The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-14
HAMILTON, FEARLESS Filler
THE AVIATOR mas MAD MANY
THRILLIXg EXPERIENCES.

Regna 10 ~ WIN mn Mothers Parasoi
Frem q BaFa's nOsf a the Ags - \
-Clase Can Prem Death 90 several
oeeasiona-Feli IN lake a. seattle.
Charles K. Hamilton was born In Con-
neoticui tWsnty-nins years ago. He 10
said 70 have started on his Tying career
At the age Of by attempting fight from
the root Of a barn. using biz mOthors
best paraSol - . parachuto. He neHt
Invented . lite which carried him 100
feet In the air and nearly paralyzod HE
parents with fright In ISoa Hamilton
heard that Israel Ludlow. a young at
torney 81 New York. had built a man
carrying kite and came 20 New York
and offered TO az g. He made shout
forty aaOenaiOna from Riverside Drive
over The Hudson. the apparatus being
lowed by a tugbOaa Once the men Who
we're steering the boat became 20 In
tsrosted In Hamilton that they allowed
the tug TO collide with a ferry boat and
Hamilton took a tumble Of several feet
But Hamilton can swim like hah a. well
a. ~ like a bird. 70 a cold plunge only
added excitement 10 the situation.
A few months ago when Hamilton was
doing fancy iying In an aeroPlane over
water at seattle he lost control Of TIE
machine. which took a sOmsraault and
threw him 100 feet. Part Of a broken
pieoe Of wood vas imbedded in one o. his
legs. but he swan until he became I'M
CONSCIOUS and was rescued by q boat
Ne was taken 90 q hospital. where he
remained for several weeks.
From New York in 1909 Hamilton took
the Ludlow kite 70 OrmOnd Beach.
where he gave exhibitions with the auto
mobile races. Ludlow himssh for the
first time attempted TO 20 up in the aD-
paratus and met with an accident that
criDDled him for life.
Late in the same year Hamilton made
ascenniOns in the California Arrow. a
dirgible balloon invented by Capt.
Thomas \. baldwin. One of his most
exciting experiences was with this air
shin. He was billed for an ascension
al Patterson. n. j. Right after he had
left the ground he Lost his ballast and the
balloon shot up 20 an altitude Of 5000
/
struRRied with the valve cord which
failed 70 respond. He had found Il easy
70 get up. but how 20 get down was giving
the aeronaut considerable trouble. He
finally climbed 20 the top Of the frame
and slashsd tho Ras bag with a knife.
The rush Of gas increased the rent and
the balloon was descending at a tremen-
d0us velocity Again Mrs cool head stood
him IN hand and he climbed hack on the
frame and with his hands held the
cut parts together until the balloon how
cred over q three story building. Hamil- |
ton. who n a. nimble as an acrobat. ieapeu |
from the frame 90 the roof
According TO HamlltOns story the |
owner u the building took Odenc !
beca IRE Hamilton had scFnped on some |
fresh gravel and refused TO allow the |
aerOnaut the privilege Of coming down I
through thu skyhght Hamilton said |
he tied a rope 20 the chimney and scaled |
his way 10 the ground
In 1901 and iels Hamilton drove a Stroe- |
bel balloon aud gave exhibitions In the |
United States. Mexico and Japan He
was flying in Mexico AZ the time Antonio |
MOntez was killed In a bull ring.
Hamilton had another hairhreadth e.
cape in ipOs when ma king balloon aacen-
SION at Brighton Beach He was CTtlis- i
ing about 90 feet above the water when l
the guide rope caught IN the propeller 4
and caused u TO snap Hardly had the /
accident occurred when a squan struck
the craft and carried 70 almost three miller
out 10 sea, where 4 came down After
he had hattled with the wind and water
for about twenty-five minutes and vas
exhausted he was taken from on the /
frame By a yacht. which reached him
before the life saving crew that had
arted for his rescue
Last November Hamilton returned 10
this country from japan, where he had
been giving dirigibls balloon flights u
was aaid that he and hts mluager had
failad 10 agree and he decided % abandon
further exhibitions there He went 20 the
Curtiss asroplans factory a. HammOnds-
port The first day hs took a seat IN q
machine he few four miles before he
stopped The next day he made a flight
Of thirty miles. In January he took a
leading part in the Los Aneeles meet and
set up q record for quick starting. leaving
the ground in as seconds after a run Of
seventy-fve feet. He also holds the
record fGr glide Of 1. 500 feet.
Hamilton's sensational flying was not
appreciated In the Past until a week or
two ago. when he took HE machine 70
the Hampstead Plain aviation held and
gave some startling exhibitions Of diving
from an altitude Of several hundred feet
20 ten or fifteen, No other aviator In the
world has ever performed such spectacular
ieats In making dives.
Hamilton says an accident 10 has engine
in midaiT IN responsible for his spectacular
glides. L was while he was trying 20
beat PaulhRn's height record in California
that his engine stopped several hundred
feet above ground and he skilfully
guided bis machine back 20 earth.
Hamiltons most notable aerOplane
fight prior 70 the one made yesterday was
ono from San Diego. Cal, in January.
when be dew a distancs Of twenty-six and
One-haf miles across the Mexican border
and hack again without stopping. Thirty
miles OF the trip was over the Pacific
Ocean. In making this fiieht Hamilton
was the frst aviator 20 cross the United
States border 20 another country.
Al Governors Island in making pre-
Urinary tests Of his biplane for his long
fight Hamilton braved a
drizzhng rain and hew In a wind estimated
from twenty 10 twenty-five miles an
hour. He Is the only aviator who flies
over wateT without.the protection OF foats.
In personal appearance Hamilton is not
. matinee idol. He u rcd headed, frockle
faNnA and aerrUsn $40 49, m. L