The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-30
CURTISS WINS 1T.

Continued from Page Ore.)
at West Point at 10:O2. Officers and
cadets alike lookward and sent a cheer
after the aviator.
At Storm King, the most sensational
incident of the trip occurred. Curtiss
was flying high at this point-a thou
sand feet he estimates-when a shifty
wind caused the machine to drop and
tilt. Never once losing control, how
ever, he continued southwark, passing
in turn Peekskill. Ossining, where
Sing Sing prison is situated, and Dobbs
Ferry. Yonkers was reached at 1920
and he was flying about level with the
Palisades, 300 or 400 feet high. Here
Curtiss got his first glimpse of the
metropolitan town. 1t doomed far
ahead like a giant needle and Curtiss
knew he was nearing the upper limits
of New York city.
Thousands Awaited Him.
Out of the haze that lay in the
bend of the river at Yonkers he shot
into the view of thousands who were
waiting his coming along the upper
reaches of Riverside Drive and on the
roofs of the big apartment houses on
Washington Heights, New York city.
A mere speck at first, the little aero
plane looked not unlike a gull floating
with rigid wings in the breast of the
gale. The motor was chugging sturd-
lily and sending the craft along to-
ward it's goal at fifty miles an hour.
Rounding the big jutting nose of
Alpine. on the Jersey shore opposite
Yonkers, Curtiss drove his machine
across the river toward the east side
of the stream and Rugged the New
York shore.
ed and waved hats and handkerchiefs
and the sharp. shrill Screeches of the
whistles of the small pleasure boats
joined with the more sonorous ones of
the larger craft in giving hearty if
inharmonious welcome.
On past Riverdale, flying straight
as an arrow and swiftly, came the
aeroplane. 1t was abreast New York
city and only a few miles from the
upper end of Manhattan island.
Barring some accident, it seemed now
that Curtiss must win the $4,000 prize,
but suddenly, when he had reached a
point midway between Spuyten Duyvil
creek (Which separates Manhattan
island from the borough of the Bronx,
and Washington point, the speed of the
biplane slackened perceptibly and the
machine dropped until it seemed that
1t would almost touch the water. Then
It came about prettily, pointing upward
and headed up the river. The spectators
were nonpluSsed. Many of them be-
lieved that the machinery had gone
wrong and that Curtiss had lost his
race. But Curtiss, had they known,
was as cool as he had been at any stage
of his flight and waved his hand as
suringly. While passing Spuyten Duy
VII he had seen half mile inland, a
broad expanse of greensward, the up
per end of Manhattan island. To win
the prize 1t was necessary only to land
In Manhattan proper and here was the
chance without risk of further flight
to Governors island or the Battery
some thirteen miles away.
The Landing.
Therefore, when again he came
abreast of the mouth of the creek after
his puzzling turn backward, Curtiss
threw his steering wheel about sharply,
glided above a railroad drawbridge ana
hoated lazily inland with the propeller
barely turning. He unanswered bit
carefully, then alighted without mis-
hap on the stretch of green which had
caught his eye. He had flown from AL
bany to Manhattan in 2 hours 80 min
utes and the $4,000 was his
Jumping lightly from his machine the
aviator inspected his motor and finding
everything intact, sought telephone
and informed the World that he had
arrived and claimed the award.
Although he had won, weather condi-
tionS were so propit1ouS and he was
feeling so gratified at success that Cur
tiss decided to give the city another
view of his machine and at 1877 he
shot away again for Governors island.
IT was during this part of his trip thai
he received the noisiest greeting. He
came QOWn CHe river at an elevation Oh
more than 300 feet, while harbor craft
shrieked their greetings. News of his
progress spread quickly throughout the
city. In the police court magistrates
heard and quickly disposed of cases,
hundreds rushed to the water front,
and roofs became black with human
ity. The greatest jam was at the Bat
terry.
Down the river and into the upper
bay he sailed as lightly and steadily a
q swallow. Nearing governors island
he began to descend while cheers
flowed up from those who watched his
approach.
He landed easily on stretch of the
new made land within forty yards of
the shed in which the areoplaneS were
housed during the Hudson Fulton cele-
bration. Dismounting without further
ado he resigned his craft to soldiers
who volunteered to push it into the
shed and he received congratulation
of Major General Howe. u S. A, COM
mander of the Department of the East.
and other officers.
Refreshments were served in Corbin
hall and Curtiss briefly related his ex-
perience. Mrs. Curtiss. who had mean
time arrived in New York on the spe-
cial train, Joined her husband as Cur
tiss was preparing to take the ferry
for New York. He kissed her while
the crowd cheered. Half an hour later
Curtiss was in the World office where
a check for $4,000 was handed to him.
The terms of the competition pre-
acribed that the fight must be the full