Omaha daily bee., 1910-06-26
FEARLESSFLYER is HAMILTON
The New YOrk.Philsdelphia Aviator
Had Many Lively Experiences
TEMPTED DEATH SEVERAL TIMES
Began TO Fly with His Mothers Para
sol from n Barn Roof ut A@e
Of S-sOme of His
Records.

Charles X. Hamilton, latest record
breaker IN aviation, was born I'm Con
necticut twenty-nine years ago. He is
said to have started on his flying career
at the age Of by attempting a flight from
the roof OF a barn, using his mothers best
parasol as a parachute. He next invented
q kite which carried him 100 feet in the
air and nearly paralyzed his parents with
fright. In 1906 Hamilton heard that Israel
Ludlow. a young attorney Of New York,
had built man carrying kite and came
TO New York and offered to fly It, He
made about forty ascensons from River
side Drive over the Hudson. the appara-
tus being lowed by tugboat once the
men who were steering the boat became
so interested in Hamilton that they al
lowed the tug to collide with a ferry boat
and Hamilton took a tumble Of several
feet But Hamilton can swim like a fish
as we'll as fly like bird, so a cold plunge
only added excitement to the situation
A few months ago when Hamilton was
doing fancy flying in an aeroplane over
water at Seattle he lost control of the ma
chine. which took somersaut and threw
him 100 feet. Part Of a broken piece OF
wood was imbedded in one of his legs, but
was rescued by a boat. He was taken to
n hospital where he remained for several
weeks.
From New York in 1906 Hamilton took
the Ludlow kite TO Ormond beach, where
he gave exhibitions with the automobile
races Ludlow himself for the first time
attempted to so up in the apparatus and
met with an accident that crippled him for
life.
An Elevated Thriller.
Late in the same year Hamilton made
Nscenslons In the California Arrow, di-
Pisible balloon inevnted by Captain Thomas
}. Baldwin. One of the most exciting ex-
Derlences was with this airship. He was
billed for an ascension at Patterson, n. ].
Right after he had left the ground he lost
his ballast and the balloon shot up to an
altitude OF 1000 feet and continued to soar.
Hamilton struggled with the valve cord,
which failed to respond. He had found ii
easy to get up. but how to get down was
giving the aeronsut considerable trouble.
He finally climbed to the top Of the frame
and slashed the gas bag with a knife.
The rush of gas Increased the rent and
the balloon was descending at a tremen-
dous velocity. Again his cool head stood
him in hand, and he climbed back on the
frame and with his hands held the cut
parts together until the balloon lowered
over three-story building Hamilton, who
is as nimble as an acrobat, leaped from
the frame to the roof
According to Hamilton's story the owner
OF the building took offense because Ham
ilton had scraped off some fresh gravel
and refused to allow the aeronaut the
privilege OF coming down through the sky
light. Hamilton said he tied a rome IN
the chimney and scaled his way to the
ground.
In 1907 and 1908 Hamilton drove a Stree
bel balloon and gave exhibitions in the
United States, Mexico and Japan. He was
flying In Mexico at the time Antonio Mon
tee was killed in a bull ring.
Hamilton had another hairbreadth es-
cape In 1908 when making a balloon asoen-
sion at Brighton beach, He was cruising
about GOO feet above the water when the
guide rope caught in a propeller and caused
IT to snap. Hardly had the accident oo-
CURED when a squall struck the craft and
carried 1t almost three miles out to sea
where 1t came down. After he had bat
tied with the wind and water for about
twenty-five minutes and was exhausted he
was taken from off the frame by a yacht,
which reached him before the life-saying
crew that had started for his rescue.
A Quick Learner.
Last November Hamilton returned to this
country from Japan, where he had been
giving dirigible balloon flights. II was
said that no and his manager had failed
to agree. and he decided to abandon fur-
Their exhibitions there. He went TO the Cur-
tiss aeroplane factory at Hammondaport
The FIRST day he took a seat In a machine
he flew four miles before he stopped. The
next day he made a flight Of thirty miles
In January he took a leading part in tbs
Los Angeles meet and set up a record for
quick starting, leaving the ground in q
seconds after run OF seventy-five feet Hs
also holds the record for a glide of an
feet. -''
Hamilton's most notable aeroplane flight
preciated in the east until a week or two
ago, when he took his machine TO tho
Hampstead plain aviation field ana gave
some startling exhibitions of diving from
an altitude of. several hundred feet to ten
or fifteen. No other aviator in the world
mas ever performed such spectacular feats
in making dives.
hamilton says an accident to his engine
IN nidair Is responsible for his spectacular
- was WiAiic ne was trying To heat |
Pauihan's height record in California that
his engine stopped several hundred feet
above ground and he skillfully guided his
machine back to earth.
Hamilton's most notable aeroplane fiish. |
prior 20 the one made from New York 10
Philadelphia and return, was one from
San Diego, Cal. in January when he flaw
a distance OF twenty-six and one-half milas
across the Mexican border and back again
without stopping. Thirty miles of the trjn
was over the Pacific ocean. In making this |
hight Hamilton was the first aviator IA
cross the United States border to another
AZ Governors island in making prelini- |
nary tests of his biplane for his long cross
country flight Hamilton braved a drIzzlns
rain and flew In wind estimated from
twenty to twenty-five miles an hour. He |
Is the only aviator who flies over water |
without the protection of floats.
In personal appearance Hamilton is not |
a matinee idol He is red headed. freokle
raced and some say bow legged. He is |
called the featherweight aeronaut and tins |
the scales at ITO pounds.-New York sun
PARTY KICKER AND HIS CROUCH |
Chicago Man ROaPs About Roosevelt