Milford chronicle., 1911-07-21
TAFT GIVES MEDAL
TO AVIATOR
Atwood Flies to Capital IN
the RAIN
GAVE REMARKABLE EXHIBITION
5irdman Made Sensational Flights
Around Capitol Building and over
Washington Monument.

President Taft received his first
aerial visitor on Friday. The president
stood on the rear portico of the White
House as Harry N. Atwood. of Boston,
after circling the Washington monu-
ment, few directly into the White
House grounds and landed on the
grassy lawn a short distance from the
portico.
Alighting from the machine, Atwood
walked to where the president stood
and was presented by him with gold
medal from the Aero club Of Washing
ton.
Following the medal presentation,
Atwood re-entered his machine and
after beautiful start scared away
over the White House fountain and
trees to Potomac park, where be
alighted on the polo field. He return
ed to College Park later in the day.
When Atwood arrived at the speed
way he was completely drenchAi, part
of the flight having been made. through
a rain storm He had to change his
clothing at the New Willard hotel
A large crowd assembled on the
speedway to see him alight. Atwood
was the guest at a luncheon given by
the chamber of commerce. He was
presented to the members by General
Robert Shaw Oliver, assistant secre-
tary of war, and Charles j. Bell. OF the
Washington Aero club.
After the luncheon Atwood made an
ascent in his aeroplaue and dew to
the White House. where President |
Taft, in the presence of nearly 100 |
members Of the Washington Aero |
club. presented him with the gold |
medal of the club
On his first ascent he went up for |
nearly 1000 feet and gave a remark
able exhibition of volplaning, diving,
banking aud making figure eights. He
made a sensational dive of over a
hundred feet in she air, and so star
tied the medical corps of the army
aviation school that they hurried a
hand ambulance to the field, feeling
sure the daring aviator would be dash
I'd to earth. He fooled them by COM
ng to within thirty feet of the ground
md then. without the least apparent
Effort, climbing back 400 feet Atwood
Kept this exhibition up for fifteen min
ties and then made a fine landing.
The capitol was reached by Atwood
n about ten minutes. The members
# congress who were in the building,
IS well as those in the senate and
Iouse office buildings. hurried outside,
nd the aviator was greeted by a most
distinguished gathering, He circled the
apitol building, glided over the office
buildings, few around the library OF
and around the capitol
rounds and then, like bullet from a
un, shot down Pennsylvania avenue
D the direction of Potomac park
Reaching the park, Atwood again
ircled around in the air and then
limbed to a thousand feet over the
monument For a minute
he aeroplane seemed to be perfectly
till, and then like a flash of lightning
shot down directly for the top Of
he monument ,Tr. spectators shiver-
d. and on all .as persons could be
card saying that Atwood surely
'Ould be killed.
When the aviator got within ten
eet of the top of the monument he
raoefully righted the aeropIane and
gain circled the park. while the
rowd below cheered him again and
gain Returning to the monument,
twood climbed to abou 500 feet from
le top and then made daring and /
sautiful spiral glide around it. nearly
,uching the earth as he finished. but
e did not land and again the ma
line went up in the air :