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Vol 8, No 263

September 20, 1865

Wednesday Evening

Brodbeck of Luckenbach flies Airship

Today in Sports
Banks hits his First Major League Homerun
CHICAGO IL  (1953)   From the first practice pitch thrown to him (he hit it into the outfield stands), fans in Chicago knew they had something special in Ernie Banks. Ernie Banks (born in Dallas in 1931, hit his first major league home run on this date in 1953. The Chicago Cubs recruited Banks right out of the old Negro League without ever sending him to the minors. By the time he retired in 1971, Banks would hit another 511 homers, twice winning the National League MVP award. During 5 of those years, banks hit over 40 home runs, and one season (1955), Banks hit a record five grand slams.

First manned Flight
LUCKENBACH (1865)  On this date in 1865, Jake Brodbeck flew his Air Ship near Luckenbach decades before the Wright Brothers flew theirs at Kitty Hawk. Some sources give the exact location somewhere closer to Fredericksburg.
   At the time of the flight, there were no banks in Fredericksburg, the nearest being in San Antonio a full days ride on the only means of getting there, the stage, which was frequently robbed.
   Brodbeck (with the support of local investors) planned an airship to ferry deposits to San Antonio high above harms way. Using a long hillside ramp, clock springs for power, and a forward "canard" or smaller wing which was a necessary addition to the air ship to prevent stalling on the high angle take off, his airship lifted off and flew. But unable to overcome the limitation of clock springs for power, the springs unwound and the plane crashed, and so did investments in Brodbeck's air ship.
   He continued to work on his air ship and in 1900, Brodbeck took his plans to the World's Fair in Saint Louis seeking new investors. It was there at the World's Fair, that his plans were stolen.
   Three years later, the Wright Brothers flew their powered air ship at Kitty Hawk, also using a forward canard, which should not have been necessary for level powered take offs.
   One wonders if Brodbeck's plans made their way to Kitty Hawk. Brodbeck died in 1910 on his ranch near Luckenbach.