The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-06-13

Il mr. into the hay. over the preseryer
~ wore an oil soaked. mud bedragEeo
Ill skin coat His legs were encased
IL d pair OF riding putties. He wore
no hat and hie shock Of red mar iairV
RItsteued In the Sunshine.
There was no preliminary tussins
4 b<fcre the start Hamilton mercy
stafteS ~ propeller to wh'riing al
sees, only FIVE minutes after the Tune
scheduled for the start.
.wesve got II down 10 a NDe point
x,srn We can arrange our program
wreck In advance he said TO Curuss
md the famous inventor agreed
hamilton allowed his engine O.
for several minutes. then he took his
plaee in the drivers seat and called
sgnt,r ga" The flyer sped along for
100 wards It's wheels cutting deep into
tho mof; wet sand, Just as he turned
his iuriining planes upward Tor the
flight. the machine passed over a long
branch Of tree buried IN the shnn'
Ths wood flew W and struck the ny
fnr propeller. breaking q large emp
from one blade, Hamilton evidently
aid not notice the mishap, but spec
tafor. EpranE in front o. the machine
ard waved him down. The aviator
shat eff his pbwer and fiuttered 10 the
ground.
New Propeller.
Hamilton hprriediy examined the
broken blade and called Curtiss. In
twinkiins "a mechanic was speeding
across the sand TO the tent,
"oh. hell was Hamilton's only aud
ihle comment as, he began unscFewng
the broken propeller with the assist
arce OF Curiiss, They had II removed
bs the time tho mechanic returned
With another propeller. 1t was won
j, derfuiiy contriyed blade. OF ten pieces
/. OF wood. spiendidly glued together.
TIE same propeller that had driven
Curtiss' machine when he new rom
Albany TO New York last month
III Just 90 minutes after the aeel-
dent The new blade was In place.
Hamilton spent the time smoking
cigarette and laughing with curtiss.
Promptly nj 7SZ the engine WIS
hnmrBing again. while willing hands
held the machine. Hamilton took his
seat and bent his ear toward the en-
CINE to catch any possible miss in the
cylinder. Everything worked perfect
In and at 73s he called out 'Let'r go
again Like fash the little machine
aged across the sand for half MIN
Z ute and then at 1885 it took TO the
air. Hamilton assembled about 300 feet
ard dashed out toward the bay, pass
ing over the sea wall and turned
south, returning over the hutternilk
aniel and back over the heads of the
spectators, climbing higher all the
time.
At ..3s he headed over the sea wall
again. waving his hand to s~"ose gath
cred below on the island,
The trip to Philadelphia was begun.
From hundreds Of craft in the river
there doomed u salute OF sirens, A
big tramp freighter heading up the
hay, seemed to go out of It's course IN
ire heimsman dropped his steering
wheel TO gaze at the man bird, High
over the big vessel he sped When
he reached q line with the statu of
liberty, Hamilton headed further %
the Southwest and over the Kill Van
kali. which separates Staten Island
from the Jersey shore Curtiss esti-
mated his speed AZ 3s miles an hour,
Dewn the XIII gon kull, The machine
fed gliding smoothly
At Eiizabethport, Hamilton turned
inland and passed over the town in the
direction OF South Elizabeth,
Near the latter town the special
train of the New York Times and the
Philadelphia Ledger. under whose aus
pieces Hamilton made the fight was
IN waiting.
I As Hamiltan came in sight the en-
gineer opened his throttle and the spe-
eial train dashed away on fits no-stop
rim to Philadelphia with Hamilton 500
feet In the air and going at a terrific
rate Of speed directly over II.
Delivers Letter.
Drawing packet from an. inside
pocket he gave the governor a let :
Ter from Governor Hughes. OF New
York. He also carried greetings 10
the Public Ledger from the New York
Times. under whose auspices the fight
Was made.
After big Gordon Of police had
a
ilton was hurried into an automobile
and rushed TO the Bellevue stratford
where luncheon was served
The frst view of the aeropinne
which th6 pFpMf5 had wsE x.hep.-lt va
above Frankford Junction. From the
field II looked like black spcck in
the sky. II seemed 10 be auiverlns
In the air, swooping upward and
+ downwards al dips Of thirty and fifty
feet When Hamilton reached the
landing place he was ia an altitude o.
about 500 feet. Apparently making
observations for landing. ne suddenly
swerved from his course and begar
70 circle the field, With each circui
he lowered the aeropiane many feet.
Makes Landing.
He thrice circled the field. and
then suddenly the bird machine dart
"a toward the ground with great We
iocity- Hamilton skipped across the
soft part OF the field and landed on
3rn1+ hard ground. Two minutes
after the descent. the special train
aboard which were his wife. mother
and those who had been passengers
IN the train which acted as n path
finder for him. pulled in along the
tracks. Hamilton's wife and aged
mother waved and shouted to him
from the observation platform, but
ne was so henmed in that IL was Inn
possible for him 10 gee them.