The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-23
Atwood Arrives At Fort Plain,
N. Y, in Flight from
St. Louis
MAN AND MACHINE
IN PERFECT SHAPE
Aviator, However, Spends
SleepIess Night in En-
deaVor to Arrange FL
nancial Matters

FORT PLAIN. n Y. Aug. IL
Harry n. Atwood descended in his hi
plane on the outskirts of this village
at I O'Clock Tonight. an even 200 miles
from New York, the goal OF his flight
from st. Louis. Aviator and machine
are in perfect condition.
great crowd surrounded the ma
chine as soon as ii struck the ground.
and, lacking police protection, Atwood
feared harm would be done to the deli
cate craft. He finally secured the ser
vices Of enough stalwart farm nanas
TO form Gordon about the biplane.
however with thus guarded.
repaired 70 a nearby farmhouse 10
spend the night.
Atwood left Amboy, at 4: so O'Clock.
He flew a total OF g5 miles ia the fast
time OF two hours and ten minutes.
He passed Schuyler Junction ct 6:l2
having made the flight from Syracuse
To that point In one hour and teA.
minutes The running time OF the
twentieth century limited. between the
same points is one hour and seventeen
minutes The aviator was seen soar
ing over ilion. at 6:25. sixty-nine and
"a hai1 miles from the starting point
Wants Early Start
Atwood made 81 perfect landing here,
cirCling over the village until he sight
ed level space, and bringing his ma
chine 20 the ground without the slight
est nishap. He was anxious 10 make
several more miles tonight, but the
fast gathering darkness made land
ing imperative He expressed conf
dence Tonight. that he would hnish
on time, ana said he would get an
early start eastward tomorrow MORN
ing unless adverse weather conditions
prevent.
Atwoods flight to-day is especially
noteworthy because 1t was undertaken
IN the face OF various adverse cir
cumstances lie rad before him the
most periluus stretch CT his journey.
He was particularly untitled for the
effort because he had net slept dur
ing the whole night previous.
In addition to his physical condi-
ton and his worries. the wind blew
ali day al a rate just short Of huy-
ricane.
When Atwood landed at Belle Isle
last night. he hurried into Syracuse
TO be confronted by the aggregation.
who were supposed to have financed
his flight. This group Of Washing
ton promoters were to give him &c.
o00 for making the flight They
hoped to realize handsomely on the
money that was to be collected from
the towns and cities en- route, The
arrangements they madeA however.
and the continual pickering along the
route over financial matters became
so irksoma to Atwood that he prac-
ttcally flew where Judgment dictated.
spends Sleepiess Night
The adjustment OF these troubles
were fought out in Atwoods room at
Syracuse until ) o'clock this morn
ing. The promoters and the aviator
parted company. and he arranged to
continue the flight al his own ex-
psnse. He left Syracuse shortly after
5 O'Clock this morning, only 10 find
when he arrived at Belle Isle the wind
threatened 10 blow his precious craft
10. pieces
For many sleepless hours he watch
ed over the hiplane with his mecha-
nician. When there was a lun In the
windstorm he crawled under the hi
plane. utterly exhausted, and fell fast
asleep. Guarded by his mechanician.
Lawson and Lemet. he slept for a
scant hour. Exactly at ASS o'clock
he guided his trusty craft into the
air. and after swirl around the field
started east on his journey. During
the first hour OF his journey the swift
wind directly Mt his back drove his
craft so rapidly that at times he trav-
eled at the rate OF 40 miles an hour
lie covered the four miles between
kirkyilie and North Chittenango in
fraction less than two minutes