The Detroit times., 1910-06-09
A|RsH|P CAN FLY
FROM N.Y.T0FR|sC0
--cHAs. X. HAMILTON.
Daring Aviator Says Trip Can Be
Made Across the Continent in
Ten Days.


birdmen OF the country for nerve.
Quickness. boldness and daring Is
Charles X. Hamilton. He flies where
and when he pleases. Wind. water and
mountains do not restrain him. He Is
one OF the few aeroplanists In the
country who do not bother about the
weather Other aeroplanists say his
daring Is fatal
When he was boy and the other
kids were making small kites, Hamil-
ton made one large enough TO carry
himself into the air; all the kids
dragged on the rope while he scared
at a height OF 100 feet and nearly
killed his parents and citizens OF Hart
ford with fright. That Was 10 years
ago; he's 29 now. His father Is real
estate man, well-to-do Frank wouldn't
60 10 school. while the stars called
him; instead he left home and built
kites; he seemed born to get of the
earth. But he needed money
Hearing that Israel Ludlow. rich
student Of aviation. had built mon
strous man-carryng kite in New York
Hamilton offered 10 fly I'm II: no one
else. would take the chance. not even
Ludlow himself They tied the kite
string TO a tugboat; Hamilton hung In
a seat on the kites tail; the tugboat
started: the kite scared; II went 1000
feet into the air; Hamilton waved his
he DIS and kicked his feet In glee, TO
the terror-stricken New Workers. be
low him.
Then Professor Baldwin invented
the dirigible balloons. cigarshaped,
propelled with gasoline engine. Ham.
ilton got into this game In short order.
Al Paterson, n. j., In 1905. the Cali
fornia Arrow, In which he was riding,
exploded at height OF 200 feet The
GREATNESS crowds below him saw
Hamilton climb to the top OF the
frame, below the balloon and punch
the bag violently with his hands He
was driving out the gas, instead or
trying to stop the leak. Within a mo-
ment the empty bag was converted
into parachute and Hamilton alight-
ed safely II il had remained half full
OF gas he would have been dashed TO
death. This Quickness OF thought Is
the secret Of his success.
Hamilton is the first and only really
successful exhibitor OF the aeroplane
for the reason that most exhibitors
wait for MINDLESS days and thus dis
gust the crowds. while Hamilton flies
when he says he will. wind or no wind
1T doesn't matter how high or
gusty the wind is" he explained to the
correspondent of The Times after one
Of his flights at Mineola. l.. l.. AM
aeroplane will stay up in II and ride
safely IL the man at the lever has the
nerve and a quick hand. But a man
must think In tiny fractions OF sec
ends: In fact. he must act automatic
ally, In flashes, because he hasn't even
got time to think in a pinch. Wilbur
Wright Is the greatest aeroplanist on
earth today; he has absolute control
Of every muscle in his body; he's mas
ter OF himself and therefore of his
aeroplane. Wilbur Wright could never
have an accident in an acceptance he
would know what to do. just at the
right moment, to avoid It,"
"How long would it take to fly
across the American continent?" the
reporter asked him.
ANY areoplanist can be sure OF
flying 800 miles day and getting a
good sleep in the same "a hours. An
AeTOpldUt, HOWu ny Ohc OuBut
to 20 from New York to San Fran
cisco in 10 days"
"Can man sleep In an aeroplane,
II he Is a passenger%
He'd have TO be pretty sleepy: the
rush OF air is very great, and IL he
tries to use a wind shield to protect
himself as he sleeps he will interfere
with the progress OF the planes. II
would be pretty hard to run an aero
plane in relays. with two men, for
that reason"
Hamilton smokes cigarets.
That's one advantage the aero
plane has over the dirigible." he says.
ITO smoke under that gas bag meant
death. But smoke all please In the
aeroplane.'
BOSTON, June S.-A fight from
New York to Boston Is being consid-
cred by Glenn II. Curtiss, the aviator
who so successfully covered the dis
lance between Albany and New York.
A. l.. Lowering, representing local
amusement enterprise, Is negotiating
with Curtiss to attempt the fight. Cur.
tiss has stipulated that the course
shall be laid over the Sound to elm
mate cross country dangers. He be-
lieves he can make the trip. PIT
miles with only three stops for gaso-
line.
Swell Auto for Elk Chief