Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1910-06-03
Flies Like a Bird

New Ork, May AUs-Oicuii L.
Curtiss flew from Albany to New
York City in an aeroplane to-day,
winning the $4,000 prize offered
by the New York World. He
covered the distance of 1877 miles
in two hours and thirty-two minutes
and came to earth as calmy and as
lightly as a pigeon. His average
speed for the distance 54.O6 miles
an hour-s urpasses any record ever
made by an aeroplane in long dis
lance flight.
The start was made from Albany
at 1903 o'clock this morning, under
weather conditions as near perfect
as the most fastidious aviator could
demand. One hour and twenty
three minutes later, he had made
his stopping place Poughkeepsie
where there was an hours inter-
mission.
Resuming his flight at 9:26, he
sped southwark and landed within
the boundry of Manhattan Island,
at 1875. Paulhan's flight from
London to Manchester 1856 miles
exceeded the Curtiss feat of to-
day in distance, but not in speed
and danger. The Frenchman's
average was 44.3 miles an hour,
and below him lay English meadow
land. Curtis followed the winding
coure of the historic Hudson, with
jutting headland, wooded slopes
and treacherous palisades. He
swung high over the great bridge at
Poughkeepsie, dipped at times
within fifty feet of the rivers broad
surface, and jockeyed like q falcon
at the turns.
Only once did his craft show signs
of rebelling. This was off Stolm
King, near West Point, where at a
height of nearly 1 900 feet, treach-
erous gust struck his planes.
The machine dropped like a roc K
for forty feet and tilted perilously,
but Curtiss, always cool, kept both
his head and his seat, and by adriot
manipulation Of his, levers, brought
renewed equilibrium to his steed.
Curtiss was up before dawn and
went with his mechanic and a hand
full of spectators to Van Rensselaer,
Island, sn the Hudson, three miles
south of Albany, from where he was
to make the start. Waiting at the
river brink was a special New York
Central train for Mrs. Curtiss and
her party, who'had not accompanied
the aviator to the island. From the
train they could not see the actual
start, but those on the island wit:
messed remarkable scene.
Curtiss arose from the ground
like rocket. There were no pre-.
|Iiminary manoeuvrings-there was
no trial flight. The aeroplane rar
hurriedly over the surface Of th'
island, and darted straight for Its
goal to the southwark, turning only
for o moment to the westward Sc
that Curtiss might comply with tn.
terms of the competition under Whlcl
he was flying and technically eros
the Albany city line.
Straight up scared the aeroplan'
to height of about 700 feet. IL
three minutes it was minute specl
in the distance, In seven minute
lit had vanished from sight. Tn
) whole performance was oyer in
twinkling.
With the signal that Curtiss wa
off the special train, five cars an
! a locomotive, cumbersome now b.
t comparison, gathered impetus an
. sought to follow. But so quick,
had Curtiss flown that for twenty
one miles southwark the loeomotiv
! though running nearly a mile t
t the minute, remained a laggatd.
At 1926, however. the trim cam
3 abreast of the aeroplane, and theme
to New York City those on boar
S kept the aviator in sight.
e-~----