Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-01-31
M'CURDY ALIGHTS IN The SEA
Aviator Unable to Finish Trip from
Key West to Havana.
FINE START MADE IN STILL AIR
when within Thirty Miles OF Cuban
Coast His supply Of Lubricnting
OH Gives Out--Picked Up
by boat.

HAVANA. Jan. 30.-Within ten miles Of
the Cuban coast and bur a short distance
farther from his goal, the Camp Columbia
aviation field. J. A. d. McCurdy the
Canadian aviator, ran out OF lubrlcating oil
today and was compelled to abandon a
magnificent flight from Key West. Fla.
When he saw that he could not quite
reach the port. MeCurdy alighted on th'
waters and the pontoOns with which If
was equipped floated the aeroplane until
the destroyer Paulding had overtaken the
aerial craft.
McCurdy and his biplane were taken on
board
AT first II was thought the aviator could
make a new start from the deck Of the de-
stroyer, but this proved impracticable and
the Pauldlng brought the outfit into the
harbor
McCurdy had gcovered approixmtealy
eighty miles when he w2s Obliged TO de-
scend and though he failed TO meet the
requirements of the competition, he accom-
plished feat unprecedented in cross seas
flying. Compared with the eighteen-mile
flight across the English channel, today 8
performance stands out far more re-
markable.
Sea and AR Calm,
KEY WEST, Fla. Jan. sG.-After a week
Of nerve wracking anxiety, aviator j. A. ID.
McCurdy, in a Curtiss biplane started on
his much-heralded flight from Key West
70 Havana at 1852 o'clock this morning.
! At Key West a light breeze was blowing
and the sea was smooth. Similar reports
came by wireless from Havana and Nc
Curdy. whose patience had nearly been ex-
hausted by a week OF anxious waiting
quickly decided to make the flight
! Early this morning orders were issued
to the government boats at Key West and
they Immediately took their positions ten
miles apart. When word came by wireless
! from the torpedo boat destroyer Roe that
the boats were stationed, McCurdy got
I ready to make the flight.
! An order was posted to raise the Amer
lean flag to the top of the wireless mast
as a signal that the weather conditions
were such as to permit the flight At GA
a. m there was not enough wind to move
he flag.
Uir Crowd 20 see start.
While the last details were being looked
after McCurdy stood calmly smoking Z
nine. At Gas a. m, the machine was rolled
INTO place and five minutes after the bis
steam whistle at the ice factory woke NJ
the town with a tremendous blast. II II
estimated that fully 10000 people saw thu
start McCurdy took his place In the ma
chine. an assistant oiled the propeller ant
then gave It a number of whlrls.
Four men held the machine while Nc
Curdy tested his motor by starting an'
stopping IT, The motor was started an'
the machine was off at a fast gait Il RAJ
nearly 500 feet and then raised in the al
towards the east
McCurdy circled the harbor at an eleva
ton of 500 feet. He made a second circui
at an elevation of 1000 feet and at 7;S
o'clock the flag dropped and McCurd,
crossed the line over the wireless station
going at the rate OF nearly sixty miles al
hour In ten minutes he was out of sigh
over San Key ten miles away.
Before starting McCurdy put on a III
buoy and carefully inspected the pontoon
which has been attached to the machine I
keep IT afloat in case he had to descen
TO the water.
Hundred and Twelve Miles.
| HAVANA, Cuba, Jan, 5o.--An Havan
and the surrounding country for man
CONTINUED on Second Page)