The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-07-15

turned to Ammons. HE mechanic. and
asked If everything was in readiness.
IL was about 3 o'clock when Mars settled
into his seit and started his biplane.
II glided upward after running twenty
five feet along the ground. Mars arose
To a height Of 800 feet His machine
seemed TO completely stop at that height
and it was plain that the air currents
were giving him trouble. He remained
,up about one and one-half minutes
The crowds cheered him. but his biplane
seemed to tilt as the wind from the lake
grew stronger and Mars descended to
await until the wind should die down.
At 325 O'Clock he made another at
tempt Again he went up about 800 feet.
recognized that the wind was too strong
and started to descend. The wind
carried his biplane slightly to the east.
it seemed " become stationary for a min
ute. then tilted Mars had struck the air
pocket
James C. Mars-Bld among the bird
men--is dark. wiry little man who has
come tn 2s years despite a professional
career that included parachute jumping,
diving from 100 foot ladders into two feet
Of water. bareback riding in circus and
daredevil stunts with a biplaDe. As an
aviator he ranked with Americas e best
and with the exception OF Eugene Fly
was the best known flyer OF the Curtiss
school.
He began hustling for himself nine
years ago as a newsboy in Chicago.
Capt. Thomas =. Baldwin. the veteran
aeronaut and aviator. taught him the game
of parachute jumping when he was Is
wears old. That was too dull. 80 bud
Joined a circus and turned somersaults :
on the broad back of ring horse. One
day the lion tanner disappeared and Mars
volunteered for the job. He cracked the
whip over the collection OF lions for awhile
and then found another game that seemed
more exciting-high diving. The man
who had been doing the stunt made a
miscue one day which ended his life.
After several months high diving palled
on the young man and he went back to
ballooning. In 1907 at the jamestown
exposition he rode the big kite designed
by Israel Ludlow.
He was at Los Angeles in January.
1909, when he saw an aeroplsne for the
first time As soon as ne got back
biplane factory at Hammondsport. " Y.
and told Curtiss he wanted a job "a u
fier. Curtss took fency to him
straight away and in the next few days
taught him how to navigate heavier
than air machine. Mars learned rapidly
over Lake Keuka. He went with Cur
tiss to the Memphis aviation meet aud
there equalled Curtiss's quick starting
record. On the third day OF the meet
he was dashed into high fence and
badly hurt. but he was at IL again ten
days later in Los Angeles. Then he tried
to fly from Topeka, Kan. TO Kansas City
Mo. for 5000 prize. but his engine
broke down and he had to quit.
In August. 1910 Mars. with Ely. Willard
and McCurdy of the Curtss staf. hew
At Sheepshead Bay before crowds that
occasionally numbered 1000. In one
Of these flights he had TO volplaue into
the ocean. After the Sheepshead meet
ing he went West Oh tour of exhibitions
and was injured trying to fly over the
Rockies. John Ringing and Lewis Pen
we'll offered him si,UO to cross the main
range and Mars made try for II. He
fell near the top OF the range, crumplihg \
his machine and suffering severe in iuries
His most notab achievement was his
trip around the world. from which he
returned on June ~ last Shortly after
the Belmont Park meeting last fall Mars
with Capt. Baldwin. Tod Shriver and y
stan of mechanics. showed at Norfolk
Denver. Phoenix and Stockton. then sailed
for Japan; Capt. Baldwin turned back
AT Japan. but Mars swung on around the
globe. He set an altitude record Of Q. .5Ot
feet for the Japanese aviators to 60 afteI
and taught number OF Japanese army
men how to fly. In China he scared thou.
Sauus, WHO taucieu tHdt u heW hluu VI
dragon had leaped from the sun. Manila
gave him a splendid reception.
At Bangkok he was entertained by the
King OF Siam. whom he took as passen
ger on a short flight. He flew in Calcutta
Irkutsk. ST. Petersburg and Warsaw
While abroad he made 2sO fights and hac
only three accidents In Japan ne stumbled
into an air pocket which let him do wn ha rd
gave him bruises and kept him on the
ground for a week He sold several Amer
can made biplanes in the Orient and tn,
trip was very profitable.
Mars was an unaSsumlng young ma
who took his aviation honors modestl,
and was disinclined to talk much abou
himself. Glenn II. Curtiss regarded hin
as one of the most capable aerOpla ne pilot
that have been developed He is Marie,
and his wife invariably accompan ME
him to the flying meets She has mad
many flights with him and is very prou'
Of his success. They have no children
Mars is licensed pilot of the Aer,
Club OF America ha wing won his paper
last summer at the Sheepshead Bay meet
ing. He was the eighth American file
10 win license.
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