The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-05-06

At Steeplechase Island yesterday
afternoon Earl L.. Ovington wrote his
name deep into aviation history by
making the first really successful
aeroplane flight in the state of Con-
necticut.
Stepping into his magnificent Bier
lot mOnopiane with no more concern
than a man who enters his autono-
bile for a ride around the park, this
daring young aviator. who won his
spurs at the great aviation meets at
Pau, FIRES re, shot up into the air
and for IL minutes afforded to the
thousands of eyes which were watch
ing from the island and all around
Bridgeport. the most amazing and
wonderful spectacle ever seen in this
city.
To the average spectator, yester-
days flight was q beautiful revela-
ton. To the initiated, it was more
than once a desperate Irritation with
death. Once at q height of 1000
feet a wing of the great bird ke
monoplane fell into a dreaded "air
pocket" Only by the quickest and
most desperate effort. and a sharp
downward plunge did the aviator save
himself from destruction. And in
arising and descending into the re-
stricted little field, he was taking tue
greatest chances and in each case
escaped fatal wreck by the narrow
est margin.
Though he was the principal actor
in this thrilling scene. and the only
one whose life and property We're st
stake, of ali on the Island, Ovington' 8
pulse was the only one that did Ut
beat faster, and Ovingtons nerves
the only ones that did not tremble
Scarcely IY. fr,o
pretty girl whom Ovington welded
just two weeks ago. No one can tell
with what GREATNESS interest She
watched her husbands daring flight
through the air but outwardly she
maintained the same GOODNESS and
fearlesSness that marked the young
aviator himself. She was the first at
his side when he alighted, and the
kiss with which she greeted him was
the best testimonial of her feelings
during his flight
Before his start into the air. OWING
ton discoursed with the utmost cool
ness of the hazards of the air. and
of the horrible fate that has befallen
some of his predecessors at this OAR
ing game.
eff Moisant had done this. Moisant
might be alive today" was Oyineton's
ants tied the big life-strap around
the aviator's waist which fastened
him tightly to his chair in the f1ier.
With hands that showed not the
slightest traces of unsteadiness. he
made fast the knots OF the life belt,
and continued to talk on Moisant's
awful fate, as coolly as though he were
discussing Sunday school picnic, and
utterly disregarding the fact that he
was just about to make the same des-
perate hazard himself
You see, Moisant fell out Of his
machine when it took a sudden jolt"
continued Ovington; .'if he had been
tied to his seat like this, he might
have come out of it all right
These life belts are great things"
he added with a laugh, at don't see
why they are not included in the
fashion plates for all aviators.''
Then. with careless wave of his
hands to the spectators, he gave the
word to his assistants and was off
like a shot.
How near the start of that flight
came to being disastrous finish, Ov-
ington tells the Farmer readers in his
own words:
By Earle l.. Ovington
CWritten Especially for The Farmer)
II certainly thought for a moment
at the start yesterday that there was
going to be a big dent in that ball
room. with a wrecked machine and
probably a wrecked aviator beneath
it.
THAT Steeplechase track is certain
ly the smallest and worst field I ever
arose from or attempted to alight IN
to. I had great difficulty in getting
proper start over that sub-soil of
sand. The small wheels, loaded down
with the heavy motor, sank into IL
and retarded me badly.
when 1 got into the air I pushed
down the tail of the machine and
started to rise. My machine didn't
respond the way it should and l saw
that I wasn't going fast enough.
"T had a fraction of a second in
which to make up my mind: to come
down and start over again, or make
an attempt to get over the buildings
upon which / was sweeping.
II find that my mind works auto
matfcally in such cases quicker than
can think. I realized instantan-
eously that to come down would mean
that I would plough right into the
fence and the spectators at speed l
was travelling.
so instead. \straightened out the
tail and shot straight ahead, plumb
for the buildings. 1t must have