The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-06

Ke'Ika. New York. May Il. 1878. CrEIiss
from hi- earliest years had speed on
thu brain n. constructed tho fastest
hand -l-sl in the villag. a. a very small
bpy next he took q IN. Ic. IN a sailbOat
on RUNNERS made nv himself: early he
b.cam" famous ~ winner Of bicycle
races, and before taking up flying ma
chimes he built motor CyCls-s. and fitting
a a. hpr-e-Dow-r motor to frame on
wheels hr mad. record Of "A mile in
- 30 sec"n'k, at Ormond. Florida.
which Mr. Posi- SAYS. still stands IA
the greatest speed ever attained 10y man
with machine.
CURTrss left the high school with
record Of ls in arithmetic aud ~ in
algebra. He hal genius for mending
and improving machines OF every Kind.
4 telegraph instrument made ont of
wooci"n spoolS. wire nails. tin and wire
was on. OF his iuvenil. achievements.
II. repaired bicycles and electric bells.
ami wired houses for electricity. He
constructed a"et vlene generators. the
first one nv using tomato cans. which he
also applr.i 10 Cr'ld. motor cycle car
buretnr- ami even TO ms. radiator OF an
early fVing machin. H.. fitted a gas
"ngin. 10 a bicycl. His first motor
cycles Were crude AFFAIRS. bur one OF them
attained a speed OF thirty miles an hour
Captain THOMAS SCOTT BALDWIN saw
one OF his light motors and ordered one
for a iIrIgiblc ha lloon CURTIss then got
Interested in flying machines Mr. Posi-
saws Of on" Of his experiments:
To 'ry ou' The power Of mo motor built for
captain BALDWIN and 20 ,es' the erncieury o, an
a-ral ~opriler. CrErIss butt wind wagon
win ono wheel N front and ;vo wh-cls amt fan
propeller behind Grea' was ~. condemnation
caused IN ne yaleY when he machine ras driven
~ IN. dusty rnNa An automobile Vas s-n, on
,h-si tn clear Inc VA b., 90 was soon l-.;
beh.7t And the sh,Cring three Nnc~I-d en-
br, o-ir o. ing machine rl'srt along -svlng a
cIo'i ~ dust behind "iIpP.ar the l-s,- from tho
trees AMI f-s S'cu.rg re Eor'-. which hardly
mor- surprised than their drivers
The iny"nt,ven-SS of Young rrRrlss
attracted the notice of Professor ALEX
ANDER GRAHAM BELL and It was n
rel letter dag when IN" scientific man
invited CrETFss - JOIN Lieutenant
THOMAS T.. SELFRTDGE. j A. II Nc
CURLY. r W. BALDWIN and himself in
forming tn" Aerial Experimental Asso-
CATION. tURT1SS was made director
Of experiments H. huiit a glider and
used u IN the Hammond,porr hills and
Red Wing. a real fiyIng machine with
a motor attached Whit. Wing and
Jun" Rug followed IN quick Succession.
In June Bug tURTTss flew ID mile and
a half on July !. IanS. winning m. Scier-
nfc i'nr-,~c1 trophy for a kilometer
flight. In m" spring 0f ia9 he was
teaChin. aviation on HemT~tcad Plain.
| rgNi Ia 60 To France and compete
for inc international aviation trophy at
Rslrls. he built b,plane IN n few DAYS
and sailed Tn" machine was never
properly assembled until he arrived
az the racing grounds. and his FIST
flights with II wcr. made in tho early
DAYS " the meeting. In fact he flew
for the great prize with little knowledge
Of hIs machine and on the spur of the
moment. and defeated the great BILE
RIOT bv only six seconds 1t was one
Of the rash'.st enterprises that an aviator
ever embarked on HIS fame now So
cire. CrRTIss returned Ia the United
States and had joyous reception at
Hammond>port, which. BY the way. -
only three miles from Rheims. NY The
flight down the Hudson from Albany
20 Governors Island in TWO hours and
a half the first really big thing done
in America VAS carefully planned. a.
was the flight of 10 miles over Lake
Erie from Cleveland 10 Cedar POINT in
view Of perhaps a million people
Mr. GLENN CCRTIss, considering the
variety Of his achievements. NAV be
called. without injury TO the reputation
Of others. the foremost American avia-
tor. and the story Of his own evolution.
beginning with passion for speed Of
motion and keeping race with the i'm
proven ent Of the fyinG machine strikes
US as one Of unusual fascination.
Th- Republican party u comm. 'oSeth-r IN
q and progressive platform Ths Is'o-sl
. y frrn Ia-'
That -. IN" party il san" and the Colo
mel - progressive. IN the " est