The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-08-19
LONG A|RSH|p TRIP.
ATWOOD FLIES FROM ST. LOUS
TO CHICAGO,
First Days Fine Progress, From St.
Louis to Windy City, Encourages
Birdmen Greatly.

Chicago, Aug. 14.-By flying the
2S6 miles from st. Louis to Chicago
with only two intermediate stops. and
in an actual flying time Of five hours
and AZ minutes today. Harry n. At
wood Of Boston believes he has set
pace which will result in his establish
ins a new record on his flight by
aeroplane from st. Louis to New
York and Boston.
AS it is, Atwood appears to have
broken the American record for
single days flight. The best pre-
vious American record was made by
Atwood himself when he flew 14S
miles from Atlantic City to Baltimore
July l, 1911. The best international
cross-country record Is held by Andre
Beaumont, who in the Paris-Rome
contest covered 401 miles In a single
day. but in this instance he made
three landings, while Atwood today
landed only twice between start and
finish.
Atwood. in Burgess-W Wright BIZ
plane, left st. Louis at 500 a. m. He
landed in Chicago at 6:39 p. m. His
total time between st. Louis and Chi
cago. counting the delays occasioned
BY the two stops. was 10 hours and
IA minutes. but his catual time
in the air, computed by deducting the
delays, was five hours and 43 minutes
This Atwood asserts, is hours and
! 2 minutes less than the scheduled
time for express trains for the sam o
distance.
Atwood's descent into Chicago was
thrilling. Sailing in from the south
west lone speck in the clouds, he
made direct for the downtown district
and for time hovered unnoticed in
the distance over the skyscrapers.
Thousands Of people were crowded
at the like front intent upon the
flights O., the aeroplanes competing in
the aviation contest. Atwood appear
ed on the scene as a stranger. un-
hearalded and expected only by a
few.
suddenly the crowd noticed the on
coming stranger and a voice shouted: :
That's Atwood from st. Louis.
Immediately the vast assembly was
In an uproar. Two or three of the
airmen sailed out 10 meet Atwood.
Coming steadily onward he steered
over the aviation field and circled
around ii, while several OF The ma
chimes enlisted in the meet followed
behind as an escort. Once around.
Atwood descended gracefully touch
Ing the ground for the first time
since his stop at Pontiac, 81 miles
from Chicago. Originally 10 days was
the maximum time for completing the
1,460 miles to Boston. Atwood be-
lieves by the pace he set today, he
will be able materially to reduce that
time.
He had expected not to be able
to reach Chicago before tomorrow.
but the fine weather and the excel
lent working condition Of his machine
induced him to shorten his stops.
His first stop, which was made at
Springfield, 9S miles from st. Louis.
after two-hour and 25 minutes
flight, was to fulfill a promise. In
stead Of remaining there until 3 p. M,
however he got away two hours eer-
Her. he was scheduled to stop at
bloomington, ILL.,, but the crowds as
sembled at his proposed landing place
there were so dense he could not
hnd clear space enough to land in
safety. so he swept low and. nodding
his head negatively at the people con-
tinued. AT Pontiac he descended to
replenish his supply Of gasoline and
lubricating oil.
All the discomfort suffered by the
man who thus shot through the air,
at speed greater than that oe an
express train was a slight buzzing in
MS cars caused by the chuggins OF
MS engine. Landed on his feet he
was as calm as though he wern
merely spectator who had dropped
In to watch the other aeroplanes.
tomorrow morning he will resume
his Journey eastward. He said he
probably would take a course along
the Lake Shore railroad.