The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-08-25
ATWOOD FORCED TO
STOP 25 MILES
FROM GOAL
Aviator Had Engine Trouble
and Had TO Land.
IN BAD SPOT AT NYAcK
Could Not Even Take Time to Pick
Good Place and May Have
Much Trouble


incident to aviation brought disap-
pointment to thousands of people
along the Hudson river and in New
York City yesterday, when Harry n.
Atwood, in his record breaking aero
plane fight from ST. Louis failed to
sail over New York and land at
Sheepshead but instead, on account
of defect in his engine, was COM
PEELED to land at Nyack, n. Y, within
% miles of his destination. Atwoods
position last night was 1910 miles
from st. Louis and just 25 miles
from the heart of New York. His &C
tual flying time for the distance Gov
cred in IL days is q hours and 40
minutes Despite his failure to land
in New York, the days sail OF Joy
miles down the Hudson river gave
Atwood by 76 miles the worlds long
distance record formerly held by Eur
opean aeronauts.
Atwood's flight down the Hudson
before noon was full OF picturesque
incidents. He covered the lO9 miles
from Castleton where he assembled at
1885 a. m. to Nyack, where he made
his final landing at 1888 a. m, IN
an actual flying time OF two hours
and 81 minutes. Starting\from the
| top OF a hill at Castleton he circled
TO a high altitude until he found his
course over the river, and then he
began his Journey south, heading dir
ect for New York with an intention
of stopping only at West Point. From
this altitude under a cloudy sky and
flanked on his right by the Catskill
mountains. Atwood could see wrap
ped in a blue mist the river for
miles, stretching in a crooked path
way before and behind him. Just
one hour and three minutes brought
him to Kingston. opposite Rhineclih
which marked his having surpassed
by 10 miles the previous worlds long
distance record OF 1854 miles. AT
that point merrymakers in a fleet OF
skiffs scurried over the water TO cheer
the record.breaker. Further down
Atwood dropped so near the water as
TO be able to shout to the passengers
on a ferryboat. At that point he ap-
proached Poughkeepsie bridge, ana
swooplng still lower, he went under
IL at height above water OF only
100 feet.
Atwood's explanation OF his failure
TO land at West Point, where the par
AIDE grounds were crowded with OIL
GERS. cadets and citizens, was that he
found the space allotted him too ham
pered. After sailing low enough 70
look over the prospect, he rose, mot
ioning TO those below that he was
not going to land. To the disappoint
ment of the spectators, he sailed DIR
ectly over the river and landed a.
Garrison, 50 miles from New YORK
where no one was waiting TO gree
him. The first impression was tina
the aviator had met with an accident
AT 11:O5 a. m, the engines OF Al
woods biplanes were set whirrins
and he again shot up in the air, pur
posing TO make II his last dart 10
sheepshead Bay and thus complete
the trfp. But he had not gone IA
when he discovered that wearing met
al on his engine had worn away an'
> the mechanism was webbing. IWeh
ty.eight minutes after his last start
and only % miles out Of New YORK
ne decided 10 descend at Nyack.
In a meadow near Nyack Atwoo'
worked last night on the broken en-
zine OF his aeroplane Close as NY
eck Is TO the finish OF his flight iron
St Louis, the young Boston aViato
last night said that he faced the mos
embarrassing predicament OF his ION
tourney. His blplane is In an avn
ward box. out OF which only a sout
or southeast win can help him. n
saws. IL rests near haystack on IN
small sloping meadow $50 feet aboy
the Hudson and about 1000 YARD
from the water. Almost behind hir
Is the Rocky Hook mountain, risin
, nerpendicularly 500 feet, and 20 tn
south and east nearby apple trees an
[ some tall locusts make II diihcul
Z place TO take wing.
!. aIt is the worst box I've been !
!. since leaving st. Louis ATWOOD sal
3 81 could only climb out OF here agalns
1 n southerly or easterly breeze n
!. sat under cover OF the biplane whil
o n rained last evening and tried !
|. talk though he frankly admitted di
[ annointment over his I'll luck
o shau work here all night he col
n tInued. fixing the engine. The tro'
Bile il a broken babbitt on the COZ
3 Meeting rod. have sent to a Nyac
a machine shop for new casting an
4 I'M he ready 20 ny just as soon as III
n wind blows right tomorrow.
i Atwood announced last night pos
8 lively that he will not attempt TO u
o from New York to Boston after reac
ing the metropolis. I'm too ured
me- said. for a longer trip now
The aviator will delay his start i'
Nav York until about 3 o'clock
. IN. afternoon so as to land at II