of Lieut. Verne E. Treat, who was handling his machine with superb skill. Quite a few flights around the track were made before the Premocar racing model, driven with great skill by Larry Stone, was placed beneath the airplane. At last the critical moment came round, and we saw Louis James reach up for the rope ladder and swing up. A cheer arose which was a tribute to the pilots and to the daredevil who had risked his life in order to give Americans a new thrill.

I was chilled through and through, although I had on a heavy ulster, and I felt sorry for the three men who had faced the wind at terrific speeds, for none of them seemed to think they had done anything remarkable, but each one of them wanted to hunt a fire. They were willing to break their necks, but they didn't propose to run the risk of catching cold.

Frank Willis Barnett