The Washington herald., 1910-05-30
GURTISS KING OF AIR
Continued from Page One.

be verified. of course, by the AerJ club
but Augustus II. Post. the clubs official
representative, to-day said that l37 mll=s
IN l52 minutes will just about stand.
The bells OF Trinity were giving noon
TO Manhattan when Glenn Curtiss. having
already made sure of his $4,000 by land
ing at spuyten Duyvil. swooped down the
North River air road. sailed past the
Battery. and descended with a beautiful
dip on Governors Island. Every whistle
with steam in it's throat shriekeG and
barked and rumbled. You would have
thought the fussy little tugboats had gone
daffy all Of a sudden They snortei and
wheeled and dashed around as their cap
tains followed the aviator's graceful
course.
Furry nt the Battery.
Down at the Battery, where folks as
elsewhere In the city had been fooled
by the fash that Curtiss had finished
his flight at Spuyten Duyvil and would
not exhibit himself at the toe OF the
island. there was a great scurrying when
the high riding smudge resolved itself
into the clean lines OF flying machine
and Curtiss was made out at the wheel
Further up the island the streets looking
toward the water front was suddenly
congested. People ran breathless, only TO
be disappointed
He was so quick. 1t seemed to those
who watched that he appeared in sight.
swooped by, and was at rest on Gov
ernors Island all in a minute. At the
Battery there had been great crowd
early In the morning. and sight-seers had
collected at likely points al over the
city. The roofs of the big hotels were
lively with parties who searched the
horizon with telescopes and opera glasses.
Up on the Waldorf there were $50 or
more. The Plaza held up an excited
crowd. and from the roof Of the AN
sonia and the big apartment houses along
Riverside Drive hundreds waited tensely
for a finer show than Mr. Halleys sky
wanderer turned out TO be.
But when CurtisS, in the big air game
Of sheep, desired to reach Manhattan
Island and said. You're out" the news
went flashing all over town that there
would be nothing 10 see. So people left
the roofs and riverside and deserted the
Battery. There were comparatively only
handfuls Of people to see him when he
passed over the topside OF the lower city.
Crowd Gathers Him In.
1t vas a few seconds after noon when
the army gathered him in over behind
Castle William, as is the army's way. in
tited him to have one grand big drink.
and il is not on record that the army
was disappointed. Few men have showed
less elation than Curtiss did when he
stepped out of the biplane and shook
hands with Maj. Hom and Brig. Gen
Walter Howe commanding the Depart
ment of the East. He smiled family. said
he was glad he had finished the Job. and
then turned 10 watch d detachment of
soldiers roll the machine into the aero
drome. Even when Mrs. Curtlss appeared
few minutes later and kissed him. there
was no fuss and feathers. Curtiss acted
as # he had done nothing more exciting
than arrive on a ferryboat But the spec
tacle Of the wife greeting the daring
husband was one the photographers could
not miss. They prevailed upon Mrs. Cur
tss 10 kiss him again Curtiss frowned-
at the photographers-but they got the
picture
It was picture worth taking There
was the little mamie weighs less than
li9 pounds-just back on earth. and bun
died up I'm the costume he finds most use
ful In air adventure. He wore a brown
cap with the visor reversed and on the
cap was his lucky pin" It was given
him some years ago by Rica. who was
little ahead Of his time in starting
school for aeronauts, and who made
Glenn II. Curtss a professor I'm the
school He gave Curtiss the pIn. and
Curtiss insists that Il brings him Upton
luck He believes IN luck to a certain
extent, but he trusts lot 10 his motor.
Sunday. he is sure. IS his lucky day. That
explains why he made his try for the
big prize to-day.
over a plain suit Of brown he wore a
big leather coat. buttoned to the ears
and a qUeer-looking set of breecbes
handy trousers made only for air sharps.
They were like wading boots. the feet
attached 20 the long. shapeless uppers. but
os Curtiss says, you can't beat them
when it comes to teasing the winds. They
keep cut the chill that stiffens an ayia-
tors bones. For the rest. ne wore q pair
Of leather gloves. He didn't need gog-
giles. Flying men are not bothered much
by dust.
Proud and Happy Wife.
Mrs. Curtiss, as tall as her husband.
looked at him calmly enough. but with
an air of pride and eation that she
couldn't hide. She didn't make much Of
fuss over him. and Curtiss is lot The
sort to make a fuss over ANYBODY but
they were proud and very happy Any
body could see, breaking a worlds flying
record and picking up $4,000 in three
hours or so IS a nice days work
After the army had entertained him
and everybody on Governors Island had
shaken hands with him, Mr.. Curtiss. With
Augustus II. Post and a delegation Of
proud citizens from Hammondsport. y
Y, Curtiss' home town went to the Astor
House for luncheon and then to the
World 20 get the $4,000 check. Mr.. Post
had been on the special train. and he
and Mr.. Curtiss compared notes CurtIss
had only his previous experience 10 guide
him I'm estimating his speed from point
20 point down the river. He was keen'v
interested in Mr.. Posts figures But the
best story was the one that Curtiss him
self told-of how it feels to fly over |
long section OF country faster than an !
express train
He has been long time winning the |
$4,000, but IN luck kept him from making !
an effort last fall before the Hudson !
Fulton celebration. At that time the |
World made its ofrer OF $4,000 20 the.frst 1
person who made the Fulton flight" I
from New York to Albany, or from Al /
bany to New York, in n mechanically 1
propelled airship, either lighter or heavier |
than air.