The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-11-18
SHOWS AEROPLANE
AS FACTOR IN WAR
ELY FLIES BIPLANE FROM DECK
OF CRUISER.
Naval Expert Declares That Flight is
Proof of Utility of Air Craft
in War.


in War.
Fort Monroe, Va, Nov. 14.-Aerial
navigation proved today that it is a
factor which must be dealt with in
the naval tactics Of the worlds future,
if the successful flights made by Eu-
gene B. Ely in Curtiss biplane from
the deck Of the crusier Birmingham
can be taken as criterion. From
HAMPTON Roads, the scene As years
ago of another epoch-making expert
ment in the history of naval warfare
when an ironclad proved it's superior
ity over the former type Of fighting
vessel, the aviator today flew across
the lower end Of Chesapeake bay,
landing on the opposite side from this
fort
In weather conditions unfavorable
for flying, the daring birdman shortly
after 8 o'clock this afternoon glided
from the platform erected on the
front of the big black crusier, swooped
down like an immense bird OF prey
until he touched the water, then rose
rapidly into the misty air Of the lower
bay and was off in the direction of the
broad Atlantic.
> Lost on Horizon.
Five minutes after having taken his
sudden farewell Of the Birmingham
he was a lost speck on the eastern
horizon and had landed safely on Will
loughby Spit. The impect with which
Sae big machine struck the water after
its S7-foot drop from the front of the
cruiser caused one Of the propeller
blades to be Jagged as though a coarse
saw had gone along its edge and
.sma', piece was split from the blade.
But not for an instant was the speed
ss thu aeroplane lessened and it darted
away with express-train rapidity on
it's victorious fight
Dares the Weather.
Intermittent rain throughout the
day, small hail showers, and contlnu-
GUS fog, almost compelled the aviator
to postpone his fight. But he was
determined to prove, as he said after
the fight, that he could accomplish
more than had been expected of him.
Furthermore, he did not wait for
die Birmingham to get into motion
which would have added to his mo-
mentum and have been great help
to him, but, seizing an opportune mo-
ment between showers, he was off be-
fore those who were on the ship with
him and on the other vessels station
Cd at various points nearby to follow
and assist him in case of need were
aware that he was ready for his Won
derful flight, the first of it's kind the
world has ever seen.
Can Soar From Ship.
Ely proved today that it is possible
to fly safely from a ship, and after
having done this, asserted with en-
phasis that it would be an easy mat
ter for an aeroplane to alight on
vessel either while the latter was
moving or stationary. Naval experts
who witnessed the fight expressed
their belief that the navies of the
world in the future must take the
aeroplane into consideration when
mapping out plans of action.
Capt. Washington 7. Chambers, who
has been detailed by the navy depart
nent as chairman Of board Tor
.a=ronautical investigation, declared
that the flight was more than he had
anticipated and he is confident that
The time is near whe1 all scout cruis-
~ers will be equipped with a number
of aeroplanes. They will not be for
battleship use he explained, but for
scout duty in connection with the
work of the scout cruisers Of the navy.
Would be Easy.
when Mr.. Ely few with such ease
from a standing ship" he said, 1T
showed beyond doubt that his task
gould have been much simpler if the
Birmingham had been moving.
Starting out from the Norfolk navy
yard at 11.30 this morning on the
Birmingham, closely followed by the
two torpedo boat destroyers Roe and
Terry and by the torpedo boats Bailey
and Stringham, it was fully four hours
inter before Mr.. Ely's machine was
working to his full satisfaction.
The machine which he flew was the
one which Glenn Curtiss sailed down
Barough the air channels of the Hud-
son river valley from Albany to New
York. It had seen two previous cross
water flights, one over lake Erie from
Euclid beach to Cedar Point and back