Omaha daily bee., 1911-07-02
ATWOOD FLIES OYER GOTHAM
Aviator Makes Daring Trip Above
Financial District.
HALF CIRCLES SINGER TOWER
Trip from New London TO Governors
Island Made in Little More Than
Three HOurs-Many sensa-
tiOnaI Incidents.

NEW YORK. July Lone OF the most
spectacular flights of American aviation
was ended at Governors Island this morn
ing by Harry N Atwood with a wonderful
half circle about the Singer tower, almost
grazing the roofs OF the craggy skyscrapers
below. Nothing so daring has ever been
attempted by any aviator before, In
France the Eiffe tower has been circled,
but the battling cross currents from
canyons and cliffs of lower Manhattan Is
land had hitherto daunted all American
aviators.
Atwood rose from New London at seven
minutes past this morning with the in
tention of flying down the Connecticut
shore and crossing Long Island sound 10
the aviation field at Mineols. When he
got into the air he found his motor hum
ming so steadily and the air currents so
! favorable that his confidence grew and.
instead OF crossing the sound. he turned
inland off Mount Vernon. lowered like
falcon to reconnoiter and headed for
He'll Gate and the mouth of the East river.
Below the aviator lay an uninterrupted
| stretch of roof tops. to touch any one of
which would mean instant destruction.
| Below him stretched the narrow and tor
tuous cross of the river spanned by four
lofty bridges
CrOGaeH River Twice.
As IL playing with his perils. Atwood
crossed the river to Long Island City.
near the williamsburg bridge. turned back
10 Manhattan Island, crossing the river a
second time. new oyer the city az no great
altitude TO the lower iend OF the island
cireled the Singer tower DETECTED his
course over Trinity church and eastward
south, ofsstife liberty townef and the new
Bankers Trust building TO, Wall street
and lowered in smooth splrals for mo-
ment over the amazed. curb brokers In
Broad street below.
Hitherto It has been a principle strictly
held TO by all aviators that whenever there
was dangerous spot to cross. the higher
one could rise the safer But Atwood
made his turn of the Singer tower at q
height of 525 feet from the street. a little
more than eighty feet below the pinnacle
OF the tower and barely above the Jagged
Gothic roof Of the City Investment build
ing, directly below and beside the tower.
The flutterlng flag at the top OF the
tower showed there was wind blowing oi
perhaps fifteen to twenty miles an hour
not enough to bother Atwood in his steady
going wright-Burgess bipiane.
Trip starts in Boston.
Atwood's flight today is really con
tinuation OF his flight yesterday from
Squantum field Boston. to New London
His distance then was 1856 miles. covered n
two hours and ten minutes. The bes
previous record was 106 miles. made By
p. c. Parmalee, a Wright pupil, will
Lieutenant Foulois, y. S. A.. as a pas
senger. Atwood carried his mechanician fol-
a companion yesterday, but did not repea
the feat today. His distance this morning
| estimated from the map was I22 miles, an,
his time three hours and twenty minutes
At Bridgeport Atwood descended within
easy sight Of the amazed passengers OF
moving train crossed the tracks In from
of the locomotive. and, repeating the per
formance. made three complete circles o
the train before he resumed his southwest
ward course.
It's pity I had to land" said At
wood, but / did. After crossing the VIII
iamsburg bridge, I ran out OF gasolin
and landed IN Long Island CITY In a va
cant lot behind some gas tanks to TAX
on two gallons There were very few peo
pie there TO see me. and I suppose mos
OF the city thought 1 had made an unin
, terrupted flight. The fact that did no
viii have some effect on my chances 70
the American records.
People on the street may have though
l circled the Singer building. but that
another mistake. l attempted II. but
, gust of wind caught me lust as I wa
rounding a corner and buffetted me back
ward so rudely that did not dare pus
the attempt
You tell me everybody IN the cit
thought carried Fred Fleet. my mechani
clan. with me. that's another mistake.
flew alone.
MY average speed 1 estimate roughly 9
|