Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1910-05-30


the aeroplane drew attention to his
coming and cheers arose from shore
and boat. At S.06, sixty-three minutes
from the start, he scared past Rhine
cliff Ferry, 54 miles from Albany. Here
there is a turn in the river, and Cur
tiss turned again to the west, pass
ing overland to shorten his course
Staatsburg marked the sixtieth mile
point and he had covered this dis
tance in 50 minutes.
"a Miles in 80 Minutes.
With Staatsburg behind, the giant
keepsie loomed ahead. The bridge it.
self is PIP feet high, but Curtiss top
ped it by 800. Thence he turned up
ward and with the precision of a bird
settled softly in the field three miles
south of Poughkeepsie at S.26. He had
flown seyenty-four miles from Albany
in SO minutes.
The Landing at Poughleeepsie.
The landing place known as the Gill
meadows, had previously been select
ed, but because of last weeks post
ponement Curtiss was not expected
this morning, SO there was no gasoline
and oil awaiting him.
Fortunately two automobile tourists
happened by and were eager to sup
ply him with the needed fuel and oil.
His tanks had been filled with ten gal
Ions of gasoline before he left Albany.
Ions remained, enough to have carried
him to West Point But CurtsS was
taking no chances. and the timely ar
rival of the autoists with supplies saw
ed the day.
Pouehkeepsie Fire Alarm Bells hung.
Fire alarm bells were rung as the
aviator neared Poughkeepsie, but his
progress was so rapid that but few
people had a chance to reach a point
of vantage. On the Gill meadows a
little group sighted him coming in the
distance and sent up cheer. From
above he saw them as black specks,
and was thus guided to his landing
place. Coming down gracefully, his
machine struck a grassy knoll, trun-
died along for thirty or forty feet, then
came to & STOP
The special train meanwhile brought
his wife. who rushed from her car,
climbed valiantly over the hills from
the railroad track and hurried to her
antly while the crowd cheered again.
The Final Dash to New York.
With tanks refilled and every wire
and screw tested. Curtiss took his seat
for the final dash to New York. The
biplane ran along the meadows for
about 400 feet, then shot from the
ground with its nose pointed toward
the river. In moment more the craft
was again over the Hudson, and Cur
tiss turned south and was soon lost to
view. Exactly one hour had been CON
sumed at Poughkeepsie, for he arrived
at S.26 and departed at 9.26.
Sensational Incident.
He passed the United States military
academy at West Point at 1902. Off
GERS and cadets alike looked upward
and sent up a cheer after Curtiss. but
there was no salute Of guns. At Storm
the trip occurred. He was flying high
at this point-a thousand feet he esti-
mates-wf1en a shifty wind caused the
to drop and tilt. Never once
pa ssing in turn Peekski1l, Ossining and
Dobbs Ferry. Yonkers was reached at
1870, and he was flying about level
with the Palisades 800 to 400 feet up.
Here he got his first glimpse of the
tower. 1t doomed far
knew that he was nearing the upper
limits of New York city.
Watched by Thousands in Upper New
York
Out of the haze that lay IN the bend
of the river at Yonkers he shot into
the view of the thousands who were
awaiting his coming along the upper
roofs of the big apartment houses on
Heights, New York city.
A mere speck at first, the little areo-
plane looked not unlike a gull floating
q
gale The motor was chugging sturd-
ly and sending the craft along toward
It's goal al a fifty miles an hour clip.
Rounding the big Jutting nose of AL
onkers, Curtiss drove his machine
across the river toward the east side
IF the stream and closely hugged the
New York shore The crowds along the
shore cheered and waved hats and
landkerchiefs, and the sharp shrill
screeches of the whistles of the small
pleasure boats Joined with the more
sonorous ones of the larger craft in
giving hearty if fnharmonious well
.ome-
On passing Riverda1e. flying straight
Is an arrow and as swiftly, came the
ieropfane. It was abreast Of New York
,fty and only few miles from the up
Der end of Manhattan Island. Barring
SOME unlocked for accident, it seemed
certain now that Curtiss would win the
$4,000 prize.
Spectators Wrere NonpIussed.
Suddenly when Curtiss had reached
point midway between Spuyten Duy-
I'll creek and Washington Point, the
IDLY and the machine dropped until it
seemed that it would almost touch. the
water. Then it came about prettiIy,
pointing upward, and headed up the |
liver. The spectators were nonpluse-
I'd. Many of them believed that the
machinery had gone wrong and that
Surtiss had lost his race.
Landed at Upper End of Manhattan.
But Curtiss, had they known, was as
,oo1 and collected as he had been at
my stage of his flight, and he waved |
lis hand assuringly. While passing
spuyten Duyvtl he had seen half a |
nile inland a broad expanse of green
ward, the upper end of Manhattan Is
and. To win the prize it was neces- |
'ary only to land in Manhattan prop |
r. and here was the chance without |
isk of further flight to Governors Is |
and or the Battery. some thirteen |
niles away.
Therefore when he again came |
breast OF the mouth of the creek. |
Lfter his puzzling turn backward. he |
hrew his steering wheel about sharp |
Y, gliaded above railroad drawbrfdge |
md foated lazily inland with the pro- i
,eIler barely turning. He manoeuvred |
bit carefully. then alighted without |
nishap on the stretch of green which |