Smyrna times., 1911-07-19
FAFT GIVES MEDAL
TO AVIATOR
stvOOd Flies to Capital in
I the Rain.
GAVE REMARKABLE EXHIBITION

sirdman Made Sensational Flights
Around Capitol Building and Over
Washington Monument.
President Taft received his first |
aerial visitor on Friday. The president
stood on the rear porticO of the White |
House as Harry N. Atwood, of Boston,
after circling the Washington monu-
ment, flew directly into the White |
House grounds and landed on the
grassy lawn a short distance from the
portico
Alighting from the machine Atwood
walked to where the president stood
and was presented by him with a god
medal from the Aero club of Washing.
ton.
Following the medal presentation,
Atwood re-entered his machine and
after a beautiful start scared away
over the White House fountain and
trees to Potomac park, where he
aighted on the polo field He return.
ed to College Park later in the day.
When Atwood arrived at the speed.
way he was completely dTenched, part
of the flight having been made through
a rain storm. He had to change his
clothing at the New Willard hotel.
A large crowd assembled on the
speedway to see him ahght Atwood
was the guest at a luncheon given by
the chamber of commerce. He was
presented to the members by General
Robert Shaw Oliver, assistant secre-
tary of war, and Charles ]. Bell, of the
Washington Aero club.
After the luncheon Atwood made an
ascent in his aeroplane and few to
the White House, where President
Taft, in the presence of nearly. 100
members of the Washington Aero
club, presented him with the gold
medal of the club.
On his first ascent he went up for
nearly 1000 feet and gave a remark
able exhibition of volplaning, diving,
banking and making figure eights. He
made a sensational dive OF over a
hundred feet in the air, and so star
tied the medical corps of the army
aviation school that they hurried 4
hand ambulance to the field, feeling
sure the daring aviator would be dash
ed to earth. He fooled them by COM
ing to within thirty feet of The ground
and then, without the least apparent
\, effort, elimbing back 400 feet Atwood
Kept this exhibition up for fifteen min
utes and then made fine landing.
The capitol was reached by Atwood
in about ten minutes. The members
Of congress who were in the building,
as we'll as those in the senate and
house office buildings, hurried outside
and the aviator was greeted by a most
distinguished gathering. He circled the
capitol building, glided over the Office
buildings, few around the library Of
congress and around the capito
grounds and then, like a bullet from g
gun, shot down Pennsylvania avenue
in the direction of Potomac park.
Reaching the park, Atwood agaiI
circled around in the afr and theI
climbed to a thousand feet over the
Washington monument. For a minute
the aeroplane seemed to be perfect!
still, and then like a flash of lightning
it shot down directly for the top o
the monument The spectators shiver
ed, and on all sides persons could b.
heard saying that Atwood surel!
would be killed.
When the aviator got within tel
feet of the top of the monument h
gracefully righted the aeroplane ant
again circled the park, while th'
crowd below cheered him again ant
again. Returning to the monument
Atwood climbed to about 500 feet from
the top and then made daring AM
beautiful spiral glide around it, nearl
touching the earth as he finished, bu
he did not land, and again the ma
chine went up in the air.