Cambridge's Own Aeroplane in September 1909

[Dave Homewood]

Holy crap, I was playing around with keywords in Papers Past, not even looking for anything to do with Cambridge, but I spotted this in one of the results! From the AUCKLAND STAR, 22 SEPTEMBER 1909

"The inhabitants of Cambridge usually rise to the occasion when there is anything startling to be done to call attention to the fact that such a place exists (writes our own correspondent) ; yet they did not provide a Cambridge "scareship." Some of the young bloods of the town thought they would attend to the matter, seeing that the city fathers had overlooked the opportunity, and they accordingly proceeded to manufacture an aeroplane, consisting of paper bags filled with gas. On Saturday evening a trial trip was made; everything worked splendidly, and it was arranged to float the scareship over the town on Saturday night last, with two lights attached with the aid of a couple of light strings, and finally to release it. The apparatus was duly inflated, the lights attached, and everything was in readiness'for the performance, and just when the crowd was greatest in the street the "scareship" was set going. But there happened to be a breeze at the time, and when the apparatus was about 14ft. above the ground a squall caught the bags of gas and brought them in conjunction with the lamps, and the whole affair was blown to pieces, much to the disgust of its manufacturers."