The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-10-04
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NEW YORK. Oct. Wilbur Wright.
the aeroplanist today defied the air.
the water and the land in a marvellous
flight over the numberless craft in New
York harbor and the North river.
Starting at 1856 the aviator headed
into the wind and flew over ferryboats.
yachts, steamers and other craft in
the harbor.
The flight was one of the most sue
cessful Wright has ever made, and
he was cheered from the start to the
finish. 1t was just 1854 when Wright
made his start from Governors Island.
The start was an excellent one, the
aeroplane leaving the rail after run
of barely thirty feet As the machine
left the ground the tip of the right
wing lightly touched the new-made
ground where the starting rail is laiss
and threw up a cloud of sand. The
rail was pointed southeast
On up the river he kept his bipiane.
looking for all the world like a huge
bird as it silently and speedily winged
its way, passing far above the stacks
and masts of the tugs and ocean-going
steamers. On to Fourteenth street
went Wright, then to Twenty third
street. At Twenty-third street Wright
again elevated his forward planes. and
the machine commenced to go still
higher In the air
Wright was approaching the first of
the big battleships, and wanted to get
high enough in the air so that the
military masts would not interfere
with him. When he had reached a0)
feet he seemed satisfied, and once more
started straight up the river clearing
the masts of the foreign battleshps,
which were crowded from stem to
stern with officers and jackies with
uplifted faces looking at the marvellous
work of Wright and wondering what
would happen to them If the airship
was on war mission and had dyna
mite bombs or torpedoes that could be
dropped on their decks. 1t was a won
derful lesson of the probable value of
airships in time of war.
Flying steadily Wright kept on a
straight line until he had passed be-
yond Flfty-sixth street He con-
tinued on UP to Grants Tomb, then
turned and made his way back down
the river still keeping high in the air.
until he was opposite the Battery on
his way back to Governors Island,
when he dropped rapidly and landed
easily and safely within short dis
tanee of where he had started. He fin
ished at 1929, having been in the air
thirtyfive minutes.
THE machine responded in fine
shape said Wright, as he clambered
the network of wires of his
machine after he landed at the aero
drome on Governors Island, THE
motor worked fine. | started flying
about rs feet above the water, but kept
higher until | tas about 200
to 800 feet high. The air currents sent
up by the tunnels of the ferryboats
interfered somewhat and l came down
nearer to the water.
II could hear the cheers of the sailors
on the warships.' he continued as the
group of army officers and
men that had awaited his
return with keen anticipation grasped
his hands to congratulate him "The
wind was blowing about ten miles an
hour and | had to head in little
toward the east, instead of pointing
the machine straight up the river.
This fight fulfills every condition of
my contract, but if the favorable
weather conditions continue I may
make another flight which can be an
nounced by the Hudson Fulton aviation
I will leave for Washing
ton to train the army officers as soon
as possible
The exact distance in a straight line
from Governors Island to the foot OF
West 130th street which marked the
point of Wright's flight
is nine and a quarter miles This
would make his flight. if it had been
in straight line, one of eighteen miles
and half Counting curves and the
circles at the start. Wright estimates
that he covered more than twenty
miles.
Glenn III. Curtiss departed today for
Hammondsport, N. Y, and his aero
plane at Governors Island Is being pre-
pared for shipment.