The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1909-10-05
Wilbur Wright Makes
Remarkable Flight
Up Hudson
ENCIRCLES TOM B
After Sailing for Miles Over NaVies Of
World, Aviator Swings Around
Marble Resting Place of Grant and
Returns to Starting Point without
EncOuntering Single Mishap.
Anew YORK, Oct. Am aeropIane

R1EW YORK, Oct. Am aeroplane
fV 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, today
thus made one of the most spectacular
flights in the history of aeroplanics.
Over the masses of warships Wright
flew for 20 miles 10 miles up and 10
miles back-remaining in the air for
33 minutes and 33 seconds, and alight-
ing at the aerodrome without mishap.
During the flight, business was
practically at standstill in that part
of Manhattan from which view of
the remarkable performance was pos
sible. Harbor craft shrieked their ap-
plause, cheer after cheer swept up 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 a
record.
Wright started on his flight 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 longer and more
hazardous flight at sunset, but the
crippling 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 see the flight.
When Wright arrived on Governors
Island shortly after o'clock, the wind
was blowing about 10 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 superintended
the laying of the starting way in the
direction of the wind. Everything
ready, his mechanician started the mo-
tor and amid the clatter of the ex-
haust, which sounded like musketry
fire, Wright climbed to his seat.
In moment the machine was off.
With the planes tilted slightly to one
side, the machinery slowly ascended
to height of barely 20 feet, while it
swooped in a semi-circle toward the
waters edge Here the presence of
many craft, all Historically footing
their whistles caused him to ascend
further into the air before making for
the mouth of the river.
Almost indistinguishable against the
grey-banked clouds, the machine
scared past Old Castle William, and
soon entered the canyon made by the
giant skyscrapers of Manhattan Island
and the New Jersey hills. At this
point the machine was flying at a
height of nearly 200 feet, but the air
current caused by the high buildings,
moved the aviator to bring his craft
close to the water. Fitting the planes,
he slowly brought the machine down,
slipping gradually until he was but
bare hundred feet above the footing
ferry boats and the busy river traffic.
The motor was churning as regularly
as a clock, and settling himself in his
seat, he sped onward up the river.
Over the warships of four great
powers 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 cruiser Argyle, anchored
above Grants tomb, Wright brought
his direction rudders into play, and de-
scribing an easy and graceful curve,
started on his return journey down the
river. The wind conditions, which had
bothered in going up, were now more
favorable, and it was here that the
speed possibilities of the machine were
demonstrated. While the ten miles up
stream occupied nearly 20 minutes, the
return flight was made in little more
than 13 minutes, or at rate slightly
over 46 miles an hour. Nearing the
harbor entrance, he was confronted
with the same architectural condi-
tions which had caused him to vary
his altitude on the way up again, and