New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-07-03
SHOWS EN-
Thousands Turn Out at New
Britain to See Him Fly.
SLICK AS CREASE THEY SAY
Had Trouble with His Motor,
but Took Unusual Risks to
Make Good.
TBv Telegraph 70 The Tribune

| m6kS 0OoOs
! by Telegraph to The Tribunal
New Britain Conn. July 2.-Charles K
Hamilton whipped a school teacher in New
Britain, his birthplace, g. few years ago
It has ranked in the minds of many OF
his townspeopIe ever since. although there
are those who say the man met justice.
| To-day he overcane a villanously inclined
motor in his aeroplane, while fifty thou
sand spectators sweltered, but stayed six
/ hours TO see the heroic qualities of the
aviator resulting in the whole-hearted ap-
/ probation OF those fifty thousand when he
! finally brought dismal failure to success
| His feat to-day will be recalled with zest
! long after the name of the school teacher
fails of recognition.
Hamilton brought his machine from the
! tent at 1:59 o'clock. He had promised TO
| appear at 2 There was no applause The
machine was pushed to the north end of
| the field before twenty thousand persons
and there was not hand clap. 1t was ex-
planned that New Britain people were con-
sentative.
| Once Charles Hamilton had had an un-
| pleasant association with a New Britain
| patrolman. it was recalled. He was much
younger then and the episode had been
officially wiped off the blotter. it was said.
but New Britainites cannot easily condone
such things
1t was remarked that Hamiltons revenge |
might lie in his realization that to-day
he had two hundred patrolmen working for
him at his home town on Hamilton day.
Polite Interest at First.
When the propelIers caught the dresses
and straw hats of the half converted. there
was a polite interest manifested by all in
what might follow
At 2 o'clock Hamilton was in the air, and
several elderly men. carried out of them
selves, Clapped their hands, as babies do
who are learning But after scraping a few
trees the machine aighted in a valley to
the east Hamilton had been up minute
and a half. Something had gone WRONG
with the engine. Then followed hours that
tried the mettle of the popUIace Of this
| town. They were hours that tried Hamil-
ton, that made Mrs. Hamilton cry, his
mother sorrowfuI and the aviator's real
friends shudder at the thought Of the posi-
! bility OF a killing frost on sultry day.
Hamilton made four flights before the
day was over, total of 251z minutes, in
! Guiding a soar over the main street Of New
| Britain and back again to Walnut Hill
But from 2:Z71z o'clock until $40 o'clock.
almost three hours. no one, including the
! interchangeable aviator, knew whether an
| other fight would be possible. 1t was the
kind Of situation that makes hearts burn.
Not Convinced as Yet.
| Hamilton left town as a boy who smoked
cigarettes, played pool. had no steady Job
and evidently wouldn't come TO much good,
according to the opinion of the best people
Then he became famous, could make more
money in twenty minutes than others could
in a year, and his home folk found it hard
! to figure out why.
He had been induced to come home and
| demonstrate the reason underlying his
financial and artistic success The crowds
had come from miles around Miiuamen
and large delegations with brass bands
dotted the meadow. The opportunity 10
prove himself not overrated by the outside
world was his, with trimmings.
Governor Frank 3. Weeks and staff were
waiting in frock coats and silk hats The
day was hot, but the conditions were ideal
for flying for any man who could fly And
Hamilton was down on his knees in Shuttle
Meadow Valley trying TO soothe frac-
tious motor. his heart longing to make
good at home"
Crowd Patient, Too.
People swarmed over hill and dale, all
country roads were TANNED with vehicles |
The crowds were patient, not seeking en-
couragement, not counting doubt They
were dispiriting to see. but their attitude
was. after all. erninentIy proper. They had
come to see some flying in a flying ma |
chine, and they had only seen man go
| hs,
down, how could they know whether ne
was really intending to fly some more or
not?
It was a sad, depressing scene Boys
stopped trying to sell Hamilton photo
graphs. Except that there was no one TO
play the feature part, II would have been
6 good funeral In the mean time Harnil-
ton was working. After two hours he
said: IT will fly over these people to-
night If I never fly again His friends |
chirked up and sat down in the shade |
They remembered Philadelphia and Perth |
Amboy
At $40 o'clock Hamilton cIrcled the val
ley three times and came down on the
side of the hill at the end Of five minutes.
The machine was hauled to the top Of 10
h. where twenty thousand persons waited.
At els Hamilton was up again, this time
with something OF his oldtime nerve. dip
ping and rising TO q height of 100 feet
a genuine shout went up to him thta con-
tinued throughout the ten minutes that he
few over the aeroplane hungry crowd.
Again at 7:02 Hamilton, tired. hot and
disappointed. gave the townsfolk a chance
to see him as others have seen him In
beautiful circles he few over the course
for five minutes, while the spectators went
wild. He then disappeared for four min
utes- When he came down he said he had /
flown over Main street. His reception |
wiped out the escapades of his boyhood and |
Hamilton owns New Britain tonight His
feat of flying when only six or seven out OF
eight cylinders were working is considered |
a splendid demonstration of bravery and |
skill
Il took unusual risks, yes" said Harail- |
ton, but fellow doesn't want TO fall TO /
make good in his home town To-day has |
been harder on me than the round trip to |
Philadelphia My trouble was with my |
gasoIene tank"
He's as slick as grease" Is the way they |
now speak of Hamilton up here