Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-14

machine to College Park this afternoon
without accident, there is little probable
ity Of his attempting another over-city
sight this evening.
which he bought from Charles X. Hamil-
ton, and which he has named the Moth"
II he remains in the city until Tuesday,
as is his intention, 1t is practically certain
he will attempt othei fights over the
capital
Mr.. and Mrs. William F. GUIDE called
al the Willard this afternoon to escort
Mrs. Atwood, mother Of the aviator, to
the White House to be presented to the
resident.
Acted Like a Moth.
Atwood could not have selected a
more appropriate name than the
moth" for the aeroplane which he
purchased yesterday from Charles K.
Hamilton, for In his flight last even
ing his dips and glides about the
Washington Monument resembled the
movements of a moth near candle
Only the steady nerves and skill of
the daring aviator kept the moths
wings from the surface that would
have destroyed them. Once they were
within twenty feet of the point Of
fatal contact. The little winged creature
fiirted with the big candle, capered
about II until IT grew tired, and then.
IN the waning light. droned It's way
lazily out to its hangar at College
Park.
While the moth and it's human pas
senger were doing these things 500
feet and more in the air thousands of
Nashingtonians from the ground and
housetops and from every conceivable
point that afforded view of the sky
watched the maneuvers with bated
breath.
When the birdman would make his
oil
less schooled in aerial antics. think
Ing accident had overtaken the ma
chine. would turn their gaze away
from the sickening descent, while
others would rush forward to the place
where they expected to see the frail
air craft strike the earth. Each time
Atwood rose triumphantly and sailed
away to some other circle in the sky
to thrill the crowd. for gazing human
ity literally covered the expanse from
Pennsylvania avenue to Potomac Park
Atwoods falls" were simply vol
o1anes"
Crowds Soon Gather.
There were comparatively few persons
out TO witness the flight before Atwood
made his way into the city The aviator
scarcely had been sighted, however. be.
fore the streets filed with people I'm
mediately there was a rush for the Mon
ument grounds. Atwood gradually ex-
tended his maneuvers south of the Mon
ument, and il was at Potomac Park and
on the approaches thereto that automo-
oilists gathered principally to witness the
flight.
When Atwood told Granville Hunt that
Washingtonians would be repaid for
their wait 10 see him fly he must have
known then what he intended doing for
ne more tran made good the promise last
night. For half an hour he provided a
series OF aerial thrillers unlike anything
residents of the capital have Witnessed
before, which is going some when II is
remembered that they have seen a good
deal OF aviation beginning with the frst
public exhibitions of the Wright brothers
Atwoods most spectacular effort was
his dash at the Monument as If he aim
ed to knock off the aluminium tip After
ctrcling the big shaft. he sped away in
the direction OF the Virginia hills then
turned sharply and drove his aeroplane
directly toward the top OF the Monument
When almost directly over the apex he
shut on his motor and came sliding
down.
Thought It Death Plunge.
At this moment thousands of people
thought the aviator was plunging to his
death. There was rush toward the
Monument. Blu. Atwood turned on his
engine again. and scared over the heads
Of the persons who had expected to find
him pinned under the wreckage Of his
machine.
Coming into the city. Atwood made his
way toward the Monument on a fine jus,
south Of the Post Office building. His
nrst maneuyers were around the Monu-
ment, and 1t was there he INDUCED in the
daredevil tactics which brought people
70 the Monument on the run.
He sought other fields to conquer. how.
ever. and turned in SO many directions
that the bfplane was seen In It's operation