Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-06-29
Lincoln Beachey of California
Watched on Perilous Trip
by 10000 People.
He FLIES THROUGH GORGE
Makes Sharp Dip under Bridge
Barely Clears Rapids and
Safely Lands on Cana
dian Side.

Niagara Falls. y. Y, Juno T-WlN
tho Whirr Of his bip9nc motor drowned in
the roar of the cataract ana man and
machine momontarily ohscurod i'm errav
and mist, Lincoln Beachey. tie tam.
fornia aviator, to-day after circu-q
above the Falls, swooped beneath tina
arches Of the upper steel bridge and down
the gorge almost to the whirlpool. Ris-
ing again between the PERCEPTIONS side,
OF the lower river, Boachcy SCARED to the
Canadian side where he made a success.
full landing. 1t was the first time that
a bird man had cut throueh the ali
currents and mist clouds and lo7pinr foa,l
caused by Niagara Falls ana Eaptls
that have lured so many adlcu,.rers
to their death
| Throngs OF the American ana Canadian
shores. on the Three Sister islands and
| on the bridge, gazed with fascination
at the aviator, as he rose to a Io.eh-
of about ECO feet, twice circloj above
| the cataract and then made the lou.
swoop toward the narrow passage und.~
the bridge. His biplane came racing Oyer
the horseshoe fails so low that he "
| lost to view for an instant and thc0
winged close to tho water. rcriio,is',.
clos" 1t seemed to those above. II seemed
almost to skim the water as he made H.,
bridge PASSAGE midway between the tw.,
abutinents and about 10 feet hclow the
lowest steel Orders OF the structure.
ONLY so FEET ABOVE WATER.
Passing the bridge. Beachov continu-
ed on down the gorge almost TO the
Whirlpool Rapids, clearing the water
by not more than so feet. and his b.-
MI
air currents encountered I'm the doe,
pocket. There was a cry Of relief from
the crowd when they saw tha bfplore
at last soar TO a higher altitude and
clearing the wooded Canadian bank 10y
a narrow margin. sail away IN SAT-.
".
1T was the most exciting trip Of my
life" said Beachey, after landing at ~
agara Falls. Ont.
| To add to the difficulties Of to-day.
| flight. a light rain began to fail when
| Beachey took his seat in the hiplana
| shortly before six o'clock. The start
| was made from a base ball diamond
| on the American side of the river
about mile from the falls and n bit
to the north. He got away nicely and
then mounted upwards. moving AWAY.
| in the direction of the cataract His
| course was almost due south at tia
outset OF the flight and when he cross
! ed the American fall. he was about
1000 feet in the air. In a great sweep
ing circle he swung toward the north
and over the horseshoe falls.
Down the river he flew almost to II,
lower steel arch bridge two mios below
| the falls, and then took n course to the
west and then south again. always dror.
ping as he circled. on his second circle
he went well 10 the southwest before be-
ginning his low flight towards the upper
steel arch bridge under which he was a
pass Swinging again to the north and
travelling about 80 miles an hour. he cam:
on probably not more than 300 feet over
the horse shoe and swishng through FL.
spray.
| once over the cataract he lowered ~.
plane and rushing with the wind at 4
speed estimated at 60 miles an hour -
dipped quickly under the arch As H. lid
so he caught some OF the wash Of 81 q
outlet OF the power tunnel which shoots
cut from the rocky side of the preciri a
at that point At no time. from his lual
dip until the time he was clear Of the
structure, was the hiplane more than q
feet above the spume
The space through which he few was
1ss feet IN height and barely 100 feet from
side TO side The distance from the brink
, of the falls to the bridge in which ha
made the dip IS about 100 yards. Beachey
will repeat the flight tomorrow. To-
Gays crowd was estimated at 10000,