New-York tribune., 1910-08-21
HARMON IN FLIGHT
ACROSS THE SOUND
Goes Into Air at Garden City and
Lands IN Greenwich Half
Hour Later.
NEARLY MILE A MINUTE
Wrecks Machine Landing Near
Benedict Estate, but Gets Not
a Scratch-Tells His
Own Story.


across the Sound in his aeroplane just
as the sun was sinking last evening.
FIe did it on the spur OF the moment. for
earlier in the afternoon he had about
made up his mind that he would stay Ia
Garden City.
Perhaps 1t was the call of the Wild
that prompted him. the rhythmic and in
s!stent purr Of his motor. the red gold
OF the declining day. the 1impid horf-
zen of the Hampstead Plains At all
events the big crowd at the Garden
City aviation ground got an airy wave
Of his hand as his machine dragged its
wheels from the turf and then watched
the paled purple In the northwest grad
ually enfold his little craft like bene-
diction-
From Garden City 10 Greenwich.
Conn, is about twenty eight miles.
Harmon did it in almost exactly half
an hour. pursuing his solitary way into
the night The shadows were long and
thin even on the fiat expanse of Hemp
stead Plains when. at $50 o'clock. hs
sent the spark to his motor
:>:earfy Dark at Descent.
II was nearly dark when he descended
at Greenwich in a field adjoining the
summer home of his father-in-law, Com
modore z. c. Benedict, and he fouled
nest of telephone wires whose thin
strands broke the propeller. sklds and
front control of his machine
On the level reaches of Long Island
Al soI,t of
until the abyss of heaven swallows him.
as it did Bryant's waterfowl. and IL is
easily possible. also. TO entertain the
same emotions which prompted the poet
to sing:
Teaches the way along thai painless coast
The desert and -ilIimitable air
Lone wandering. but not lost
But the awe which held the crowd
silent as 1t gazed after the disappearing
aeroplane. ''darkly painted on the Grim
son sky" was rudely punctuated by the
snorting of automobiles, which one after
the other spurned the roadway behind
the srands,and. and with a vomiting of
blue smoke glided after the flyer.
The road led due north. almost under
the whirring aviator. but only one ma
chine was al bic to catch up with him. and
that one accomplished it only as Har-
mon started across the Sound
The aviator reached the Sound at ROs-
Iyn at $40 O'CLOCK At $50 ne passed
over the steamboat pier at Sea Cliff. and
at 6:53 he had crossed the Sound. The
Iarchrnont Yacht Club was directly in
his path. and he passed over il flying
two hundred feet in the air He de-
scended In Greenwich at I:05 O'Clock
After he had rested and received the
Of his family and friends
Mr. Harmon told of his experiences. He
was at the home of his father-in-law,
E c. Benedict
Harnon's Account of Flight.
II left the aviation field at Garden
City" said Mr.. Harmon "at $50 O'Clock
this evening" having taken Hamilton up
with me for a half-dozen flights around
the field, so as to enable him TO take
some photos Then the engine was
working so beautifully that I decided 10
go on across the Sound. leaving Hauil-
ton at Garden City.
coat. trousers. goggles, a life belt ami
low shoes with strings united So that
could swim if need be- The wind was
aft of me and blowing about fifteen
miles an hour. increasing during the
fight to twenty-five miles. In the Hight
1f six miles TO Roslyn | travelled over
bad country, and when | reached the
wa-tr felt as If some one had just
wen me a quarter of d million dollars
.At a dinner given 10 the t,nshshmen
AZ tb, I.archn0nt Yacht Club last even
ng / had promised TO fly TO the club
house if | came across the Sound and
offered a cup TO the first ones who would .
reach me either on shore ar ON water
and the clubs fastest boats were To be
N readiness.
..Once en- the water ! felt safe. and
although my plane went up and down
ike boat. owing to the cross winds.
sas able To keep il going in . straight
inc. my altitude varying from tcuf hun
ired to one thousand feet. IL was a
struggle to keep right side up crossing
4empstead Bay but reached the
rarchmont Club at $50 o'clock. and
urned over the vessels in the haroor
mere at the international meet.
Too Fast for Pursuit.
Il guess I was too fast for them u
wen think of starting motor boat atter
ne. Coming up the Sound from Larch-
mont | had the breeze with me. and
vent the ten miles in ten minutes-siSty
niles an hour.
1T was dark when l reached the island
ust In front OF my father-in-ldw's estate.
md so went on few hundred teet to
, SANDY beach just across the Inlet. and
anne down in tall grass. after tOIluS
some telephone wires. That accounts
or the wrecked machine.
II landed on my feet all right, and have
rot even a scratch To remind me OF my
mile trip. My ShiCs we've
turned upside down. and the chassis ard
name smashed. probably To the extent
II $500 damages. My mechanics will be
lere tonight. and il viii probably take
all day tomorrow To take the machine
Down for shipment back To Garden city.
where it viii be repaired.
Il had planned to fly from here 10
Island tomorrow, but IL