The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-13
Ely Scars Majestically Over the
Lake While Thousands
Applaud Him.
WILLARD IN DARING DIP
Perkins, Kite Aviator, Will
Make Flight at Darlington
Park Today.
WILLARD IN DARING DIP

Ten thousand people cheered as one
person as Eugene B, Ely, in his Curtiss
biplane, left the ground Sunday after
noon at Darlington aviation park. They
cheered him again as he climbed higher
and higher in the air and scared ma
cheers greeted him as he returned and
flew along the flying course directly
in front of tho long grand stand, ma
neuvering prettily before the throngs.
Ely's great feat was duplicated by
Charles L. Willard, another famous Cur
tiss flyer, who went up O moment after
Ely had alighted. He electrified the
great throng with thrilling and beauti-
full spiral dips aud curves, turning the
biplanc in its own length and executing
the maneuvers as gracefully and as
quickly as n bird at play
Then both of the flyers appeared in
the air at the same time and raced
through the air at great speed, turning
and twisting as though the aeropIanes
were great birds. a flock of birds,
startled from their resting place on An
telope island, raised in the air and ut
rivals. They were quickly distanced by
the aeroplanes, however, which proved
swifter than the birds.
First Day Big Success.
| The first day of the Salt Lake avia
| tion meet was great success The
| fights were not surpassed, In point OF
perfect control and spectacular interest,
| by any held at any meet anywhere,
| Both Ely and Willard showed them
selves as perfect masters of the air.
They proved conclusively that aero
planes in this altitude can be flown with
great success.
cluded on schedule time aud throughout
| the afternoon one or the other aviators
was in the air constantly, and some
| times both machines were in the air at
once. Today Clarence H. Walker, the
Salt Lake flyer. will make several
flights, while Sammy Perkins, the kite
aviator. lifted by his string Of tetrahe
dral kites, will also be added to the
flying list.
Although the crowd was much larger
than had been anticipated 1T was han
died we'll and until the crush broke
down the fence the people kept off
the flying field. After the fence broke
down the officials experienced some diff
ticulty in keeping the people from the
field. This condition will be remedied
today. when a company of soldiers from
Fort Douglas will patrol the grounds
and keep all the people off the field
This will enable the people In the grand
stand to have an uninterrupted view
and give the aviators a better chance
for starting and ahghtlng on the field.
Get No Trial Flights.
The avlators were somewhat ham
pered Sunday from the fact that they
| had made no trial flights previous to
tbe opening of the meet. None of them
/ in ak
and they were somewhat puzzled as to
how TO negotiate the atmosphere, IL
was found that the power Of the en-
pines was cut down materially by the
altitude, but in spite of that fact they
were able to ascend to considerable
height and to attain speed OF sixty
| five miles nm hour.
| Both aviators said Sunday night that
they were satisfied with their flights
Yesterday and that the success of these
| flights warranted them in going after
the altitude and speed records today
For the aviator who breaks the worl s
altitude record in Salt Lnke there is
prize of $1,000, and naturally The ava.
tors are after this prize, They would
not say that there was Likelihood OF
uetting this record, but they did say
that they were convinced that great al
titudes can be reached in this section
and that they would both go up sew.
eral times as high today as they went
Sunday.
Another feature of today's pro-
pramme will be the passenger carrying
tests. Lieutenant Alva Lee of the Flf
tcenth infantry. stationed at Fort Dong
las. will be passenger with Charles +.
} Willard on his second flight at the avia-
tion field today. Mr., Willard said that
,, if he found conditions favorable he
would take Lieutenant Lee up with him
on the second flight,
Walker Is Disappointed.
. Clarence II Walker. the Salt Lake
, bov aviator. was keenly disappointed
, Sunday on being unable to rise from
the ground His engine Is much smaller
than those of the other nviators and he
WAS unable to secure enough speed on
the runway to carry him into the air.