New-York tribune., 1910-08-20
TWO FLY IN MOONLIGHT
Friendly Rivalry of Aviators
Cause of Double Stunt.
NEW MACHINE PROVES FAST
Hoxsey Fails to Break Record IN
Altitude, Ascending Only
3,458 Feet.
fBv Telegraph to The Tribune

Asbury Park. Aug. ia friendly RI
valry exists between Archie Hoxsey and
Ralph Johnstone, two of the Youngest OF
the Wright brothers aviators but john
stone put one over on Hoxsey, who had
arranged to engage in a moonlight h1She
at 10 o'clock tonight for the beneht or
his newspaper friends
Johnstone heard of Hoxseys plans, bor-
rowed a motor cycle from an acquaintance
and hurried to the aviation field
Hastily pulling the new Wright machine
from the hangar, he made a spectacular
flight lasting seven minutes, to the delight
Of a handful of spectators. Johnstone
reached an altitude of three hundred reet
and descended without accident
At 1920 o'clock Hoxsey reached the
aviation field. prepared to execute aerlaI
stunts for the scribes. He was not IN
formed of his rivals stunt. but had the
attendants wheel the biplane to the centre
of the field He made graceful ascent
rose five hundred feet in the air and at
that altitude made several daredevil turns
cut the figure eight" and coasted down
when two hundred feet in the air
By this time several hundred people
were on the field He was up six minutes
The newspaper men conplimented him,
and then told him tombstone had out
witted him.
Hoxsey Was PhiIosophio.
Hoxsey treated himself TO a fresh piece
of chewing gum and remarked: Beat me,
did he? Why. I cut figure eishts. but ne
merely few about the field
The moon was full while the avtators
engaged in their daring fights, said to be
he 81 Ri In
A f1fty-minute altitude flight by Archie"
Hoxsey. one of the Wright aviators, was
the star feature of the meet this afternoon
Hoxsey gave pretty exhibition and COW
cred thirty miles while aloft. The bara-
graphs on the aeroplane showed that he
reached an altitude of 3,450 feet, which is
1882 feet shy Of the new record made by
J. Armstrong Drexel.
The altitude computation was made by
two Monmouth County surveyors, stationed
with their instruments at the Deal Beach
lifesaving station. who were in charge Of
Henry 5. Neely, an official representative
of the national council of the Aero Clubs
Hoxsey made his start from the field at
4:50 o'clock. and it was $40 p. m. when he
landed, chilled to the bone, and heard the
applause of the five thousand spectators.
In climbing he made wide circles, and at
one time his machine was over Long
Branch
Sviators Saving Themselves.
It was an ideal day for flying and for
record breaking. but despite the announce
ments Of the Asbury Park Aero Club Off
cials that attempts will be made at this
meet to smash the altitude and endurance
records, Hoxsey and the other Wright avla-
tors here say they are reserving their ma
chimes and themselves for the Boston avia-
ton meet, where the breaking of records
will put some gold in their pockets
The new Wright machine, which has no
front elevating planes, was tested to-day
by Frank Coffyn, who made a trial trip for
the benefit of the newspaper men and club
officials. 1t was a bit slow in getting off
the ground on its initial trip. but once in
the air showed great speed and proved
much faster machine than the others
used at this meet.
This afternoon Walter Brookins tried the
new machine for five minutes at an alt1-
tude of three hundred feet and while
aIoft executed some remarkably abrupt
turns and dips,
Third Successful Test.
Just before dusk the same machine Eade
another flight for five minutes, with Brook
ins manipulating the levers and Frank
Coffyn in the second seat as a passenger.
At an altitude of about two hundred feet
Brookins shut off the engines and coasted
down as gracefully as a bird to the CEN
tre of the field where he made a clever
landing.
Ralph Johnstone, who smashed his BIZ
plane yesterday while making a difficult
landing, made another flight to-day. He
was in the air at an altitude of four hun
dred feet and thrilled the spectators be-
lew with his skill in dipping. making
abrupt turns and climbing.