The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-11-09
SOARING ABOVE A BIG CITY
Hubert Latham's Spectacular Flight
Above the Skyscrapers Of Balti-
more Watched by a Million
People

Baltimore, Nov 9.-Yesterday morn
ing Hubert Latham was probably the
only aviator in Baltimore, If not in the
United States, who believed that he
would accomplish the flight Of nearly
% miles. half Of ii over this city. Pre-
dictions that he would be killed, that
ne would fail in the attempt and that
he would not even make the venture
We're abundant. Last night Latham
was hailed on all sides as a hero who
had accomplished the impossible and
who. establishing a new record for
over city flight. had disclosed new pos
sibilities in aviation. The incentive
for the flight was prize of $4,000 Of
fered by the Sun and the Evening Sun
for trip over a prescribed route from
and returning to the aviation field
where Baltimore's aviation meet is now
in progress. Latham was to follow the
course of the Patapsco river from the
aviation field to Fort McHenry, whose
banner furnished Francis Scott Key
the inspiration of his famous poem.
thence up the inner harbor to and
around the sun building, thence east
TO the city limits, mile north. and
thence west to Druid Hill Park. down
Charles street to Baltimore and thence
again west and later southwest to the
aviation field.
Invalid Buys a View
There was to be a short detour for
the benefit Of Ross Winans, a wealthy
invalid. who, unable to leave his home.
offered an additional $500 If Latham
would come within his range Of vision.
All this Latham accomplished, and in
to the programme he injected some
wonderful evOlutiOns. He varied hfs
altitude from 400 to 1000 feet. and had
to contend with wind blowing at from
seven to fifteen miles an hour. He
used his 50-hOrsepower Antoinette and
was in the air forty-two minutes.
making no stop after leaving the field
until hemreturned. 1t is estimated that
the flight. which is understood to es-
tablish a record for Over-city flying,
was observed by half a million people.
At noon the whole city seemed to
stop work and begin watching. Several
minutes later the city hall bell began
signalling that Latham had actually
started.
In a few minutes more those on the
tall buildings saw a faint speck in the
direction of Halethorpe.
1t was Lathams great Antoinette
floating eastward.
His Feat Remarkable
Borne by the stirring breeze. Latham
flew straight for Fort McHenry and
when almost over the historic spot
slowly curved around and heading in
a generally northwestern direction
steered for the crowded grand stands
in the skyscraper district.
Curving around the Belvedere Hotel
he flew to about the line of Calvert
street and there. some 1000 feet in the
air, performed a series of aerial gyra-
tiOns. wheeling back and forth for the
edification of Ross Winans. who had
offered $500 for the sight of one Of the
greatest modern wonders, the aero
plane in action Then he struck OF
for the skyscraper district again. Over
the Sun building he wheeled and near
| the edge Of the city bore away south
west for the aviation field.
! There he was overwhelmed with
congratulations by his fellow aviators
and friends. Those we'll qualified to
| judge declare the feat the most re-
markable in the aviation annals
| There were real competitions at the
aviation field yesterday, Latham being
| first in the duration and also in the
distance contests.
| Count Jasques de Lesseps in his Bile
riot took second place in the altitude
and in the duration trials and j. Arm
strong Drexel, sailing a Bleriot, won
the first prize for altitude. His record
| was 1886 feet. Latham took first dura-
| tion prize by remaining in the air a
| total of Al minutes 81 seconds Three
minutes before the closing bomb was
fired Willard began a short flight in
a Curtiss biplane. Latham's flight over
| the city did not count in his duration
| score, as it was finished before the Of
| fetal opening of the days flights.