The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1910-06-02
CURTISS EXCELS
PAULHAN' FLIGHT
FLIES FROM ALBANY TO NEW YORK
AND WINS THE WORLD PRIZE
OF $4,000.
DISTANCES SPECIAL TRAIN.
Follows Winding Course of Hudson
River, Landing Majestically on
Governors Island

NEW YORK, May 3O-Glen II. Cur
tiss won prize of $4,000 in two hours
and thirty-two minutes Sunday, when he
flew from Albany to New York in an
aeroplane. He made an average speed
Of "a O6 miles an hour for the 1871 miles,
the distance between the two cities, sur
passing any record ever made by an aero
plane in long-distance flight. In its en-
trety Curtiss' feat doubtless ecllpses
anything ever attempted by man in a
heayier-than-air machine. The prize was
offered by the New York World
Curtiss started from Albany ut $50
! o'clock in the morning, under weather
conditions that could not have been bet
ter had they been made to order, one
| hour and twenty-three minutes after he
| had asCended he came to earth near
! Poughkeepsie, where he remained Tor an
| hour.
Excels Paulhan Flight.
Rcsuming his fight at 9:2G, he sped
southwark and landed within the bound
airy of Manhattan island ut 1880. Only
! 100 yards north of the point on which ms
craft settled stretched Spuyten Duyvll
creek, separating Manhattan island from
the mainland. Had he failed TO cross
this his fight would have been III vain
but as he sped over it the prize was ms
] ;
| but a whim of triumph, and the cohciud'
| ing lap of a race already won.
paulhans flight from London to Man
! chcSter-lS6 miles-eXceedeN the tuStlss
feat in distance, but not III speed ana
danger. The Frenchman's average was
AS miles an hour, and below INN lay
English meadowland
Follows Winding Hudson.
Curtiss followed the winding course OF
! the historic Hudson, with Jutung heau'
! and. wooded slopes and treacherous pair
sadeS He swung high over the great
bridge at Poughkeepsie, dipped at times
within fifty feet of the rivers broad sur
! face. and jockeyed like a falcon at the
turns.
Only once did his craft show signs OF
rebellion. This was off Storm King. neal
! West Point. where. at a height or nearly
| 1000 feet treacherouS gust struck ms
/ planes. The machine dropped like IA
| rock for forty feet and tilted perilous'y.
/ But Curtiss, always cool, kept hoth MS
| head and his seat and by adrolt mampu-
| latinn Of his levers brought renewed
! equilibrium to his steed.
Rises Like a Rocket.
| In starting Curtiss arose from the
| ground like Il rocket There We're no pre-
| lminary maneuveringS - there was no
| trial flight The aeroplanc ran hurrledly
over the surface of the island and darted
| straight for its goal 10 the southwark,
turning once for a moment to the west
ward so that Curtiss might comply with
| the terms of the competition, over the
| level runway the aerOplane hustled on
wheels like a partridge running TO get its
wings, and like the beating wings of
partridge was the roar of exhaust from
the pulsatng engine. With little lift
she had taken the air, and the daring eft
fort to win the much-coyeted prize was
on in earnest
With the signal that CurtisS was off,
n special train, five cars and locomo-
tive cumbersome now by comparison,
gathered impetus and sought to follow.
| But 50 quickly had he nown that for
tWcnty-one miles southwark the lOcOmo'
tive, running nearly mile To the min
ute, was soon lost.
The crowds along the shore chccred
and waved hats and handkerchiefS, and
the sharp, ShriIl scrceches of the whistles
Of the small pleasure boats joined with
the more SOuOrOuS ones of the larger
craft in giving u hearty if inharmonlous
welcome.
ON past Riverdalc. flying straight ms
an arrow and as swiftly, came the aero
plane It was abreast New York city,
and only few miles from the upper end
of Manhattan.
Curtiss Assures Crowd.
Barring some unlooked-for accident it
seemed now that Curtlss must win the
TiI''u" Ky int ,'i., ,',S
~" n,t,.,,l .',.,i 5,,h;,,i' eanro+
TIuS zen l'"i ~ IN r N"n'''i S'l,"I" ''S
n VA in,' d i inIi ,ug 'TI3u7" va
speed of the b.plaue slackencd perCepti-
bly, and the machine dropped untll it
seemed that 1t would almost touch the
water. Then it came about prettily,
pointing upward and headed up the river.
The spectators were uonpuSScd. Many
Of them believed that the machinery had
gone wrong and that Curtiss had lost
his race But Curtiss. had they known.
was as cool and collected as he had been
at any stage of his flight. and he waved
his hand aSsur.ngIv.
While passing Spuyten Duyyil he had
seen, half a mile inland. broad expanse
of grccnSwarl, the upper end of Man
haitian Island 10 win the prize 1t was
necessary only to land IN Manhattan
proper. and here was the chance without
risk of further flight TO Governors Is
land or the Battery. some thirteen miles
uyyav
Thrrrrnro when opnin he came abreast
Of lie moutl, Of thn creek after his uuz-
2ling turn backward. Curtiss threw his
steering wheel ubout sharply. glidpd
uLuyn y railroad drayhrirle and Gooted
Io2ilv iuInrI viii, tho nronelIor hyrnIv
turning lie ruamaueyer n hit carefully.
tI,nn nIitsLtrI v-itInut mishun ON tLn
,tratcI, ~ ,,roo,, Witch Ind r,uCht lis
ryp Hn LoI rnv.r from Albany ia Man
haitian i'm tvn hours and thirty.tvn min
MOS nrI tho S1uunn ,rac his
-,
IldlmS award by InOne.
.Iumuinr lightly from his machine the