Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-06-14

iltOn arose from Governors island in
an aeroplane this morning and after
speeding without a break SS miles to
Philadelphia, he rested a while and
then made the return trip to Governors
island. although interrupted for near
ly six hours by bothersome motor.
Tl.iS remarkable croSs-cOuntry night
Of more than LIS miles was made under
the auspices of the New York Times
and the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
Hamilton made the trip to Philadelphia
in | hour and IL minutes, leaving Gov
ernCr'S island at 7.35 and landing at
Philadelphia at 9.26.
Alightng at Aviation field. he deliv-
cred letters from Governor Hughes and
Mayor Gaynor to Governor Stuart and
Mayor Rcyburn, accepted messages Of
congratulation from them to bear IL
return and started for New York again
with only brief intermissiOn for food,
fuel and oil He had flown approx
matclv 20 miles of his return journey,
when a sluggish motor drove him to
descend in a swamp near South AM
boy. n. j., at 12.55 p. NJ. The propcl-
Ter was broken there III landing. Dut
after repairs had been made, Hamilton
resumed his flight at $40 and landed at
Governors island at $50. Thus the re-
turn trip was made in ! hour ana ."
minutes, at an estimated average speed
of 1896 miles an hour. which breaks
the record made by CurtisS' flight from
Albany to New York.
That Hamilton did not make the re-
turn trip as easily as the outgoing trlp
was due only to his neglect I" clean
his spark plugs: they fouled. the engine
baked. ana he had to come down.
Curtiss still holds the official record
for speed, but Hamilton today took az
American records for crosS-couhtrE
distance and duration, and using ms
own figures for the return Journey ms
average speed per mile. eStapiisheu
new figure The accident to the propel-
Ter in the New Jersey swamp was tl'P
second mishap of the kind during 'le
day. but tele phone to Governor Is
lana brought 4 rev one by automopll''
with q new set Of spark plugs ana tnr
aviator was able to finish within the
10 hours. although "A hours was allow
.l in the terms of his contract
p,r;no tine whole of his first lap he
never varied more than two minutes from
handkerchief laid to mark his landing
SPOT with the precision OF hoiiiiiS
pigeon settling on its perch
1t is an interesting coincidence that
Hamilton won his honors today with the
same bi-plane that won the interna'ioiis'
speed trophy for Glenn II. tnftlSs az
Rheims last year, and that ne was drlNeh
bv the same propeller with which CurtiSs
recently made his historic night from
Albany to New York.
Hamilton overcame obstacles Of eeoGra-
phv and setbacks of luck that no other
aviator has ever conquered. CurtisS ear
ried pOntoons Hamilton flew y miles
over the salt water with no protection
but three inner tubes of bicycle tires
wrapped ariund his waist. lie took
chances on roof tops, bridges and moving
trains that have never been thought of
before, let alone attempted. With miss
ing engine and twice compelled to substi-
tute propellers. he still kept going, and
tonight his resolution brought its own
reward
The weather was ideal for flight, The
dawn broke translucent and pearly grey
with Just enough moisture in the air to
give the propellers a good thrust
At 7.12 Hamilton attempted to rise and
after a brief run over the sands of Gov
ernors island abruptly halted. What had
happened was this:
The sands were soft from the rains and
the bi-plane in running on narrow tires
sank deep. In sinking one of the wheels
picked up the end of a hidden stick
which came into violent collision with the
whirlng propeller. A long splinter four
inches wide was torn out of one of the
blades and the aviator had to shut off
his engine Then followed the necessary
delay in fitting the propeller used by Cur
tss in his flight from Albany to New
York. Fortunately the Curtiss machine
was still on the island where it had
landed
At !.35 Hamilton was off again. this
time without mishap. One minute and
hait later the word of his start had
flashed over the telephone wires to the
pennsylvania terminal in Jersey City
ara the special train carrying his
mother. MS wife and his mechanician
was after him. Hamilton's route to
EllZab@th, where it was hoped the train
would meet him. law for 16 miles over
the waters of the lower harbor and
the Kill Won Kull hebind Staten is
land
Whom at Railway, 1914 miles out by
rail- the engineer glimpsed something
in shape like a huge dragon lly, far
ahead of him and far above him. He
put on more speed and the sense of
pursuit seemed to communicate itself
to Hamilton's wife and mother Mrs.