The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-10-07

the distance III Do minutes anu 90 Sou
onds.
Wright made the trip in what he
declared was an 1S-mile wind, in spite
of his assertion that an 1I-mile wind
was the limit of safety.
,s.. Gives New York Treat.
| Determined to give New York an
aviation treat, he took the: precaution
OF wearing life belt. r. r
Heastarted by circling over the bat
! tleship fleet on the Hudson river and
then struck out in the direction of
Grants tomb at height of about 100
feet ...-,-.r.
AS he went toward the Battery he.
rose higher, reaching probably 200
feet The machine dipped like a
launch in a swell as it proceeded. ..
AS the aeroplane approached the
city, flying steadily, but bucking the
wind, the roofs of all the buildings
became crowded and pleasure craft
started up the river in an effort to
keep up with the remarkable craft
that flew above them. They were soon
compelled to give up the chase, for
Wright eutstripped the fastest of
them.
AS the machine flew high above
the water-craft, the little maroon-col-
ored canoe, which Wright had previ-
ously attached to his aeroplane in the
event that he would be compelled to
alight on the water, was plainly WIS.,
Ible.
AS the machine pushed into the
breeze, dipping slightly occasionally,
as though caught by downward
trend of the air, and then again was
lifted suddenly, apparently striking a
disturbing air current, the absolute
mastery OF the aviator was strongly
impressed on the spectators. 20 a.
The machine responded in fine
shape" said Mr.. Wright, as he clam
bered through the network of wires
of his machine, after he landed at the
aerodrome on Governors island. THE
motor worked fine. | started flying
about Is feet above the water, but
kept climbing higher until l was
about 200 or 300 feet high. The air
currents sent up by the tunnels of
the ferryboats interfered somewhat.
and | came down nearer to the water.
81 could hear the cheers of the sail
ors on the warships," continued Mr..
Wright, as the enthusiastic group of
army officers and newspaper men that
had awaited his return with keen an
ticipation grasped his hands to con-
graduate him.
There was keen disappointment
when . slight mishap to the motor
prevented a second fight, for the avi-
ator had announced Immediately after
the conclusion of his first flight that
he would make longer and more
spectacular one when he proposed to
fly not only over water but over the
less monumental buildings hedging
the water front of lower New York,
thence westward until he reached the
New Jersey shore, and back to Gov
.ernors Island. $50 "'-...a
Wright was preparing for the sec
ond fight when the accident which
marred a day of achievement oc-
Cured. Due to excessive explosive
pressure, a cylinder head blew loose
and shot through the canvas of the
upper plane, ripping a large hole. AS
soon as the damage was ascertained
Wright ordered the machine wheeled
back to it's shed. Such repairs as were
needed to put this flyer into commits
sion again, he said, would occupy sew
eral days and he could not stop in
New York that length of time. He
leaves for Washington to-day, where
he will instruct army officers in the
manipulation of the Wright aeroplane
which the signal corps purchased last
August.