In his unpublished autobiography, "Chauffeur of the Skies," Knabenshue wrote that he struggled with Chicago's winds while giving balloon rides. When he canceled flights, "I was called many uncomplimentary names." Once, he succumbed to pressure from White City spectators and flew despite his best instincts. His engine quit, and he feared being blown over the lake, so he set down "on the roof of a dwelling and wrecked both the rudder and the propeller. The ship bounced off the roof and into a tree, ripping a large hole in the balloon which quickly deflated it."