Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-05-30

partridge receded in the wind and one
saw that in tenuity of gossamer sur
faces and reedy anatomy this was a
locust Springing from the sands. De
Lesseps, the French aviator, must have
had tie same thought in mind when he
| narel the machine in which he re-
Gently crossed the English channel, the
! "Scarabee" (Beetle).
With the signal that CurtiSS was off
the special train. five cars and a loco
| motive. cumbersome now by compari-
| son, gathered impetus and sought to
| follow. But SO quickly had he flown
thai for II miles southwark the loco
motive. though running nearly a mile
a minute. remained a laggard. At 7.26
however, the train came abreast of the
aeroplane and thence to New York City
those on board kept the aviator in
sight But as he did not reck with
curves of track. reduced speed through
towns, and switches, the man above
made a substantial lead.
Swiftly town and countryside reeled
| by. CatSkill was passed at 7.41, with
the aeropane 1000 feet above the Hud-
son. At sos Curtiss was still flying
high and veering well toward the west
| U II.
engine could be plainly heard by those
below. For six miles the aeroplane drew
attention to his coming and cheers
arose from shore and boat.
At SOC, just 63 minutes after the
start, he scared past Rhinecliff Ferry,
"a miles from Albany. Here there is a
turn in the river and Curtiss turned
again to the west, passing over land to
shorten his course. Staatsburg marked
the Goth mile of the voyage.
With Staatsburg behind, the giant
bridge spanning the river at Pough-
keepsie looked ahead. The bridge it
self is 212 feet high, but Curtiss topped
it by 300. Thence he turned westward
and with the precision of a bird settled
softly in the field three miles south of
Poughkeepsie at S.26. He had flown "A
miles from Albany in SO minutes.
The landing place. known as the Gill
meadows, had previously been select
ed, hut because of last weeks post
ponements Curtiss was not expected
this morning and there was no gaso-
line and oil awaiting him. Fortunately
two automobile tourists happened by
| and were eager to supply him with the
needed fuel and oil.
His tanks had been filed with 10 gall
Ions of gasoline before he left Albany.
| Examination showed that three gallons
| remained. enough to have carried him
| to West Point. But CurtisS was taxi
| ing no chances and the timely arrival
of the automobiles with supplies saved
| the day.
| Fire alarm bells were rung as the
| aviator neared Poughkeepsie, but his
| passage was SO rapid that but few
| people had a chance to reach point
| of vantage
On the Gill meadows a little group
| sighted him coming in the distance and
sent uD cheer. From above he saw
them as black specks and was thus
guided to the landing place. Coming
down gracefully, his machine struck
a grassy knoll. trundled along for 30
or more feet, then came to stop.
The special train meanwhile brought
his wife, who rushed from her car.
climbed vaiantly over the hills from
the railroad track and hurried to her
husbands side. She greeted him jubi-
lbntly. while the crowd cheered again.
With tanks re-filled and every wheel
and screw tested, Curtiss' took his seat
for the final dash to New York. The BIZ
plane ran along the meadows for about
200 feet, then shot from the ground
with its nose pointed toward the riv-
er. II a moment more the craft was
again over the Hudson and Curtiss
turned south and was soon lost to view
Exactly one hour had been consumed
at Poughkeepsie. for he arrived al
S.26 and departed at 9.26.
He passed the United States Military
Academy at West Point at 1902. Off
GERS and cadets alike looked upward
and sent up a cheer after Curtiss, but
there was no salute of guns.
At Storm King the most sensational
incident of the trip occurred. He was
flying high at this point-1000 feet he
estimates-when a shifty wind caught
the machine and caused it to drop and
tilt. Never once losing control, however
he scared on, passing in turn Peeks-
kill, Ossining and Dobb's Ferry. Yonk-
ers was reached at 0.30 and q1e was n.y.
ling about level with the PALISADES. 3OC
to 400 feet up Here he, got his first
glimpse of the Metropolitan tower. u
loomed far ahead like giant needle
and Curtiss knew that he was nearing
the upper limits of New York City.
Out of the haze that lay in the bend
of the river at Yonkers he shot into
the view of thousands who were await.
ing his coming along the upper reaches
of Riverside Drive and on the roofs Of
the big apartment houses on Washing
ton height, New York City.
A mere speck at first. the little aero
plane looked like a gull floating with
Irigid wings on the breast Of the gale