The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-15
Skins the Water and Gets
Spray in His Eyes as
Propeller Dips.
GOES S MILES IN S MINUTES
Trip Made in the Teeth OF Q
Cold Wind That Carries
Rain and Nail.

he aviator. made the FIRST SUCCESSFUL
| flight from The deck Of a naval vessel
to-day in his Curtiss bplane from tenn
porary launching platform on the for
ward deck OF the scout cruiser Birming-
ham. which was anchored in Hampton
Roads. on Old Point Comfort
After many hours Of preparation Ely
finally climbed into his machine shortly
after ; o'clock. He had been delayed
for several hours by aurriss OF hail and
rain.
Finally about 3:i8 o clock his aeroplane
was started down the plat form which was
inclined al an angle Of about degrees.
The machine gss hered momentum rap
idly Fly made a slight miscalculation in
cont rolling the levers. which caused the
machine to dart toward the water. the
wheels and the tips Of the propellor blades
barely touching the crest Of q wave.
But he succeeded in righting the machine.
and by skilfuI manruvring OF the control
levers dar'ed upward like q gull.
Ely rose to a height Of about 100 feet
and flew about five miles to Willoughby
Spit. just opposite Old Point Comfort.
where he landed safely.
During the flight a biting wind and
rain prevailed. !, was Eiy's original
| int eniion to hy from the deck Of the
Birmingham TO the Norfolk navy yard.
a much greater distance.
As his machine touched the water the
spray flew into his goggles. almost blind
ing him. which prevented him from con-
n.-k.. - IL.
propeller blade was also slightly Clipped
by contact with the water. but not suffi-
GENTLY 10 interfere with the flight.
The launching platform was built AZ the
Norfolk Navy Yard II was IS feet long.
about "a feet wide and had slope Of
about five degrees. It's forward end was
about thirty-fiv feet above the water.
All arrangements for the flight were
completed shortly before noon when the
Birmingham left tn. Norfolk Navy Yard.
accompanied by tn. torpedo d--troyers
Ro. and Terry. which acted a. n convoy
| In the aviato-
While the vessels were proceeding
through the Elizabeth River into the Roads
"A heavy hailstorm broke. Finally at
about i23D O'Clock the Birmingham an
chor-d Of the wharf a. Old Point Com
fort with her bow headed into a south
west breeze blowing about ten miles an
hour. There was y further dslay Of two
hours waiting for the ~ orm TO subside.
When Fly climbed INTO his machine
shortly after 5 O'Clock h. faced a biting
wind driving cold ram and occasional
furri.s of mil. The blue Jackets who
w.r. holding the machine on the launch
ing platform were ordered 10 lst go. and
IN. ma chine glid.i gracefully down the
slight incline and continued its descent
until IN" wheels and the propeller touched
IN. waIe- about one hundred feet ahead
OF tn. Brmin CHAM.
Eva-v spectator breath.d hard for
moment when it booked ns II the m1chin..
wonld - unable - rise from the wIfsr
but Ely had no difficulty and sent " up
ward bv fitting the eleyaiing planes.
They responded instantly and the ma
chime travelled swiftly upward in almost
a straight line toward Willoughby sryit.
When the aeropiin. skinned thu wsCfs-
IL splash"d spray into Ely's eyes In spite
~ the google he wore ~ q protection
against the wind By the time he had
rIght-d his aeropiane he had lost his
b-arings and was confused m TO his po-
.ttion He -aw the land Of Willoughby
spit directly ahead and dssc~ude6 There
without difficulty
He covered about five miles in a little
more than minutes.
A launch from the Birmingham picked
F1y M nnd put him on board the destroyer
Roe on which he returned 20 the Norfolk
navy yard.
The machine which Ely used in to-ciay's
flight was the same in which Glenn Curtiss
flew from Albany to New York. IL was
fitted with two pontoons under the main
pla mes so as To make 10 noat in case Of
accident Fly also wore life preservsr.
My flight said Ely. is the first time
that an aeroplane was ever launched
from the deck 81 ma val vessel. Originally
I Intended TO launch my machine with
che cruiser stsamins at a fair rate Of speed
against the wind. This would have given
the aeroplane greater lifting power and
would have been a far easier achieve
ment.
To-day. however the weather condi-
tions were adverse. and ! was anxious tn
complies, the test without waiting any
Ions ger for more auspicious conditions !
disregarded TN. fact that the Birmingham
/ was anchored at the time I was ready to
start because | did not want to wait any
longer before starting the fight.
! on course IL would have been much
easier 10 start from q moving vessel a.
/ the momentum 81 the vessel gives add
/ iional lifting power to the machine. |
Was satisfied. however. that the flight
! could have been begun quite a. well from
an anchored vessel and did not rum any
risk in launching the biplane In this
manner.
;. i had no trouble with the machine at
Z iii A. ha aArnx.lama ~.wuF,f RFas.a ahA
launching platform ] made slight
miscalculmtion in handling the control
lever, which cmused the machine 20 dip