The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-05-30

and was soon lost TO view. Exactly
one hour had been consumed at
Poughkeepsie. For be arrived at SIZE
and departed at 1925 on the dot.
He passed the United States Military
Academy at West Point at 1902. OH
GERS and cadets alike looked upward
and sent g. cheer after Curtiss, but
there was no salute Of guns.
Yonkers was reached at 1880, and
he was flying about level with the Pal
isades. 800 TO 400 feet up. Here Cur
ttss got his first glimpse of the Metro
politan tower. Ii looked rar ahead
like q giant needle. and Curtiss knew
that he was nearing the upper limits
Of New York city.
Out of the haze that laid in the
bend of the river at Yonkers he shot
into the view of the 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 Il gull float
tng with rigid wings on the breast OF
a gale. The motor was chugging stlr-
Oily and sending the craft along to-
ward Its goal at a 50-mile- an-hour
clip.
Rounding the big Jutttng nose or
Alpine, on the Jersey shore opposite
Yonkers, Curtiss drove mis- mae hins
across the river toward the east side
OF the stream and CLOSELY Rugged
the New York shore. The crowds
along the shore cheered and waved
hats and handkerchief, and the
sharp. shrtlI screeches OF the Whis-
ties of the small pleasure boats join
ed with the more sonorous ones "
the larger craft in giving d hearty
Il lnharmonious welcome.
Straight as an Arrow.
On past Kiyerdale. fis ing straight
as an arrow and as swiftly. came the
aeroplane. 1t vas abreast New YORK
City and only q few miles from the
upper end of Manhattan Island Bar
ring some unlocked for accident, il
seemed now that Curttss must win
the $4,000 prize
Suddenly. when Curtiss had reach
ed point midway between Spuycen
Duyvil Greek (Which separates Man
haitian Island from the Borough OF
the Bronx and Washington Point,
the speed OF the bipiane slackened
perceptihiy and the machine dropped
until ii seemed that 1t would almost
touch the water, Then 1t cam. about
prettily, pointing upward and headed
up the river. The spectators were
nonplussed. Many OF them believed
that the machinery had gore wrong
and that Curtiss had lost his race.
But Curtiss. had they known, vas
as cool and collected as he had been
at any stage OF his flight and he
waved his hama assuringly. While
passing Spuyten Duyvil he had seen,
half a mile inland. bread eNpansc
of green sward, the upper end Of
Manhattan island. To win the prize
| ii was necessary only to land &. Man
haitian oper. and here WAS the
chance without risk Sof further light
| TO Governors Island\o the Battery,
some l3 miles away.
Therefore. when again he came
abreast of the mouth of the creek
after his puxzllng turn backward,
Curtiss threw his steering wheel about
| sharply. giided above railroad
! drawbridge and fioated kziiy inland
with the propeller barely turning
| He manoeuvred n bit carefully then
+ aitghted without nttshHp on thu
stretch of green which had caught
his eye. He had flown from Albany
to Manchester IN TWO hours and
thirty-two minutes, and the $4,000
/ was his.