The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-08-31

complete stop at 2.35 O'Clock.
As he hoped out of his machine,
an eager crowd of army officers
came rushing over the field in a
race to be the first to grasp his
hand. The privilege fell to Lieut.
Jacob Z. Fickel, who had flown with
MIN during his previous flight over
New York. Some one then proposed
three cheers for the youthful air
man, which were given with such
vim that they would seem tc reach
the Battery.
After getting a drink of water in
the quarters of one OF the Officers,
Atwood asked to be taken to the
city because he wished to have a
bath and put on clean clothes.
ALI of the officers who were free
OF duty formed a guard of honor
and accompanied him over on a
little ferry. The ticker and the
telephone had been busy in the
meantime and the Battery was sim
ply black with spectators when the
young airman landed.
many jumped forward to grasp
his hand, but the welcome promis-
ed to be so embarrassing that the
army men formed a a circle around
MIN and assisted him to get into a
taxicab, which whirled him to the
Manhattan Hotel.
Probably the most dramatic Incl
dent of the whole trip from st.
Louis, If not in the history of avia-
tlon was the start from Nyack yes
teroay afternoon. After studying
the conditions even the venturesome
soul of Atwood perceived that it
would be too dangerous to attempt
to fly from the small enclosure
where he landed beside Hook Noun
tain on Thursday.
atwood determined to life the
machine bodily to a field about half
a mile away which offered a better
chance to make the getaway. al
LhcuSh it seemed fully as DANGEROUS
10 the average observer.
want twenty-five men to help
ME carry this machine over there"
shouted Atwood to the crowd of
spectators.
You can have a hundred" cried
the mayor OF Nyack. And great
crowd of men jumped forward.
Motor Aflame, Crowd Scatters.
When Atwood was ready to start
the motor would not turn over. To
accelerate it, Leo Stephens filled
the Cylinders with gasoline. At
the next trial there was a cracking
sound, and suddenly the whole mo-
Tor was enveloped in flames. The
crowd, panic stricken, scattered
But before the craft was permanent-
iy ruined Atwood, Stevens and Me-
chanician Met smothered the
flames with their coats and by
throwing on some Nyack sod. At
the next trial the motor worked
beautifully. Atwood made ready to
go. The biplane was pointed
northeast obiquely down the rough
steep Held. In front of it, $50
teet away there was a wire fence
SIX feet high. Just beyond the
renee stood two ancient locust
trees separated barely by the width
OF the aeroplane.
Jumps Fence Like Kangaroo.
Starting with his motor running
'at top speed, Atwood guided the
craft over the bumpy ground at
l.53 o'clock. Tilted dangerously to-
ward the river on the slant of the
tleld, the craft bounced along for
iorty feet. Then it began to
impossible that it would be able to
clear the wire fence, much less the
trees. 1t all depended on the
Judgement of the aviator. His
very life depended upon his abil-
lty 10 negotiate seemingly i'm
possible spot.
But just as he reached the fence
he turned his craft upward. caused
IL to jump like a kangaroo, and as
1t cleared the fence by a few inch
es he twisted it around SO that it
tilted sidewise, passing between
the dangerous trees as a furniture
dealer passes a bulky object thru
narrow door.
Inc biplane sweeped through the
archway Of trees with just a few
inches on either side. The slight
est miscalculation on the part of
the pilot would have meant de-
The Atwood luck held.
Then the young aviator made a
graceful curve over Upper Nyack
and swung out over the quaint old
Tappan Zee, swiftly passing down
the Hudson to the accompaniment
OF the cheers of the Nyack popu-
lace.
His progress down the Hudson
was anxiously watched by the cit
izens at the various telephone sta
tions. AS the reports from Hast
ings, Dobbs Ferry and the vari-
GUS HUDSON river communities
came In, the announcement was
greeted by uproarious cheers. The
news OF the successful landing was
flashed around all parts of the
village.
Atwood's flight yesterday was
made in forty-two minutes. The
scheduled flight ended at the line
parallel with Forty-second street.
The additional four miles to Gov
ernors Island increased his mileage
TO 1850. aside from this Atwood
leave the ground. But it seemed
claims that he covered at least 100
more in detours.