The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-11-21
DARING AVIATOR
WITH HIS MANAGER
REACHES THE CITY
Eugene Ely Comes to Particl-
pate in the Census
Jubilee
TWO BTPLANES READY
FOR AIRY FLIGHTS
Ralph tombstone and of His Own
Flight From the Cruiser
Birmingham

Eugene Ely, the aviator who few sue
cessfully from the deck OF the cruiser
Birmingham to land, and who will be one
of the air performers here tomorrow and
Wednesday, reached Birmingham yester-
day accompanied by Mrs. Ely. The re-
cent flight of Mr.. Ely from sea to land
created intense interest in aviation cir
cles. Mr.. Ely and j. j. Ward, the 1S-year-
old youngster who first flew successfully
In Chicago. held a conference yesterday
at the Hilman. They would not tell
whispered that perhaps the air men were
planning to give Birmingham people a
big surprise during the air performances
beginning tomorrow.
The arrival of Mr.. Ely from Raleigh,
N. c., was quickly followed by the arrival
here OF two Curitss biplanes. The air
crafts are made to fold up like a folding
bed for space economy. They were taken
from the express office yesterday by four
machinists who have also arrived. The
crafts were carried to the fair grounds
yesterday, when Mr.. Ely and Mr.. Ward
will inspect them today for the first
flights tomorrow afternoon. The aviators
were interested yesterday in relating that
one of the biplanes which will be driven
by Mr.. Ward has been sent here direct
from the factory, and never been in The
air for adjustment flights.
Mr.. Ely will sail in the same ship that
carried him from the deck of the Bir-
mingham to land only last week. Both
the biplanes are from the Curtiss shops
and different in almost all essential re-
spects from the aeroplane which was ex-
hibited in Birmingham during the recent
State Fair.
Says tombstone Was Reckless
Mr. Ely whose daring in the air has
excited the admiration of experts, is prob
ably the smallest man physically to per-
form so many exciting feats. He is bare
ly over q years of age and weighs less
than 100 pounds. He is a Chicago boy
having entered the shops of the Curtiss
planemakers and learned his profession
from the first stages up. He said yes
terday in talking over his feat at sea
last week that it gave him very great
pleasure to fly in Birmingham after hay
ing flown from a ship of that name.
He said the fight made from the deck
of the Birmingham was one of the most
thrilling that was ever made by him
since accepting this work as his life's
calling. He stated with boyish eagerness
that he would like to be able to make
even longer sea trips, but that Mr.. Cur
tiss would not allow his operators to
assume too many risks in their work.
He said that every conservative OPP
orator would agree with Mr.. Ward IN
saying that Ralph tombstone, who met
death in Denver last week, was reck-
less.
tombstone assumed too many risks
said Mr.. Ely. "Why, anyone can appre-
ciate the danger of such thing. Suppose
a bird, for instance, is 5000 feet in the air
and darts downward at an angle of say rs
degrees. When that bird does that the
increasing momentum Wal finally turn 1t
over tombstone went darling down at a
terrific date, and finally his flexible wings
warped and his machine collapsed. Any
aeroplane in the country equipped like
the Wright planes would do the same
thing.
Talks of Work Here
"Our machines are twice as fast as the
Wright make and three times as safe
We have steering wheels like an automo-
bile. and a front control. In addntion
Mr.. Curtiss absolutely will not permit our
taking unnecessary risks. We perform
all manner of tricks in the air. But moth
ing quite as reckless and foolhardy as
Ralph Johnstone's.
I'VE anticipate fine meet here" con-
tinued Mr. Ely. I'VE cannot tell what we
will attempt to do in the air, but it is
possible that we will try to make new
records However, the atmospheric con-
ditions have all to do with such attempts.
1t is not our ambition to make new
records or perform new stunts wherein
doing SO we endanger our lives need
lessly."