Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-03
TO FLY OVER OCEAN
McCurdy Will Return From
Liner Fifty Miles at Sea.
TORPEDO BOATS TO FOLLOW
Launching to Be Made From the
Steamers Bow.
WILL USE CURTISS MACHINE
Aimed to Demonstrate Feasibility of
an Aerop1ane Service to Expedite
Delivery of Mail.
TORPEDO BOATS TO FOLLOW
WILL USE CURT1ss MACHINE

| NEW YORK November ID. y. -.
McCurdy announced yesterday that he
! will attempt to demonstrate new pos
| sibility for the aeroplane next Saturday
| by fying from the deck Of a vessel MT!
miles at sea to point on Manhattan
Island. Mr. McCurdy will use new Cur
| tiss biplane Arrangements have been
completed to have the test made from
| the deck Of the Hamburg-American liner
| Kaiserin Auguste Victoria, which sails
| for Europe at 10 o'clock Saturday morn
| ing.
| Officers Of the United States Navy ana
officials from the aviation organizations
will witness the flight, which Will De
the first of its kind ever made. A f1otilla
of torpedo boats will accompany the
| X aiserin Auguste Victoria to the place
where the flight begins. This fleet will
| probably be augmented by one or more
Of the companys ocean-going tugs.
Torpedo Boats to Follow.
After Mr. McCurdy starts on his fifty
mile fight the army and navy officers
and the other guests will be taken aboard
| one of the fast torpedo boats, which Is
| expected to catch up with the aviator
| before he lands.
! The aeroplane will be launched from a
platform 100 feet in length, built on the
| forward deck Of the ship. This incline
will have a drop Of 10 per cent, the outer
| end being sixty feet above the water.
! The launching device will be built under
the personal direction of Glenn II. Cur
| tiss. who is confident Of the success of
the experiment.
In launching the aeroplane. if possible,
| the ship will be headed into the wind, and
| its speed regulated to conform to the
wind, thus making the length Of runway
more than sufficient for rising,
Object of the Attempt.
| TIE Hamburg Line Is MAX
ing the test with the object Of demon
strating the feasibility Of equipping its
| new liner, the Europa, now under con-
! struction, with a regular aeroplane serv-
ice for use in transporting mail and for
| other purposes.
| Mr.. McCurdy will carry Saturday when
he leaves the ship small waterproof
| mail bag containing letters from the pas
sengers which he will deliver at the New
| York post office.
Naval Officials Much Interested.
Naval officials are deeply interested in
| Saturdays test, as it may demonstrate
the practicability Of aeroplanes for naval
purposes. Considerable study has been
| devoted to the subject and there is a wide
| diversity OF opinion. It is generally
agreed. however, that it will not be diff
cult for an aeroplane to start flight
from the deck Of a man-of-war, the main
problem being how to insure the safe
landing of the aerial messenger on
moving vessel in the open sea-
Two Destroyers Detailed.
Two swift destroyers at New York have
been detailed to patrol the course to bt
followed by Aviator McCurdy in his fligh,
from the steamship Saturday. Capt. W
l. Chambers, who has made a specia
study Of aviation, will go on one Of the
destroyers as the official observer. and
| will report the result OF his observations
to the department. The destroyers Will
go out part Of the way with the Kaiserin
Victoria, especially prepared for rescue
work. Their movements will be gov
erned entirely by the necessities OF the
case.
So far dis possible one Of them will be
In reach Of the aeroplane during Its entire
flight It is probable that one will 60
out about forty miles and that the other
will take station about twenty miles
nearer shore. The aeroplane undoubted-
~
| stroyers, but in the short distance to be
covered hardly will be able to get entire.
" away from both Of them.
Most Important, Says Curtiss.
Glenn Curtiss, who was in Washington
this morning, said that he regarded Nc
Curdy's proposed flight Saturday as the
most important experiment in aviation
that had been tried recently. The next
logical step, he said. would be lighting on
steamer in motion. The landing, he
said, would have to be made over the
stern. and would be more difficult than
| the launching.
Permission Granted by Government
Official sanction was given today by thu
government for the transmission o.
United States mails by aeroplane for thu
first time in history. Permission wa:
| granted by Postmaster General Hitchcock
for j. A. D. McCurdy to carry the mail!
| in this manner from the Kaiserin August
| Victoria next Saturday when that vesse
i is fifty miles at sea- The only condition
i imposed by the Postmaster General il