New-York tribune., 1910-08-23
MOSQUITOES VS.. FLYERS
One Gets in "Bud'' Mars'S Eye
and Causes Him to Reflect.
TRY OUT MACHINE AT BAY
Curtiss and Mars Garry Each a
Passenger and Do Some
Good Flying

Bud" Mars. one of the aviatcrs OF the
Curtiss aggregation, made a discovery
last night at Sheepshead Bay that may
interfere with the progress of the science
of aviation. As he sailing fifty feet
in air through the darkness mosauito
landed in his eye. and for some tme
made things more interesting than agree
able
what would happen if two mosquitoes
got in both my eyes?' asked Mars when ne
came down. "It is all right in daytime;
the mosquitoes about here are so big that
we can see them and dodge them, but
when It is dark at night and there are
millions of them around, what is to pre-
vent them from binding us?'
While no particular stunts in the flying
line had been advertised for the public at
Sheepshead Bay yesterday. the aviators
on tho ground decided about O'Clock that
thev would have little spin Glenn II.
Curtiss had expected to take up Sergeant
Norton. of the national guard, in order
that the possibilities of wireless teleg-
raphv from an aeroplane in flight might
be tested.
TIL. Telephone wires interfered with
their plans, however, for the sergeant mis-
understood the message of Curtss's rep
resentative in Manhattan, who told him
that il was blowing rather hard in the
afternoon BY o'clock, when Curtiss
reached the racetrack, the wind had sub
sided. and there was nothing moving but
the mosquitoes
Munro Wheeler. general counsel for the
Curtiss company, who had come down
from Manhattan with his client was anx-
ious to witness the wireless experiment,
but all attempts to get into telephone
communication with Sergeant Norton
proved vain.
lust as Curtiss had about made UP his
mind to return to his hotel taxicab drove
un with Mrs. Curtiss, Bud Mars and his
wife. Eugene Ely and his wife and j. A.
.. McCurdy, the Canadian aviator. While
there was no particular object in flying
Mars said that as he was on the spot ne
would fly anyhow. and Curtiss said: "Well,
If Mars flies, will fly, too
While the big machines were being tuned
I'D Augustus Post the official timekeeper
of the Aero Club, who expects to have his
biplane in working order by next Friday,
arrived on the scene. He accepted an fnVl-
tatton TO ride across the field with Mars.
The flight was made with success, ana
Mars. with the aid of Mr. Post, got his
machine started paCk aCItSS tllt itii anu
flew back to the starting point.
C.Irtiss took his chief mechanician. Henry
Kleckler, along with him and made long
er flight across the field. He rose about nifty
feet. and. not satisfied with straight flight,
made a couple of dips as matter of di-
version.
1t had grown quite dark by this time,
and the machines could not be seen once
they had neared the earth. Their motion
aIoft could be traced, however, not only by
the purring of the engines but by the little
jets of flame which came from each Of the
cylinders. These are invisible in day time.
but in the darkness render a flight still
more weird than ordinarily.
Mars proposed to take his machine for
objected, however, as the wind had begun
to rise again. and he did not think it ad-
visable to risk going out over the sea at
that hour Mars was determined however,
that he would not have his machine
wheeled across the field. Despite the dark
ness he started TO reach the opening in the
fence through which the machine had been
brought from the shed. AS he missed the
opening in the darkness he circled the
whole track at height of about fifty feet
and, flying low near the finish, landed
safely near the gateway.
Curtiss's bplane will be Grated to-day for
shipment to Cleveland, where he will fly
next week. The four other machines will
be kept here, however, for the flights at
the end of the week