The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-10-14
AVIATOR STOPS
U.s., GOVERNMENT
Federal Employees Lave Work to
See Graham-White Circle
Capitol Dome.
FLIES OVER MONUMENT
Lands Gracefully in stTct Be
tween White House and War
Department.
FLIES OVER MONUMENT

WASHINGTON, oct. 1.-THE gov
! to-day shortly after Ii o'clock, in
! order that all employees might wit
ness daring flight by Claude Ora
( hame- White over the National Capt.
! tai. He scared around the capitol
dome and objected his course toward
Washington monument. lie. started
the fight without previous announce
ment sailing away from Benning.
( where only a few persons watched
! him assent.
/ White made the flight in his Far
man hi-nlane. He followed the Mall
! West from the Capitol. reaching a
/ height of about one thousand feet and
! sailing directly over the monument.
/ He then described a great circle
over the business center Of the city
and could have dropped bombs upon
| the treasury. the White House and
the State, War and Navy Department
/ building,
In accordance with word sent to
/ the War Department. ne made
landing in Executive Avenue. a smooth
asphalt street. sixty feet wide. lying
directly between the White House and
the State, War and Navy Building
1t was estimated that he was about
eight hundred feet high when he cir
cled back over the Potomac, and set
the machine in direct line for the
narrow street.
In enc beautiful sweeping glide
he swept down IN easily as a bird and
landed perfectly at the door OF the
Executive Offics OF the President He
stepped from the machine to bs
greeted and congratulated by the high
officials OF the State. War and Navy
1 lbEna al Tbs tun
ing III the narrow street, with only
stretch of about 500 feet open to
him, was pronounced one Of the great
est accomplishment In the history of
aviation.
The flight covered about fifteen
miles All business in the city was
suspended for thirty minutes
Aviator Stops.
The clearance between fences and
the ends Of the bplane was a scant
! fifteen feet on each side. There was
only about four feet on each side be-
tween the machine and the curb.
Grahame- White was urged to adj
dress the officials that formed the
crowd about him. but modesty de-
] elined.
The camera men posed him IN a
group with Admiral Dewey. General
Oliver, acting secretary Of war: Major
a., =
General Murray. chief Of coast artil-
: lery General Allen. chief of signal
y corps. and several other high officials
: of the army and navy.
n Il WAS simply splendid !,
Q declared General Wood
: ut was marvellous" said Admira
: Dewey.
Lunches at Club.
= All We're extraVagant in their praiss
faf taH. din f,f H.
g lection Of the machine. The fight. II
: is believed, viii do more than anything
= yet accomplished in convincing the
i army and navy Of the need of an aeria
r feet
d The aviator was taken by the on
6 Gals To the Metropolitan Club 4
= luncheon
r Ii was announced to day that Ora
: hame- White VIII make his attempt I,
break the worlds record for sustained
hight tomorrow morning In Blerio
monoplane. officials of the Aero Clui
and army officers have selected tn,
following course:
From Benning race track to Arm,
/, War College. to Washington monu
ment; to Jones Point light. below Alex
andria: to Benning
He will have to fly over this com
plete course four times Starting from
, Benning the fifth time, he will proceed
as far as the Washington monumen
, and then return to the track. in orde
II To encompass total proposed distanc
e OF l07 miles
{ Every turn will be to the left. excep
that at the War College. Much Of tn
8 time he will fly above the Potomac
= river, II he ACCOMMODATES the feat h.
u Will win cash prize of $4,000.