New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-30

il.
from Albany to Governors Island yes
terday morning. Before congregations
in churches were dismissed he had won
the $4,000 prize offered by THE New
York World" Before New Workers sat
down to their MONDAY meal the money
was in his pocket.
The distance between Albany and New
York by rail is f43 miles. Augustus
Post, official timer of the Aero Club Of
America, estimated that Mr.. Curtiss flew
80 miles.
Two stops we're made from Albany TO
Governors Island. The first, five miles
south of Poughkeepsie, after flight OF
seventy-five miles, which was flown IN
one hour and twenty-three minutes
The second, at 2O7th street and Hudson
River. sixty-two miles from Poughkeep-
sic, in one hour and nine minutes
He then had won the prize. but he
continued to Governors Island, where
he arrived at 12:04 p. m, making the
last aerial lap in his trip, the wonder
and beauty of which will travel around
the world. in just twenty-five minutes
Mr.. Post figured that the aviator was
in the air two hours and thirty-two min
utes while flying from Albany to his
first stop in Manhattan, and two hours
and fifty-four minutes until he embraced
Mrs. Curtis on Governors Island
If these figures are accepted by the
Aero Club the average speed of Mr. Cur
tiss for the Appropriated 100 miles VIII
be officially registered at ffty-one and
two-thiris miles an hour
Two More Big Records
This will mean that the winner of the
speed record at. Rheims. France, last
year has added two splendid trophies 10
his list-namely, the distance record for
| 'cross-country fight in America and the
speed record of the world for flying OF
| that character.
| He bowed to the waving of handker-
chiefs at his tuning grounds, Van Renn-
selaer Island, at 7:O2 a. m, and one min
ute later Albany was left behind In
| Guiding stops the time from start TO
| finish was five hours and two minutes
| Curtiss was UP before dawn, hesltant
despite favorable weather conditions
With his mechanic and a group OF sleepy
spectators he went to Van Rensselaer,,
| on the Hudson, where his aerial steed
was tented Waiting at the river brink
was a special New York Central train
for Mrs Curtiss and her party.
IL was aeroplaning weather. The
vague dawn breathed "the faint tender
ness of summer airs Those in the train
could not see the actual start, but those
on. the island did, and never will they
| forget it. Curtiss arose from the ground
at pulsating bound.
There was no trial flight: no disap-
pointing retrograde manifestations on
the part of any of the delicate machin-
cry: no hesitation or looking backward
by the slight, determined driver of the
worlds fastest flyer. The aeroplane
darted straight for it's southern goal
after turning only sixty seconds TO the
westward TO permit Curtiss to comply
with the terms of the competition and
technically cross the Albany city line
AeropIane Up 700 Feet.
The spectacle was dramatic. Straight
I'D SCARED the aeroplane to perhaps five
hundred feet, which it seemed only for a
moment to hold until intoxicated with
the excitement of high life, II strove for
an even greater altitude and succeeded
Seven hundred feet high was Curtiss
NOW something he had never before at
tempted in his life The man became
blended with the machine. Then ma
chine and man dvindled to the proper
tions of boys kite. The drumming OF
the motor sounded like the belligerent
hunnning of an angry wasp In three
minutes there las only speck in the
distance. The razor shaped champion
had invaded a host of dangers, for fame,
for the love of the thing and for 100000
.'Toot-toot," snorted the engine OF the
snecial. Beat beat" went the heart of
Mrs. Curtiss as the train gave quick
chase. Unknown imps were plucking at
her husbands sleeve. were in the wings
of his ship, at his motor-everywhere.
The sky was perfectly clear and the
little wind that was blowing came from
the north-a direction favorable to Cur
tiss-at a speed of perhaps four miles an
hour.
Curtiss Beats Special Train.
So quickly did Curtiss fly that for
twentv-one miles southwark the locomo-
tive though running nearly a mile a
minute, remained behind AT I:26 the
more cumbersome engine came abreast
the aeroplane. and thence to New York
ritv those on board kept the aviator in
sight. But as he did not reck with
curves of track and reduced speed
through towns and switches the man
above maintained substantial lead.
| swiftly town and countryside reeled
nv. Catekill was passed at 7:41. with
the aeropIane a thousand feet above the
Hudson At sos he was still flying high
and veering we'll toward the west bank
| of the river The exhaust of his engine
could be plainly heard by those below
For six miles 1t drew attention to his
coming and cheers arose from shore and
boat.
] At SsDS. sixtyfhree minutes after the