Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-02-24

has been ideal for the occasion, just
| like a June day in Grand Rapids. The
| place set apart for the aviation meet
| is about half mile north west Of the
| city and is known as the territorial
fair grounds, the scene of many ex-
citing horse races and auto races.
| The race track is considered one of
the fastest in the world and has been
stepped over by Dan Patch, Minor
Heir and number of other distin-
guished horses.
The afternoon program opened to-
day at three O'Clock with an exhibit
tIon fight by Charles K Hamilton in
his eight cylinder Curtiss Bi-Plane.
l Will confess that | was all excite
ment when the machine started off
down the track for distance of about
twenty-five yards, and then like an
enormous vulture shot up into the air,
flew around the course number of
times, circled about and then decend-
ed like a feather to the point from
which it started. The wonder of
human flight through the air without
| the aid of gas had never appealed to
me so strongly before. Even after
seeing the feat performed it is hard
to believe that a hugh arrangement
weighing five. hundred and fifty
| pounds including a one hundred and
fifty pound, fifty horse power gasoline
engine, can be made to ascend into
the air, seemingly in scornful contra
diction to the laws of gravitation
By way of diversion an exciting
automobile race took place immediate
ly after Hamilton's flight, The race,
which was ten mile one between the
Studebaker and the Buick, ended up
with the Studebaker nearly quarter
of mile in the lead, the winner re-
ceiving silver cup and a purse of a
thousand dollars. This event was fol-
lowed by thrilling five mile race be.
tween the winning car and Charles K.
Hamilton in his Curtiss Bi-Plane 1t
was nothing short short Of thrilling to
watch the aeroplane as it held it's own,
sometimes one hundred feet above
the car and then, a second or two
later, not more than twenty feet above
the ground. It was O. close race from
start to finish, and finally as the con-
test was drawing to close the crowd
on the grand stand went nearly wild,
when Hamilton took long coast to-
ward the earth and passed the flag,
victor by twenty seconds.
Charles f. Willard of Boston, ap-
peared next in his four cylinder BIZ
Plane, and made spectacular flight
toward Camel Back Mountain, return
ing to the Identical spot from which
he started. This was followed by
another slight diversion in the form
of motorcycle race, which afforded
crowd.
The last and browning feature of
the day was the double fight by Will
! lard and Hamilton in which the latter
performed one Of the prettiest feats
| that could be imagined. At height
of four hundred and twenty-five feet
he stopped the engine and made a
long, fast dive to the earth, plainly
showing that the art of aviation has
| been developed to such an extent that
| it is possible. for machine with
broken engine to glide gradually to
the earth with comparatively no dan
ger at all. Hamiton's dive was an
entirely voluntary act on his part and
| it brought storm of laundering ap-
| plause from The On-lo0kers
During the past week I have had a
temporary position as reporter on the
| Arizona Democrat, and on Tuesday,
shortly after the arrival Of Charles K.
| Hamilton from New York, / was sent
to him or an interview. Imagine
my importance as [ strobe to the
| Adams Hotel and demanded few
moments Of the noted aviator's time.
L iOUHo Illc SGDU!CUJdn sur pIISlDgiy
cordial and he talked most interesting
ly concerning his early experiences
with the wings. He said that during
the first few years Of his career as an
aviator. he fell most of the time. At
one time he fell from a height of
three hundred feet into the Saint
Lawrence River. Since 1904 he has
had both Of his legs broken, the ma
jority Of his rios fractured, and his
nose broken twice, the last mentioned
member being made crooked by the
first fracture and Strengthened again
by the second.
Perhaps all this harangue about
aviation Is not as interesting to you
as 1t is to me, so l will let the remain
der Of this letter drift along other
channels.
! Phoenix is growing city, in fact, is
considered to be one of the most pro-
/ Il