The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-19
EUGENE ELY FLIES
 ID SHIP AND BACK
New Era in Aviation Is Mark
 cd By Unique Feat
TOASTED BY THE NAVY
Ely Is Welcomed At Both Ends or His Trip With Great Enthusiasm and Nothing Occurs To Mar
 fhe Performance

San Francisco, January 1S.-Flying a Curtss racing biplane. EugePe B. Ely to- day made successful landing on the cruiser Pennsylvania, and an hour later rose from the deck and flew back to selfridge field F miles away.
 The feat was accomplished without mshap. Not a wire or bolt of the dell cate mechanicism was injured and the eeeming ease of the whole performance lessened the spectacular effort.
 "It was easy enough said Ely, as he stepped from his seat and was seized by the soldiers of the Thirteth infantry and hoisted on their shoulders. T think the trick could be successfully turned nine times out of ten"
 Ely's flight was feature of the pro- gramme of the aviation meet which is in progress here.
 Adverse weather conditions had caused it's postponement from das to day, but when Ely reached Selfridge field this morning and sized up atmospheric condi- tions he at once decided to make a try at 1t.
 It was 1o:45 o'clock when he left the ground. After few circles he headed northeastward and disappeared.
 Cruiser Notified By Wireless
 In the meantime the wireless had noti- fled the cruiser at anchor with the fleet in the bay that he would make the at tempt and final preparations were made for his reception. A wooden platform 1s0 feet long and 50 feet wide had been constructed over the after deck of the ship. It sloped gently aft, and across the floor were stretched ropes with 1c-pound sand bags made fast at either end. These were designed to be caught by hooks on the lower framework of the biplane. As a further precauton a canvas bar rier was stretched across the forward end of the platform. Launches and ships boats, fully manned, were put out in event of a mishap. Ely had installed two seven-foot pontoons under his aeroplane to float the machine, in case he was forced to descend on the water, and for ward he had built a hydroplane to keep the aeroplane from diving.
 At 10:5S the lookout on the Pennsylvania sighted Ely through the haze and the 
 He came on at terrific speed and a mo- ment later circled around the fleet. dip- ping in salute to each ship and came up in the wind for the sterE of the Penn sylvania. He was flying low as he neared the ship and dropped down as lightly as guil striking the platform about 40 feet from the end. The hooks which had been arranged in the centerpieces of the
 
 the airship was brought to a standstill within rG5 feet. When Ely touched the -asteek he was going at the rate of about 35 miles an hour, but so gradually was the speed checked by the dragging of the sand bags as they were picked up in succession that he came to a standstill without dsarranging any part of the ma chine.
 Welcomed With Cheers
 There was a great outbuyst of cheers when it was seen that the landing had been successful and a rush of the off cers, visitors and sailors to greet the aviator One of the first to reach Ely was his wife, who had been given a point of vantage on the bridge by Captain Pond.
 After submitting to the ordeal of being snapped by numerous photographers, Ely was taken below to the captains cabin where he was the guest at luncheon
 In the meantime his machine lad been turned around, the hooks on the bottom of the centerpiece removed and the gaso- line replenished.
 In exactly one hour from the time he landed Ely took his seat in the machine and gave the word to let go. The aero plane swept down the 125-foot platform at a high speed, dropped off the stern with a gentle dip and then rose rapidly over the ships In the harbor. The start was as perfect as the landing had been. After rising to a night of two thousand feet. Ely circled over the extreme southern part of the city and then headed straight for the aviation field. He landed there at 12:13.
 Triumphai Return
 The cruisers wireless had advised the field officials of Elys departure and they were ready for him. A full com pany of the Thirtieth infantry swooped down on him as he dismounted and bore him in triumph on their shoulders to Major ONeills tent. The other troops were lined ID to cheer the avia- tor.
 An informal reception in the ma jor'-