The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-10-07
SCARS OVER NEW YORK HARBOR
AND RETURNS AFTER MOST
PERILOUS VOYAGE.
OUTSKIRTS THE FASTEST BOATS.
Pleasure Yachts Distanced When They
Attempt Race with Wonderful
Flying Machine.
MAKES AN EXCELLENT START

I NEW YORK, Oct Wilbur Wright
the aeroplanist, defed the air, the water
and the land in a marvellous fight today
over the numberless craft in New York
harbor and the North river. Starting at
9:56 the aviator headed into the wind,
and flew over the ferryboats, yachts,
steamers and other craft in the harbor.
| Flying high, Mr.. Wright went up the
North river. over the fleet of battleships
and on past Grants tomb, encircling the
British cruiser Argyle. Returning at
| faster speed with the wind, he came
back over the water and landed at his
way possible. He had been gone for
thirty-three minutes and thirty-three sec
onds making one of the most perilous
trips ever attempted. The distance of
the flight was estimated at fifteen miles.
The aviator got an excellent start.
| leaving the rail after a run of barely
| thirty feet. AS the machine left the
ground, the tip of the right wing lightly
| touched the new made ground and threw
up a cloud Of sand
After half circle over Governor $
| island, at an average height of fifteen
| feet, Wright turned up his elevating
planes and floated up to forty feet.
Reaching the sea wall, he found himself
confronted by the big passenger steamer
Seaberg, but he easily mounted over the
obstacle and kept on rising until he was
100 feet above the water. AS his BIZ
plane appeared against the sky, the craft
In the harbor turned loose their whistles
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 aero
drome on Governors island.
The motor worked fine. | started fly
ing about 10 feet above the water, but
kept climbing higher until | was about
200 to 800 feet high, The air current
sent up by the tunnels of the ferryboats
interfered somewhat, and | came down
nearer to the water.
Il could hear the cheers of the sailors
on the warships." continued Mr.. Wright,
as the enthusiastic group of army Off
GERS and newspaper men who had
awaited his return with keen auticipa-
ton grasped his hands to congratulate
him. The wind was blowing about
ten miles an hour, and | had to head in
a little toward the east, instead of point
ing the machine straight up the river.
Has Fulfilled Contract
This flight fultlls every condition of
my contract" added the aviator, in re-
Spouse to inquiries as to further demon
STATIONS of his prowess in the air, but
if the favorable weather conditions con
tinue this afternoon, ! may make am
other fight which can be announced by
the Hudson-Fulton aviation committee
l will leave for Washington to train the
army officers as soon as possible
As the aeroplane approached the city.
flying steadily but bucKirg the wind. the
roofs of all the buildings became crowd
cd and pleasure craft started up the
river in an effort to keep up with the
remarkable craft that few above them.
They were soon compelled TO give up
the chase, for Wright outstripped the
fastest of them.
As the machine flew high above the
water craft, the little maroon-colored
canoe, which Wright had previously at
tached to his aeroplane in the event that
he would be compelled To alight on the
water. was plainly visible.
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, APP
parently striking Il disturbing air cur
rent, the absolute mastery of the avi-
ator was strongly impressed on the spec
tatorS.
The exact distance in Il straight line
from Governors island TO the foot of
West 10th street, which marked the
northernmost point of Wright's fight, is
nine and quarter miles This would
make his flight, if it had been in a
straight line one Of eighteen miles and a
half. Counting curves and the circles
at the start, Mr.. Wright estimates that
he covered more than twenty miles.
Glenn II. Curtiss departed today for
Hammondsport. \. Y, and his aero
plane at Governors island is being pre-
pared for shipment.