The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-05-30
CURTIS MAKES
GREAT FLIGHT
Won World Prize in q Flight
From New York to Albany
and Return

9SeW 1OEA, MAY SV.@0len n. CUR
tiss flew from Albany to New York
city in an aeroplane Sunday, winning
the $4,000 prize offered by the New
York World. He covered the distance
of 137 miles in hours and 80 min
utes and came to earth as lightly ~
pigeon. His average speed for the
passed any record ever made by an
in Its entirety his feat perhaps
eclipses anything man has attempted
in an heavier than air machine.
The start was made from Albany
at 1903 o'clock this morning under
weather conditions as nearly perfect
as the most fastidious aviator could
demand. One hour and twenty-three
minutes later he had made his stop
| ping place near Poughkeepsie. where
there was an hours intermission. Re-
suming his flight at 1926 he sped
southwark and landed within the
boundary of Manhattan Island at
1895. Only 100 yards north Of the
point on which his craft settled,
stretched Spuyten Duyvel neck separ-
ating Manhattan island from the main
land.
Had he failed to cross this, his
flight would have been In vain, but
as he swept over 1t, the prize was
his. Thence to Governors island his
task was but whim of triumph and
the concluding lap of q race already
won.
Paulhan's flight from London to
Manchester-1S6 miles-exceeded the
Curtiss feat of Sunday in distance,
but not in speed and danger. The
Frenchman's average was 44.3 miles
! an hour and below him lay English
meadow land. Curtiss followed the
winding course of the Hudson, with
jutting headiahds. wooded slopes and
treacherous palaisaes.. He swung high
over the great bridge at Poughkeep-
sic, dipped at times within fifty feet
Of the rivers broad surface and jock
eyed like a falcon at the turns.
Only once did his craft show signs
Of rebellion. This was OF Storm
King, near West Point, where at
height of nearly 1000 feet. treach-
erous gust struck his planes. The
machine dropped like a rock for forty
feet and tilted perilously. But Cur
tiss, always cool, kept both his head
and his seat and by adriot manipu-
lation Of his levers, brought renewed
eQulplDrlum.
Curtiss was up before dawn, hesi-
tant despite favorable weather condi-
tions. But with his eyes and brain
cleared Of the cobwebs Of sleep he
went with his mechanic and a hand
full Of spectators to Van Rensselaer,
island, in the Hudson, three miles
south Of Albany. from where he was
to make the start. Waiting at the
river bank was special New York
Central train for Mrs. Curtiss and her
party, who had not accompanied the
aviator to the island.
From the train they could not see
the actual start. but those on the
island witnessed remarkable scene
uCrtiss arose from the ground like
rocket. There we're no preliminary
maneuverings-there was no trial
flight. The aeroplane ran hurriedly
over the surface Of the island and
darted straight for it's goal to the
southwark. turning once for a moment
to the west so that Curtiss might COM
ply with the terms of the competi-
tion. under which he was flying, and
technically cross the Albany city line.
Straight up scared the aeroplane
into the distance. When 1t reached
a height estimated at 500 feet. 1t
seemed for moment to hold a level
pace and then to rise again to further
conservative estimate. Certainly Cur
tiss was ying at height which he
had never attempted before. In three
minutes he was a minute speck in the
distance. and in seven minutes he
vanished from sight.