The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-12-22

SAILING A SHORHESS SEA
Flights In His Custis Biplane at
GreenyiiIe, :. G., Few Days Ago.

Jimmie Ward set the dells of Paris
mountain reverberating with the tu-
multuous shouts of thousands Of people
by the three sensational flights yes
terday afternoon in Shooting star"
the jaunty little Curtiss bipIane in
which he has won recognition the
world over as a fearless aviator, says
the Greenville Daily News
Promptly at the hour scheduled for
the opening of the Greenville News
aviation meet, the aeroplane was roll
ed out of the hangar and given
hasty but thorough grooming by the
expert mcchanicians. After being in
troduced 10 the expectsnt throng in
the sentorian voice of the announcer,
Ward doffed his helmet in response to
the cheers and stepped lightly into
his aeroplane. One of the mechanic
ians walked behind the machine and
gave the big propeller a turn and
when the point Of compression was
reached, Ward threw the sparker on.
Instantly the great blades began a
da~Zling circle of light and the two
assistants braced themselves against
the ground as the aeroplane struggled
TO get away. At signal from Ward
derfui machine shot forward on the
runaway with the speed of an express
train. Down the level course for
some 800 feet the aerop1ane sped. the
little wheels barely touching the sod
and the biplane quivering as though
anxious to assert it's supremacy over
the feathered creatures of the air.
With all the grace of an eagle and al
"a
eyes riveted upon it, the wonderful
contriyance left the earth and slid into
the air on sharp slant and Jimmie
that has no shore.
Attaining a height of three hundred
feet in straight flight the machine
careened to the wind and sailed across
the aviation field. Round and round it
went, preserving an almost universal
height and demonstra ting beyond
question Mr.. Wards skill as a master
pilot of the air. So perfect was the
movement of the machine while aloft
that the purring of the engine alone
| denoted it as a creation of man, in
stead of some gigantic bird. Return
| ing 10 a point over the northern end
of the enclosure the aviator tilted his
slant that caused the spectators to
gasp for fear the adventurous boy
would be dashed to pieces upon the
ground. Within a few feet OF the
ground he tilted his machine up, until
it was on a level, and skimming over
| the runaway with the wheels of the
aeroplane barely brushing the grass.
| The contact of the aerop1ane with the
ground was light as the lodging of
thistle down. The propeller ceased
its whirring, and the aeroplane sped
over the ground under its own mo-
mentum for a hundred feet or more
and stopped within a few feet of the
| spot where it arose some twelve min
utes before.
| His next flight was a speed flight
showing the machine doing seventy
five miles an hour.
The "SpiraI Glide"
| BY far more spectacular and haz-
ardous was Wards last flight. When
the aviator left the runaway on this
flight few realized that he was abou,
to undertake feat which had added
to the death roll Of aviation the
names of su5h notable aviators as
Moisant, Hoxley and Johnstone. Or
this trip Ward scared high for the
purpose of descending by the "spira
glide" Climbing to the air to a height
of 4,s00 feet the daring birdman cir.
icied the aviation field for several min
utes and then began the thrilling ant
hazardous spiral glide to the earth
With the front plane turned dow1
sharply. and the whole machine tilt
ed side wise. Ward descended rapid.
to earth and once more skinned owe
the runaway to the hangar.