DROPS ‘BOMB’ ON CITY

It Was Filled With Confetti, But Airship Might Have Used Dynamite

The photo above shows the kind of airship that Roy Knabenshue might have used to soar over the L.A. City Hall
(in the center of the drawing below).

With the swiftness of a bird, Roy Knabenshue guided his big airship from its moorings at Chutes Park [at 19th, now Washington Boulevard, and Main streets] about 8 o’clock last night, rose to a height of about 500 feet, traveled straight to the City Hall [on Broadway, between 2nd and 3rd], circled the tower, and returned to the park, making the round trip in 20 minutes. . . .

[At the City Hall,] the aviator displayed a red light and dropped a paper bomb which scattered confetti over the heads of the surprised gazers.

The primary object of the demonstration in showing that the modern unprotected city would be absolutely at the mercy of an invading enemy equipped with airships was entirely successful.

Knabenshue’s movements were not discernible until the red lantern was unsheathed.

That the aviator had perfect control over his machine was evident in the flight of the airship around the tower of the City Hall and in the rapid transit of the machine to and from the park.

The engine of the machine developed probably 15 extra horsepower owing to the cold condensed condition of the atmosphere, and the engine, being air-cooled, gave the operator a chance to send his machine at a speed of close to 40 miles an hour.

For more on this important early aviator, click here.

• From the Los Angeles Daily Times of December 22, 1908.

Too Much Style?

CORONER RIDES LUXURIOUSLY

Some curious items in a bill of $3,381, sent in by County Coroner Hartwell and approved by Supervisor Eldridge, have caused County auditor Dow to refused to pay it.

The bill represents the cost of the automobile and fixtures ordered some time ago for the use of the Coroner.

The machine itself is scheduled at $3,230. Of the

remaining $591, items of extra tires, necessary supplies and machinery consume all but $197.50.

To the payment of this latter amount the auditor enters and emphatic protest.

The objectionable items are:

Two automobile coats costing $28 and $35 each.

Two pairs of gloves, $9.
A racing cap, $1.
An auto cap, $1.
Blue robes, $28.
Two pairs of goggles, $5.50.
A speedometer, clock and light, $90.

“It will be a long time before the bill passes in its present shape,” Mr. Dow said.

• The Floundering Express

The Times on Sunday printed the exact figures showing that during last month the Evening Express lost nearly twice as much advertising as any [other] newspaper in Los Angeles.

The record for November 1908 discloses that as compared with November 1907:

The Express lost 238 columns of advertising (4,760 inches).
The Examiner lost 194 columns of advertising.
The Record lost 127 columns of advertising.
The Times los 33 columns of advertising.

The Express does not attempt to deny the accuracy of these figures, but resorts to a spanked-boyish explanation that does not explain.

“The Express had one less publishing day in November 1908 than in November 1907,” it whimpers. . . .

What a transparent subterfuge! The Express makes a poorer fist at “explanationing” than it does at bragging.

When a toy newspaper is reduced to actually boasting that it is the tail-ender in the big advertising procession, and then to such an idiotic attempt to deceive the public as this “One day” apology, it is in a sorry plight for a plaything! The cold facts have simply overwhelmed the little trickster.

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