Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-04
WRIGHT THRILLS CITY
Bird-Man Wings His Way Up
the Hudson.
TO GRANTS TOMB AND BACK
Over Tugs, Ferryboats and Foreign
Battleships.
GOES 19 MILES IN 33 MINUTES
Thousands on Roats SkvScraperS
o GRANTS TOMB AND BACK
GOES 10 MILES IN 80 MINUTES
Thousands on Boats, Skyscrapers
and Piers Go Wild in
Their Excitement.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Wilbur Wright, the Dayton. Ohio, avia-
tor. linked his name indelibly with those
Of Hudson and Fulton this morning, when
- sailed his airship successfully up the
hudson from Governors Island to Grant s
fomb and back again to his headquarters
II the bay. Over foreign fleets anchored
in the river in honor of his great his
toric predecessors few the American
bird-man, making his halfway turn al
most over the British flagship Inhexibe.
This most important display of Amer
lean aero conquering genius was made at
what might have been called the psyche
logical moment, while the Hudson Fulton
decorations still iuttered from the city.
The flight was in every way successful.
and was made under propitious condi-
tions. with a light northeasterly wind
blowing. Wright seemed to have the
machine in the most admira BILE control.
He dipped or scared, as he pleased, go
ing north at a height of about 200 feet,
and coming back at heights varying from
$50 to about 100 feet
The American flag f1uttered from the
machine as 1t took the air at 9:33 o'clock
to begin the flight. Maj. Gen. Leonard
Wood. commanding the Department of
the East, was among the group which saw
the start, and thirty-three minutes later
all were thrilled to see the marvellous air
machine coming back. With apparently
no more effort than a wheeling gull
might display the biplane turned when
just south of Castle William and settled
down at the feet of the party. scarcely
twenty feet from the place where it left
the monorail.
The official time was given as thirty
three minutes thirty-three and One-fifth
seconds, and the distance as nineteen
miles-nine and one-half each way.
Excitement Runs High.
Excitement ran high in the lower city
when the flight began. A general Shrek
ing Of whistles in the bay seemed to nott-
fy everybody in the skyscraper distric,
that the big flight was being attempted
Hundreds of persons ran through Battery
Park to get near the water front, and II
was estimated that 5000 persons saw
downtown buildings quickly heard he
news, and the windows of hundred sky
scrapers were filled with spectators. On
the towering roofs also black knots OF
people appeared as if by magic. There
seemed a general disposition to shout or
wave something as the aviator went
smoothly along. and the crowd in Bat
terry Park cheered itself hoarse until the
machine was lost to sight.
AS precaution against adverse all
currents Wright kept away from the high
buildings and hugged the west side OF
the river He passed over ferry boats
and other craft at a height of about 20(
feet and each crowd that saw the machine
screeched some more. Every whistle
chimed in and the din was only equal to
a new year eve noise festival.
Italian, French, German and English
officers and bluejackets on board the
foreign squadrons looked aloft in astonish-
ment as the evenly flying biplane Wen,
over them. The British perhaps had the
best chance to gauge his capabilities fr
maneuvering, as 1t was right near the
fine flagship Inf1exible that he made his
turn to go southwark again. Swinging
to the tide were the Drake. Duke of Edin-
burgh and Argyll. and the bluejackets OF
each set up a tremendous cheering as
Wright passed.
Upper City Surprised.
Although the upper part of the city was
taken somewhat by surprise. there were
some hundreds Of persons In the neigh
borhood of the tomb when Wright came
along to say good morning. On the way
back it seemed that he gradually lessened
his height. He still kept to the westward
side of the river and met. If anything. a
greater reception than when he sailed
north.
Now the Jersey hills were black with
people and all piers and buildings on the
Manhattan side were crowded. Whistles
of all kinds were again tied down and the
din became tremendous as he again
neared the Battery. The tops of sky
scrapers were even more crowded and
from every window fluttered flags and
handkerchiefs in salute to the air con-
queror.
AS Wright again appeared over the bay
ships stopped as If in amaze and the
l.
creased to about 5000 persons, screamed
Historically again, and once more there
was rush of persons from the big build
ings to the water front. 1t was at about
1926 O'Clock that Wright passed the
aquarium on his return flight. flying easily
at a height of about fifty feet. At one
time ne passed over ferryboat, clearing
the funnel apparently by no more than
twenty feet. From the Battery 1t seemed
that he was about abeam of the statue of
Liberty when he made the turn for Gov
ernors Island.
the sheds on Governors Island Gen. Wood
was among the first to congratulate the
American air cpnQueror.
officials Are Present.
Chairman Beck of the Hudson-Fulton
committee and Gen. Wood left the little
circle about the monorail in which the
guards kept the rest of those holding
passes. They extended their congratula-
tions. while Mr.. Perkins, the official time
keeper, gave out the records of his stop
watch.
One incident caused the crowd to stop
in it's excitement to cheer The little
American flag which had gone up at
tached to a forward stanchion was still
whipping out in the wind. But 1t was
only a frayed and tattered remnant. and
not more than half the size 1t had been
when first it went aloft.
1.-The wind tumbling over the Sky
scraners worried me lot was all
Wright would say about the difficulties
he encountered. Every little while a
puff of wind would jolt my machine and
set II to trembling. That was when
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