The Detroit times., 1910-06-14
BETS $4,000 FOR
! HIS DARING FL|GHT
Charles X. Hamilton Cruises $50
Miles To Philadelphia and Back in
8 Hours and "a Minutes.

NEW YORK. June 14.-Charles H.
Hamilton. premier American aviator
today made light of his aerial journey
from New York TO Philadelphia and
return. declaring that he intended III
the near future TO make a real
fight" Just 10 show what he coui1
do. II Is probable that. as soon as the
conditions are announced, Hamilton
will enter the New York 10 chicago
or the New York TO ST. Louis race
for which immense purses nave oeeH
pffered.
Hamilton's flight OF yesterday Is re-
garded by ayiators as one or the most
daring Ia the history or heaVier-thah'
Rir machines. In battered aeropiahe
in which he had flown hundreds OF
times In rain, wind and storm, ne
made the greatest cross-country jour
pey ever essayed in America, ana
which, I'm many respects, far surpass
es Louis Paulhan's London TO Man
chester trip. Paulhan made MS night
Of lS6 miles In four hours and IL min
utes, actual flying time, but he OVID
ed kis trip up into two days. he ne"
in q machine nearly three times as
large as the Curtiss biplane In which
Hamilton made his Journey
The English country over wnlcn
Paulhan few afforded many goo1
landing places in case OF accident;
Hamilton's landing place was In
swamp. Hamilton made tire round Trip,
n distance estimated at 1S5 miles. IN
three hours and "a minutes OF flying
time. The distance to Philadelphia,
by the air line. Is So miles. but on
his return trip Hamilton lost his way
and went several miles out OF his
course His average speed to Philadel.
phia was nearly AZ miles an hour; MS
average return speed nearly 81 IL
miles hourly.
Hamilton's return TO Governors ISL
and ct $40 last night was witnessed
by thousands. The people knew ne
had landed In a marsh near South Am
boy, N. j.. because OF trouble with his
spark plugs. He secured new ones
from an automobile and tried TO rise
from the swamp, an unprecedented
feat II failed and Hamilton smashed
his propeller on piece OF buried log
He had to wait until patched-up pro-
peller, the only one available, was
rushed to him by automobile from
Governors island.
Working almost knee deep In the
mud. Of the swamp. the aviator and
his assistants, piled the propeller into
place. Then wagons carried the light
biplane into the road. while Hamil-
toms machinists begged him not TO
make the flight from there.
AInn0 narrnu rnah Uhirh gQVa
him only three feet leeway. Hamilton
sped his machine for hundred yards
and then took TO the air. missing the
tree tops by only few inches as he
mounted. II was just 6:17 when he
went into the air. Higher and higher
he darted, reaching fifteen hundred
foot level before he came TO an even
keel, He explained later that in case
Of accident to the propeller he wanted
10 try to glide to New York.
lint there was no further trouble
Like an arrow the little machine sped
across the land TO the XIII Won Kull
and up the river to the New York bay.
where hundreds OF craft gave him a
roaring whistle salute. On towards
Governors Island he sped in the gath
ering dusk II was just $40 p. m,
less than twelve hours from the time
OF his start. that he came TO the
earth on the spot from which he had
assembled early in the morning.
Hamilton made the fight under the
auspices OF the New York Times and
the Philadelphia Public Ledger. both
owned by Adolph Ochs II is said he
received $4,000 for his achievement.
To show all New Workers what an
aeroplane can do. Hamilton Is prepar-
ing 10 nv. within few days. from
Governors Island TO the Hudson river
and around Van Cortland Park.