The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1902-10-11
THEY SUCCESSFULLY SAILED
ABOUT IN THE HEAVENS.
Their Manoeuvers Attracted Wide
Spread Wonder-Both Were in
the Air at the Same Time
One Fouled Tele-
graph Lines.


ed yesterday the first flight of dirigibl'
aero machines in America.
Dependent on their own mechanism
the ships manoeuvered at the will o
their helsmen. They rose. circ1ed obedi
ent to the rudders, set courses and helc
them, while Thousand of people craned
their necks to follow the sight.
Accidents of minor importance to the
general results prompted the aeronauts
to bring their machines to earth. Thei,
success had been demonstrated before
descent was made necessary.
Rival machines made the flight. One
was the Santos-Dumont ship No 6, which
started from its aerodrome at Brighton
Beach with Edward G. Boice in the fraiI-
appearing car of tough Cypress wood.
After flight in which more than two
miles was probably traversed, the ships
settled in medow back of the Sleeps
head Bay race-track. 1t alighted as cas-
lily as gull settles in the water, and Mr..
Boice, his face beaming, stepped from
the Car and grasped the hands OF friends.
Leo Stevens sailed the other machine
from Manhattan Beach toward the vii
lage of Sheepshead Bay, swung easily OF
westward course until over Couey ISL
and, when he turned back and eventual
ly reached earth by way of ladder rear
ed against telegraph pole in the wires
of which his anchor rope had been en-
tangled. Stephens was as enthusiastic
as his rival.
The honor OF first accomplishing a
flight through air in America rests in the
balance. Both ships were in the air at
the same time, both were uninjured, and
both guided their machines at will. 1t
was race for 1aurels, however. No
crews OF rival yachts ever worked harder
for sailing point than the employees a.
bout the aerodromes at Manhatten and
Brighton Beaches when one saw that the
other was shaping for flight.
AS matter of fact, neither ship had
planned to make so important an expe-
rimeut. For that reason few people we're
on hand at the stating place. Sightseers
had become sceptical.
Mr.. Boice ordered his ship brought out
from the aerodrome at Brighton Beach.
He wanted to show it to George Schofe1d
and Stephen Crute, who had accompani
ed him to the beach III a big automobile
with Mrs. Boice and her two children.
The big balloon had been inflated with
hydrogen gas and all was in readiness.
The machine swung out of the aero
drome with the ease of a ship at launch
ing. Two score men strained at the guy
rope thrown over the balloon, which
prevented the ship from rising until all
was ready.
Boice glanced at things with critical
eye, tried the valves of the gasoline en-
gine, gave the propeller twirl, and test
ed the basket if it was secure, as a jockey
tests his saddle girths before mounting.
MIR. Boice stepped into the Car after mer-
rily pinching the cheek of one
of his children, took out cigarette and,
after lighting it, tossed the match aside
and with the same motion of his hand
waved signal for the men to release the
guy rope. |
1t was all so sudden that his wife, his
children and his friends scarcely realized
his departure before the ship drew up
ward.
Straight over their heads it sailed, the
drag-line paying out through the hands
of the workmen. Boice was seen to flip
his cigarette quickly over the side of the
car. He explained later that it OCCASION
ed him the only tremor experienced him
during the trip. He had suddenly no.
ticed escaping gas, and the danger OF an
explosion and collapse of the balloon
caused him to part with the cigaratte.
To the length OF the drag-line the ship
mounted in air and the men below braced
to maintain their hold. The ship l,oised
for nearly two minutes. Then the watch
31l foreman saw Boice signal. He inter-
preted the signal and glanced at Mrs
Boice and her children. 'Let go!" he
shouted to the men tugging at the drag
line. The next instance the 1inewas out
Of reach. The little party knew what
this meant. The workmen gave mighty
cheer. Mrs. Boice drew her children to-
ward her. Schofe1d and Crute were
dumb
1t was exactly $3.50 o'clock when Boice
stepped into the car. Five minutes later
he was five hundred feet in air, connec-
stion with earth cast aside and free to
prove the prowess of his ship. Those be-
low could dimly make out his figure
through the network of the car.
"Would the ship fly ?' That was the
question in every ones mind.
The propeller began slowly to turn like
a windlass. Then it stopped. Again it
started and the blades whipped the air,
steadily increasing in their revolving
motion until the propeller became a
BLUR. So intent were the watchers be-
low that at first they did not realize the