Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-05
WILBUR WRIGHT
GOES LIKE BIRD
IN LONG FLIGHT
NEW YORK CHEERS FAMOUS
AVIATOR
SPECTACULAR VOYAGE MADE
TO GRANTS TOMB
Aeronef Successfully ManeuVered Up,
Down and at Sharp Angle
over Ships and Houses
of Manhattan
tBy Associated Press.1


N flashed past the white dome Of
~ Grants tomb today, then turning
gracefully in midair over the waters
of the Hudson shot like a falcon back
to Governors island. ten miles away.
Wilbur Wright of Dayton, Ohio, thus
made one of the most spectacular
fights in the history Of aeronautics.
over the masses of warships Wright
flew for twenty miles-ten miles Up
and ten miles back-remaining IN the
air for SO minutes and 33 seconds and
alighting at the aerodome without
mishap.
During the flight business was prac-
tically at a standstill in all that part
of Manhattan from which view OF
the remarkable performance could be
had.
Harbor craft shrieked their applause.
cheer after cheer swept up from the
banks of the Hudson and the lower
bay, for the aviator had "made good.
crowning the aviation program Of the
Hudson Fulton celebration with
record.
Wright started on his fight up the
Hudson at 1856 a. m. and finished eX-
actly at 10:29:33 He had intended to
improve upon his achievement OF the
morning by making a longer and more
hazardous flight at sunset, but the
Gripping of his motor just as he was
about to start on the evening attempt
dashed his hopes as we'll as those OF
the thousands who had assembled on
Governors island and along the water
front to cheer him on.
Wind Blowing
When Wright reached Governors
island shortly after 8:15 o'clock a m.
the wind was blowing about ten miles
an hour with the sky overcast. In the
face of these conditions Wright called
for volunteers to tow his machine To
the starting rail while he superintend~
ed the laying of the starting way I'D
the direction of the wind.
Everything ready, his mecha1 clan
started the motor and amid the clatte1
of the machine exhaust, which sounded
like musketry fire, Wright climbed to
his seat in the aeroplane.
In a minute the machine was off.
| With the planes tilted slightly to one
side the machine slowly ascended to a
height of barely twenty feet while il
swooped in a semi circle toward the
waters edge
Here the presence of many craft. all
Historically footing their whistles
caused him to ascend farther into The
air before making for the mouth OF
the river.
Almost indistinguishable against the
gray banked clouds the machine
scared past old Castle William and
soon entered the canyon made by the
giant skyscrapers of Manhattan island
and the Jersey hills
At this point the aeroplane was fiy-
ing at a height of nearly 200 feet, but
unexpected air currents caused BY the
great buildings moved the aviator to
bring his craft closer to the water.
Lowers Machine
Tilting the elevation rudder he SLOW
ly brought the machine down, slipping
gradually until he was only 100 feet
above the footing ferryboats and the
busy river traffic.
The motor was churning as regularly
as a clock, and settling himself in his
seat Wright sped onward up the river.
over the warships of five great pow
ers he passed, his progress marked by
cheers from the sailors of his own
country and those of Great Britain.
Germany, France and Italy. The blue
jackets lined the rails of their ships
and gazed in wonder at the little craft
above them.
When the air vessel reached the
British cruiser Argyle, anchored above
Grants tomb, Wright brought his rud-
ders into play and describing an easy
ana graceful CURVE SldIlGt Oll llit AHN
turn journey down the river.
The wind conditions that had both
erred him on the journey up were now
more favorable. and it was here that
the speed possibilities of the machine
were demonstrated.
While the ten miles up stream occu-
pied nearly twenty minutes, the re
turn flight was made in little more
than thirteen minutes, or at a rate
slightly over forty-siX miles an hour
Nearing the harbor entrance he was
confronted with the same architec-
tural conditions that had caused him
to vary his altitude on the way up.
Again he lowered himself. and when
he reached the open waters of the bay
he was flying barely sixty feet aboys
Speeds Lower
Thence onward he gradually less
sened his height, and after passing the
Governors island the machine sped
an eighth of a mile over the bay.
Veering sharply around, Wright
headed swiftly for the landing place,
| in which he settled with the ease OF
bird amid the enthusiastic plaudits
of soldiers and civilians.
The fight was a surprise to all.
Throughout the celebration crowds
had waited in vain for the flight up
the Hudson, expecting spectacular per-
tOrmanceS from poln WflSnl anu
Glenn H. Curtiss.
But with the exception of Wright's
fights on Wednesday. when he enctr-
cled the Statue of Liberty, the ele-
ments prevented any substantial DEM
onstration.
So Wrights achievement was hailed
with enthusiasm. There was keen
disappointment when the mishap 70
the motor prevented a second flight
for Wright had announced after his
morning fight that he would make
| longer and more spectacular flight in
| the afternoon, when he proposed TO ny
over some of the buildings hedging the
water front of New York thence west
ward until he reached the New Jersey
shore and back to Governors island.
Aviator Chagrlned
Chagrined at the turn of affairs.
Wright was forced to abandon this
nrogram and return to New York toe