Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-06-30
HAMILTON, The AIR.SOARER
The Latest Aeroplane Hero Noted
for Daring Flights.
Man who Flew from Gotham to
Quaker city II Native Of New
britain, Gonna PnrasoI His
First Airship.

Bleriot, who first crossed the English
channel. Faulhan, hero Of the London-to-
Manchester flight. and Curtiss. winner OF
the $4,000 Albany-to- New York prize,
have all at various times held the center
of the aeronautical stage, says the Spring
field Republican. Probably some or all
OF them will do so again, 50 rapidly do
trlumphal flights now follow one another,
hut Just at present the spotlight Of the
~ iator's theatre is turned upon Charles
Is. Hamilton. red headed. freckled faced
man OF 2e years. Weighing 10 pounds,
who on Monday flew from New York to
Philadelphia and return. over land and
sea. hill and plain, city and county SO
far. 1t is the most remarkable long-dis-
tancc fight
Hamilton Is n native Of the Connecticut
valley, his boyhood home having been in
New Britain, Conn. and he has shown a
Nutmeg state ingenuity and knack in
dealing with tho aeropiane His first
fight in ono Of these machines was last
November, and yet his skill and daring
have put him in among the foremost
aviators in n scant six months His nick
name Is "Bobolink Of the air." because OF
bis fondness for stopping his motor when
ward at a terrific speed. These swoops
arc said TO be about the most spectacular
things so far produced in aviation.
Another characteristic of Mr. Hamilton
is that he asks for but small space In
which to start. He only wants space
enough to get The run sufficient for rising
from the ground An ordinary ball field
satisfies him. Once off tho ground he
and buildings with all the nonchalant ease
of bicycle rider on a crowded street.
Hamilton says that he flies for the very
love of the sport. From childhood he has
feen enthusiastic over the idea Of aerial
fight ard now his dream IL being realized
He feels no more concern in flying than
In walking the street and, he adds, ITS
mighty sight pleasonter," Mr., Hamilton
often smokes as he flies. generally
cigarettes. although 1t does not appear
that he thus INDUCED IN his trips between
Philadelphia and New York. He says
that cigarette smoking quiets his nerves
His Connecticut ingenuity has stood him
in good stead In the Indulgence Of this
practice. Since II requires two hands
to manipulate the levers of an aeroplane,
he has devised a substitute for match.
| Before starting on flight. ne lights a
| stick Of punk and rastens 1t to the frame
work Of the machine, near enough to be
| reached by bending his head. The punk
| remains lighted while he flies and II Is
only necessary for him t. lean over with
| the cigarette in his mouth without taking
| his hands off the controlling apparatus
Mr. Hamilton did, In a way, make almost
as remarkable n flight az that Of last Mon
day In January Mt San Diego. Cal. He
| flew from that city across the Mexican
border and returned. In doing so he pass
ed over the waters Of the Pacific and was
out Of sight OF land part OF the way
| He claims that he was the first man TO fly
ont Of sight OF land and also the first to
| ny across the border Of the United States
| into another country.
A BOYHOOD EFFORT
Hamilton's first aerial attempt was
made as a boy Of eight when he was liv-
ing in New Britain. he took his mothers
| parasol ana climbed to the roof OF the
harm. Using It rs parachute. Na jumped
off and landed unniured in the tarnyard
The parasol was ruined An ascension in
| q balloon. when he was yet n boy, further
| whetted his desire to get into the air. The
|
city and that Hamilton asked TO be taken
up and that the man granted the request.
Hamilton went to school like any other
boy, but Is said to have put in lot Of
spare time In a machine shop II his own
where he made all sorts Of queer kites
nnd few them. Some wears later he be-
came interested in dlrigibles ana made a
number OF daring flights in them. He had
one experience that would have cooled the
ardor Of one less enthusiastic He was
making an ascent from Patterson, y. J.
He had Just left the sround when his ma =
chine lost all its ballast. The gas bag
shot upward with thrilling velocity Ham
ilton chung to the rigging and struggled
to free the valve cord which had become
tntangled, He was unable to do so and
assembled until the anerod barometer or
the board registered 1900 feet. The re-
duced pressure of the atmosphere caused
the gas bag to burst. 1t was mere chance
that ne did not fall that distance to The
earth. thus ending his career. As 1t was
the silk bag collapsed and fell over The
framework In such a manner that II m AIDE
u parachute, and both Hamilton and the
machine came gently to the ground
EXPERIENCE WITH GILDERs
Not long after this. Hamilton became In.
terested N gllders. the earliest form o,
acroplane He became n protcge OF Israe
Ludlow. and made numerous flights in a
slider attached to an automobile. I.ud
low by the way. was one OF the especially
Interested observers Of Hami!ton's nigh
$ ON Monday He is a cripple, having per.
manentiy injured himsef willis expert
. menting with gidcrs. The glider was op
Grated 1T Orn,ond Beach, Fla, and Ham
iton Is reported TO have fallen with thi.
device no less than 63 times. but he never
rcceired any serious injuries one da,
he was being towed along at "A height OF
an hour when the glider to which he wa.
clnging collapsed and plunged toward tn,
beach. Hamilton with great presence o.
mind climbed into the framework OF tn,
affair and the force of the fall was broker
= by the lower surface of the glider
INITIATION INTO AEROPLANIN,i
, Mr. Hamltons Initiation into the worl'
Of aeroplaninE may be said to have be
, gun last October when Wilbur Wrish
, made his celebrated flight up the Nortl
Statue of Liberty. ON that very day h
returned from japan where he las beel
. giving exhibition flights In a dirisiplo bal
, loon. The excitement Ovar the fICdson
Fulton flights convinced him that til
areoplans was sure to supplant the ga
vehicle Going directly from tho Steame