Overshadowed by the mighty battle between walts brother art and craig breedlove, they have a unique and perhaps unenviable position in the history books, that of holding the crown the shortest timespan. Wingfoot express resources, including books, articles, graphics, timelines, and video. It all began on a balmy monday afternoon as the wingfoot express, one of goodyears fabled new blimps, soared above downtown chicago on a promotional tour. Sep 19, 2012 with bonneville speed week just ending were sure many of you still have salt fever and wouldnt mind reading about the history that surrounds the salt flats. It is my sincere hope that platinum licensees will enjoy the many new program bene. Lavender and broken bones forever reinventing menu. In 1919, the first major aviation disaster in the united states occurred in chicago. Walt arfons wingfoot express powered by up to 25 rockets, 1965 everyone needs a hobby. The blimp made several runs throughout the day, the more influential people who saw it, the better the publicity for the company. Full of history, local color, compelling characters, and a complex storyline, the reason for time is a quick read, but one that lingers and makes one wonder about the many other stories that could be told of that tumultuous summer of 1919. The wingfoot express blimp crashed into the illinois trust and savings bank, taking the lives of people and injuring 27 more.
Overshadowed by the mightly battle between walts brother art and craig breedlove, they have a unique and perhaps unenviable position in the history books,that of holding the crown the shortest timespan. The history of the bonneville speedway rod authority. A collection of some popular and some unpopular stories that made up chicagos notorious past. May 10, 2018 the wingfoot express, tom green its driver, is shown going 4. Coincidentally, our visit on july 22nd, was exactly 100 years since the writing of the chicago tribune article on the wingfoot express disaster. Apr 24, 2012 the crash of the wingfoot expressthe first major aviation disaster in the nations historyhad taken the lives of more than a dozen people, while injuring dozens more, and had brought utter panic to the heart of the second largest city in the country. Goodrich and goodyear tire and rubber company assembled dirigibles at the park for the united states navy. Apr 17, 2012 employing a zigzag style throughout his entertaining, troubling narrative, krist corrals several plot threads. On july 21, 1919 the wingfoot express burned and crashed into the illinois trust. One crew member, two passengers, and ten bank employees were killed.
Others had tried this kind of propulsion before him. Tom green and walt arfons wingfoot express have somehow become the forgotton holders of the land speed record. The wingfoot air express was a dirigible that crashed into the illinois trust and savings. In krists doozy of an opening set piece, various chicagoans set out for work on a day in which a goodyear dirigible, called the wingfoot express. Goodyear donates blimp gondola to crawford auto aviation.
I would like to express special appreciation to the advisory board for their input, guidance and oversight. For me this is especially true because of the years i spent working in chicagos loop where the wingfoot express had its journey and ending in 1919. Complete bullshit made up by someone in the 1990s whod seen this photograph showing an airship near the hotel building. The goodyear dirigible airship wingfoot air express catches fire over downtown chicago and crashes into the illinois trust and savings building. To get from boston to san francisco in 1918, trucks in goodyears wingfoot express fleet often had to find their own roads. And one thats seldom told, perhaps because the wingfoot air express disaster and chicagos modest role in the history of lighterthanair travel are now but a curious. It opens october 5, 1964 at the bonneville salt flats. The first famous person we came across, was jack brickhouse, the legendary broadcaster, that covered the cubs from 1948 to 1981. When 1919 began, the city of chicago seemed on the verge of transformation. In 1917, a fiveton packard with a 10foothigh, speciallybuilt body established. Goodyear blimp wingfoot express as it floated above chicagos crowded loop.
Yet, any time i can understand and connect more deeply with the history of a city as. The dirigible wingfoot air express crashed into the illinois trust and savings building in chicagos loop on monday, july 21, 1919, killing 11 and injuring 28 people. The worst theatre fire in american history the legendary fire at the iroquios theatre the explosion of the hydrogen airship wingfoot express ala the hindenburg over a part of the downtown area and the loss of over 800 people in the 15 foot deep chicago river just north of the downtown area in the capsizing of the tippy excursion steamer. On july 21, 1919, the wingfoot air express dirigible launched from grant park headed towards the white. It is about the land speed records set in 1964 in utah is presented by goodyear tire and rubber company and shell as a spotlite news program. Prophetically, frank seiberling, who was goodyears first president, told the u.
To hot rod and motorcycle enthusiasts around the world the bonneville salt flats are the ultimate speedway and proving ground to test and see if your rod truly is the fastest around. Thats all it took to bring the city of chicago, the great burgeoning metropolis, to the brink of collapse in the summer of 1919. Goodyears wingfoot express celebrates 90th anniversary. The wingfoot express, tom green its driver, is shown going 4. The masterfully told story of twelve volatile days in the life of chicago, when an aviation disaster, a race riot, a crippling transit strike, and a sensational child murder transfixed and roiled a city already on the brink of collapse. In june 1919, goodyear started operating its own airships. The crash of the wingfoot express, chicago, il, july 21st, 1919 new york times archives jake uveges article for the examiner deaths, disturbances, disasters and disorders in chicago the chicago history journal chicago, 1919.
Jan 27, 2014 even doing that, the power did not last long enough to build up the speed enough to set a record. With bonneville speed week just ending were sure many of you still have salt fever and wouldnt mind reading about the history that surrounds the salt flats. The dirigible, dubbed the wingfoot air express, was en route to the white city amusement park when it exploded. A goodyeardeveloped truck tractor with a fifth wheel for a tractor. The caravan of trucks and cars of the goodyear wingfoot express traveling on the lincoln highway from boston to san francosco, 1918. Chamber of commerce meeting in chicago just five days after that first 23day wingfoot express run to boston.
