The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-11-22

| These are then placed In a coffin like
receptacle about 10 feet in length, feet
in width and 8 feet In depth. This box
| is nailed up and is announced ready for
| shipment.
The other box Is considerably small
er, about IL feet in length in width
and in depth, and was prepared for
the beams. the steering wheel, the roll
ers, the threads and rope. When this
receptacle is sealed nothing remains
in view of what was hitherto an air
ship but the propeller. For this there
is a specially prepared box, just long
enough and deep enough for its accom-
mediation. To prevent its movement in
the box bolt which pierces the pro-
peller is riveted on the outside of the
box, bottom and top.
And then there remains nothing of
the airship. 1t is encased in four COM
paratiyely small boxes and 1t does not
exist save in the sense of ship total
ly wrecked or an engine smashed to
pieces. The mechanicians, at the time
of the completion of their task, are
covered with perspiration and are
breathing heavily. team bears the
remains of the craft to car and 1t
Is expressed as hrst-class merchan-
disc. Sometimes twice the regular rate
for frst-class merchandise Is demand
ed and on one occasion Mr.. Ely paid
hundredweight.
Something of Eugene ELY
of the Curtiss team. He represents
himself as a man whom the .neWspa-
ners not only of Birmingham but
throughout the south have grossly mis-
REPRESENTED. 1t has been reported tnat
he is merely a boy whereas he is about
40 wears of age. And then 1t has been
said that he weighs little more than
100 pounds, whereas he claims TO TIP
the beam at about 140. To support TINS
claim he agrees TO thrash any man uh-
der $50 pounds who desires to try con-
clusions with him And the grossest
instrumentation consists in the fact
that it has been published that he Is
n native of Chicago, whereas he was
horn and reared in southern California,
and that he has been styled a FORMER
mechanician," whereas he has never
done anything arduous enough to SOIL
his hands or begrime them.
said Mr.. Ely yesterday in regard
to the latter charge: Were my faith
err to learn that | have been styled
former mechanic he would 'pinch
someone"
In truth, Mr.. Ely is a young man OF
about 80 and Is of slight build. he
dresses nattily, wearing Ty Copp
hat. and carrying a light cane with
gilver can. He talks with northern
accent and finds the easy going
south very disagreeable at times. From
his observations he mas reached the
conclusion that Birmingham's colored
population Is as large as its white, put
he expresses none of the social equal
ity" arguments which the jumper at
conclusions might imagine.
| He states that at one time he was
driver of automobile racers, and claims
acquaintance with Ralph DePalma,
Louis Chevrolet. Lewis Strang. George
Robertson and other notable. He was
| Initiated as an aviator last January
made good from the start and is now
considered one of the leaders OF the
sport of the nation. He has rare
faculty of making himself very agree
able when he cares to be agreeable
Ely Corrects Mistakes
How the newspapers do talk" IN
drawlingly remarked yesterday morning
Here they have me criticising poo
Ralph tombstone for recklessness Why
never made a remark of that nature
tombstone was a wonderful man-bird. ii
was not reckless 1t was simply a cas-
| of being absolutely unafraid. He was
gallant man of the profession, and thougl
a rival, / do not hesitate to do him tn
3 courtesy of aiding in the correction OF
: false impression which doeV him grea
) injustice.
e And here they have me saying that tn
: Curtiss biplane is twice as fast and niue
= safer than the Wright machine. why,