New-York tribune., 1910-06-12
HAMILTON IN FLIGHT
DEF|ES THE ELEMENTS
LaShed by Rain and in 25-MiIe
Gale He Does Greatest Work
of His Career.
AL0FT MORE THAN AN HOUR
Dipping Over Ferryboats and
Darling at Tugs in the Har-
bor, He Does Many of His
Feats After Dark.

In a night attack Charles K Hamil-
ton put it all over Governors Island
long after the sunset gun was fired
yesterday. A strong wind tried to put
Hamilton all over the island. but did not
succeed. A. dog was even foolish enough
TO chase him. The dog was winded and
Hamilton was pitifully GELD but the
aviator did not come to earth until he
was ready And it took him / hour s
minutes and 10 seconds to reach that
state of mind
Never before in the history of New
York was there such a sight In many
respects it was the greatest flight ever
made in America, perhaps in the world
1t was made over land and over water.
in rain. wind. fog: over lighted ferry
boats, above flag poles. from early twi-
light to sunset and on into the night.
1t was spectacular in the extreme. with
out that being the object.
1t was weird. wild. gripping. Entirely
unlike anything that had ever been at
tempted in New York. it set the imagt-
nation afre. The manpuvres of +he
airshtp no longer seemed the ComicaI
antics of an aerial cut-up. The machine
was in the hands of a general. who out
fanked the enemy at every turn. and.
bareheaded. met the cutting wind and
splashes of rain 1900 and 800 feet in
the air at an average speed of fifty
miles an hour.
If Hamilton had been going to Phila-
delphia last night he would have
reached Trenton. which by rail is j6.S
his second flight His first flight was
eight minutes long. When he came
down he ate two bananas between puffs
on cigarettes. Before he flew he said
he wanted to try to go around the isl
and a time or two to test out his new
propeller. That is the way with Hanil-
ton. He never let's it be known. if. in
deed. he himself knows. that he intends
to do anything unusual in his aerOplane
At 6:16 o'clock he made an eight-min-
ute fight. gave his double dip and came
to the ground The small crowd was en-
tirely satisfied. The day was dark and
cold and dreary The wind was blowing
from the northeast, according TO Lieu
tenant Clarence c. Culver. of the United
States signal corps. at the rate of twen-
ty-five miles an hour. a gathering fog
and many of Hamilton's friends coun-
seIled against a further demonstration.
Rocking Part of the Game.
You were rocking So" said his
friends. that it seems fooIhardy for you
to think of going up again tonight
Rocking isn't dangerous" he replied
You can't manage a boat in a heavy
sea without rocking. can you? It's part
of the game
At GAS O'Clock he was up again. No
leggings. his trousers Tapping. his red
hair pIastered back by the wind his
machine shivering at the turns. dipping.
swaying. banking fighting when going
against the swift aerial tides and trav
Cling straight as an arrow at the rate
of seventy miles an hour when going
with II. the whole making a picture
against the lugubrious sky that will
be forgotten-the splendid ex-
bibition had begun.
Hamilton's flights at Garden City un-
dor sunny skies and pleasant breezes
were as parlor tennis compared 10
college gridiron. They were nifty. smart
LIGHT comedy. The intensity of third
act in a tragedy held spectators now.
The aviator was at the gateway of his
intended fight to Philadelphia and re-
turn. and he was fairly drinking in the
for success or failure. He
aew from Is to 1.5o0 feet and from
/ 800 to 15 feet. He went under tele
eraph wire and under a row of trees.
He lust missed the roof of Castle Will
lam and the pole that upheld the tent
for his machine at the other end of the
sand plot
Twilight fell and Hamilton rose higher.
over the houses of the officers. over a
ferrvboat in Buttermilk Channel. and