Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-10-14
FROM WASHINGTON.
Correspondent ce of Alexandria Gazette

That Rev. Norman Plass, president
of the Redemable Investment Co.,
whose Offices in Boston were raided by
federal officials OH charge Of using the
mails to defraud, is the friend OF many
men high in official life in this city and
is a personal acquaintance OF Secretary
OF the Interior Ballinger was learned
here today. Whether the endorsement
carried by Plass and alleged to have
been given him by Secretary Ballinger
is genuine gould not he definitely
ascertained as it was stated that 1t was
probable that Plass could have secured
Ballinger's Individual endorsement.
Ballinger himself is not expected in
Washington until tonight. Senator
Curtis. of Kansas. whose endorsement
Plass was also reported to have held, IS
at present in Kansas.
In sharp contrast with the careful
flights two years ago, when the Wrlghts
first demonstrated that aeroplanes
would ascend, the daring, fearless feats
OF Grahame- White, the English aviator,
TODAY showed the maryelously rapid
advance that has been made In AVA
ton. The Washington public had seen
no aeroplane flights since the Wright
demonstrations and the crowd, assum-
ing that it had seen all there was to see,
went rather superciliously to the aero
meet But when Grahame-Whlte shot
into the air in his monoplane and began
describing circles and darting around
like a chimney-swallOw, the Washing
ton crowd couldn't believe its eyes.
The Englishman liked the excitement
he caused and, swooping gracefully to
earth. he jumped from his seat, ran
across the field, sprang into the seat of
waiting bi-plane and was up again in
couple Of minutes. 1t was in the
safer bi-plane that he did his real
rough-riding, frightening horses and
humans alike. He took special pleas
ure in darting at an auto party, de-
scending swiftly toward it until with
in fifty feet of the car and then
shooting back into the air.
When Washington recalled the eau
tious flying OF the Wrights at Fort
Myer, the first real flying ever done in
public, and compared it with the seem
ingly reckless air-riding Of Grahame-
White, it stood aghast. We've read
about this Bodybuilding but we didn't
believe it, gasped the sedate Washing
ton crowd, out OF breath from cheering.
The government stopped work today
shortly after eleven O'Clock, in'order
that all employees might witness dar-
ing flight made by Claude Grahame-
White over the national capital. He
scared around the Capitol dome and
directed his course toward the Wash
ington monument. He started the
flight, without previous announcement,
sailing away from Benning, where
only few person watched him ascend.
Grahamc-W made the flight in hiS
Farman bi-plane. He followed the
mall west from the Capitol, reaching a
height Of about one thousand feet and
sailing directly over the monument. He
then described a great circle over the
business center OF the city and could
have dropped bombs upon the trea-
sury, the White House and the state,
war and navy building. In according
with word sent to the War Department,
he made landing in Executive avenue,
living directly between the White House
and the state, war and navy building.
II was estimated that he was about eight
hundred feet high, when he clrcled
back over the Potomac, set the ma
chine in direct line for the narrow
street
Narrowly escaping death, Grahan,e-
White broke the left wing of his BIZ
plane in an effort to descend from his
FIRST exhibition flight at Bennings race
course this afternoon. Before he had
completed a circuit Of the track, he
suddenly began 20 descend from a
height of 300 feet and the machine
seemed to be under control until within
fifty feet of the ground, when it keeled
over. The left wing struck the ground
with a crash. The wing was entirely
wrecked. Grahame-White was Jared
with the sudden drop, but escaped UNI
injured.
It's by no means considered certain
that Secretary Of State Knox will refuse
to extradite Porte Charlton to Italy for
trial upon thr charge Of numbering his
wife. The State Department is silent on
on the case and it was declared this
afternoon that no statement of any
kind would be given out until Knox
reaches decision.
1t was said unoilicially that there
was no justification for the report that
Knox will follow the example OF Italy
ahd refuse to surrender the prisoner.
1t was pointed out that the United
States has constantly contended that
Italy was wrong in refused to surrender
The prisoners. There is question
whether this government could follow a
course, which it has condemned, merely
because the other party in the case had
lone so.
An analysis of the financial affairs OF
he New York Central railroad was
given by the President. w. c. Brown,
before the Interstate Commerce Com
mission today, at the hearing on in
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