The type fd dirigible, owned by the goodyear tire and rubber company, was transporting people from grant park to the white city amusement park. Goodyear blimp project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. The wingfoot express was walt arfons and tom greens jetpowered land speed record car, driven by green to a record on october 2, 1964, after walt suffered a heart attack just prior. One of the latter was destroyed along with the navy d1 in a hangar fire at wfl on 19 july 1920. The story begins with the crash of the blimp, wingfoot express, continues through the search for a missing child, continues through a. Any material submitted for publication will appear at the discretion of the editor. Walt arfons wingfoot express ii lsr vehicle showing the numerous jato pods used to propel the car over the salt at bonneville.
Trucking history collection akronsummit county public library. Both ships were inflated with hydrogen, the common lifting gas of the time. Apr 21, 2012 the crash of the wingfoot express, chicago, il, july 21st, 1919 new york times archives jake uveges article for the examiner deaths, disturbances, disasters and disorders in chicago the chicago history journal chicago, 1919. About a week earlier, goodyears wingfoot express dirigible plunged into a loop bank building, killing people. Blimp has its ups and downs in early days chicago tribune. A dirigible serviced the park, bringing passengers from chicagos grant park. All vehicles in red were not record holders but provided some type of history to the sport of land speed racing and should be used just for your information.
Walt arfons, bobby tatroe and the wingfoot express 1965. What was most novel about goodyears truck, named the wingfoot express, was the big pneumatic tires it rolled on. Wingfoot express, may 1997 greater boston track club. Curious crowds gathered to behold the dirigible airship, wingfoot express. May 04, 2012 in krists doozy of an opening set piece, various chicagoans set out for work on a day in which a goodyear dirigible, called the wingfoot express, makes its maiden series of voyages around the. Three goodyear trucks and a goodyear bus, each on six wheels. Media in category wingfoot air express crash the following 12 files are in this category, out of 12 total.
Speed duel, the inside story of the land speed record in the sixties is out and in the book stores. The wingfoot express is the newsletter of the greater boston track club. This 1964 film is a test print that unfortunately is silent. Please send any inquiries or material for publication to. This time around, we were going to spend some time in the mausoleum. The 12 days of disaster that gave birth to modern chicago. Trucking history collection akronsummit county public. It built the wingfoot express and three pony blimps. It has been wonderful collaborating with goodyear to add this blimp gondola to the crawford auto aviation museum, said kelly falconehall, president and. The crash of the wingfoot expressthe first major aviation disaster in the nations historyhad taken the lives of more than a dozen people, while injuring dozens more, and had brought utter panic to the heart of the second largest city in the country. Fulfillment by amazon fba is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in amazons fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. It has been wonderful collaborating with goodyear to add this blimp gondola to the crawford auto aviation museum, said kelly falconehall. The wisdom of teams by tom derderian i started reading a book by james surowiecki, the writer of a business column in the new yorker, about trends in investing, politics and commerce. Drivers harry apple and harry smeltzer waved to their coworkers and started their trip into transportation history an interstate truck run that pioneered longhaul trucking in the united states.
Tom green and walt arfons wingfoot express have somehow become the forgotten holders of the land speed record. Two others were able to parachute to the ground safely. A brief history of the wingfoot lake airship base wingfoot. Golf, city, yacht and athletic clubs elected platinum clubs of america 2016 2018. Kathleen 1242014 the story starts out so compelling, it is difficult to put down.
Company purchases coal mine in adena, ohio and becomes a pioneer in mechanized mining. Wingfoot air express crash lavender and broken bones. Walt arfons wingfoot express ii lsr vehicle showing the. The wingfoot express back at walt arfons pickle road workshop courtesy tom mayenschein a rear view of the wingfoot, the scorching very apparent courtesy tom mayenschein this is an original drawing by alex tremulis, who worked on the wingfoot express, sent to me by alexs nephew, steve tremulis. I have read some outrageous speeds associated with the wingfoot express, way over 500 mph, but i watched every run the car ever made in 1965, and i dont think it ever ran much over 400 mph. Aug 22, 2014 about a week earlier, goodyears wingfoot express dirigible plunged into a loop bank building, killing people. Local chicagoland area history public group facebook. At the same time, residents were worrying about a missing 6yearold girl. Oct 09, 2017 in 1919, the first major aviation disaster in the united states occurred in chicago. View a history of cars with aircraft engines images from our a history of cars with. White city served as the place of assembly and departure point for the first goodyear blimp, called the wingfoot air express. Wingfoot, and thanks very much to our new editor michelle lang for getting this bit of gbtc history back on track.
The express was powered by a westinghouse j46 engine and hit the 4 mph record mark. Walt arfons wingfoot express ii was the first real rocketpowered contender for the outright land speed record. First crosscountry akron to boston truck line, the wingfoot express, started by goodyear the first trip takes 24 days. City of scoundrels is a story of just twelve days in 1919 that shows both the rotten and good side of this teeming metropolis. July 21 the wingfoot air express catches fire over downtown chicago. Thats merely the incinerator chimney on the top next to the onion domewater tank. A goodyeardeveloped truck tractor with a fifth wheel for a tractor 77. To many, it was unthinkable that such a thing could occur, that people quietly.
Wingfoot express airship disaster obscure histories. All out land speed record list chart below does not different between type of power, this chart is showing you the history of the land speed records from the 1st record recorded to about 2004. Lure in the book addicts with the promise of employment and then empty their pockets as they try to leave unscathed. Modernizers had an audacious, expensive plan to turn the city from a brawling. Wingfoot express po box 183 back bay annex, boston, ma 021170183. Goodyear builds its first blimps for the company and the u. That time a blimp crashed in the loop history, happenings. The blimp made several runs throughout the day, the more influential people who saw it, the. Even doing that, the power did not last long enough to build up the speed enough to set a record.
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