The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-06-02
WINS $4,000 PRIZE
CONTINUED from page one. }


about 200 feet, then shot from the
ground with nose pointed toward the
river. In moment more the craft
was again over the Hudson and Cur
tiss turned his course south and was
soon lost to view. Exactly one hour
had been consumed at Poughkeepsie,
for he arrived at S:26 and departed
at 1926 on the dot.
Yonkers was reached at 1890 and
he was flying about level with the
Palisades, 800 to 400 feet up. Here
Curtiss got his first glimpse of the
Metropolitan tower 1t doomed far
ahead like a giant needle and Curtiss
knew that he was nearing the upper
! limits of New York city.
Suddenly, when Curtiss had reach
ed a point midway between Spuyton
Duyyil Creek (Which separates Man.
haitian Island from the Borough of
the Bronx and Washington Point,
the speed of the biplane slackened
perceptibly and the machine dropped
until it seemed that it would almost
touch the water Then it came about
prettily pointing upward and headed
up the river. The spectators were
non-plussed. Many of them believed
that the machinery had gone wrong
and that Curtiss had lost his race.
But Curtiss, had they known, was
as cool as at any stage of his fight
and he waved his hand reassuringly.
While passing Sputen Duyvil he had
seen half a mile inland, a broad ex-
panse of green swad. the upper end
of Manhattan Island To win the prize
is was necessary to land in Manhattan
proper, and here was the chance
without risk of further fight to Gov
ernor's Island or the battery, some 10
miles away
Therefore, when again he came
abreast of the mouth of the creek af-
ter his puzzling turn backward, Cur
tiss threw his steering wheel about
sharply, glided above railroad draw
bridge and foated laziily inland with
the propeller barely turning. He
maneuvred a bit then alighted with
out mishap on the stretch of green
|
flown from Albany to Manhattan in
two hours and thirtytwo minutes and
the $4,000 was his.
Jumping lightly from his machine
the aviator inspected his motor and
finding everything intact he sought
telephone and informed the World
that he had arrived and claimed the
reward.
Although he had won, weather con-
ditions were so propitious and he was
feeling so gratified at success that
Curtiss decided to give the city an
, other view of his machine and al
| 1877 he shot away again for Gov.
ernoars Island 1t was during this
, part of his trip that he received the
noisest greeting. He came down the
river at an elevation of more thar
- three hundred feet while harbor Graf
shrieked their greetings. News Of
his progress spread rapidly through
out the city. In the police( courts
D magistrates heard and quickly dis.
= posed of cases, hundreds rushed t.
| the water front from every block anC
I roof tops became black with hu.
manity. The. greatest jam was al
the battery many had given up hope
, of seeing him, having heard of the
far up town stop previously.
Down the river and into the upper
: bay he sailed Nearing Governor
Island he began to descend while
cheers hoated up from the officers
and men who watched his approach.
He landed softly on a stretch OF
new made land within forty yards oil
, the shed in which the aeroplanes
o We're housed during the Hudson-Ful.
! ton celebration. Dismounting with.
: out further ado, re resigned his craft
to soldiers who volunteered to push
it into the shed. and received the con.
gratulations of Major General Howe
a U. S. A, commander of the depart.
r ment of the east, and other officers