Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 August 1911 — AVIATORS HURL ROMOS OF FLOUR [ARTICLE]

AVIATORS HURL ROMOS OF FLOUR

Mock Aero-Naval Battle Is Held in Chicago. TARGET DIAGRAM OF WARSHIP Motor Boat Patrol to Aid Avhu&rC in Case They Fall into Lake—Reward for Lost Biplane—Funerals of Aviators.

Chicago, Aug. 18.—Chicago had her first opportunity of judging the aeroplane’s usefulness in war when a mock aero-naval battle was given at Grant park. Scaring high in the air the aviators hurled projectiles at the diagram of a battleship marked out, turrets and all, npon the ground at the aviation field. The bombs thrown, instead of being filled with explcsHtesp.eontained flour. Striking the ground, they burst in a white cloud that resembled an explosion and also marked the spot of contact. In this way the percentage of accuracy which can be attained at various heights was gauged. In order to add to the safety of aviators forced to descend to the lake, or who might fall into the water, a motor boat patrol was placed on duty by Captain J. C. Cantwell of the United States retenie cutter Tuscarora. Captain Cantwell was assigned to pa--1 trol the lake to aid any aviator who ! might meet with an accident. | Fast power boats from the fleet of I the Columbia Yacht club were placed at his service, and the stretch between the Van Buren street gap and the four-mile crib will be carefully guarded. A reward of >SO was offered by the meet issociation for anyone who discovers the location of Lee Hammond’s Baldwin biplane, which plunged into the lake and sank on Monday. Hammond escaped uninjured, but has been unable to find a trace of his missing machine. The meet association will raise it, providing it can be found, and offers the reward in the hope that fishermen and power boat men will be induced to search for it. A committee composed of Charles E. Bartley, Frank E. Scott and D. B. Griffith was appointed by the meet association to attend the funeral of St. Croix Johnstone, the aviator who was killed on Tuesday. The association also sent eleborate floral pieces, and flowers were also sent to Pittsburg, where the funeral of William Badger was held.