New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-24
OV|NGTON TAKES FIRST
j. S. MAIL THROUGH AIR
10000 People See AviatorS in
Novel "StuntS" at Nassau
Boulevard Meet.
AIRMEN CATCH BALLOONS
General Grant and Admiral Ching
Watch Military Features
Miss Quimby Only
Woman to Fly.
AIRMEN CATCH BALLOONS

Everything for which aviation meets
are famous, except death and disfigure-
ment, and a few novelties happened at
the Nassau Boulevard aerodrome yester-
day afternoon. Sixteen Of the thirty
seven aviators entered for the interna-
tIonal meeting appeared in the air at
one time or another. The only one who
will be prevented from appearing again
was Dr. Henry w. Walden. DR.. Walden
took tumble in that monoplane which
took him three years TO invent, build and
learn to fly The dentist escaped with
minor bruises but the machine lay OF its
back, a badly broken thing.
But such accidents are common enough
to the fraternity Of the atmosphere. II
seemed unusual that only this one mis-
hap should occur among all the niers
and aeroplanes which rose and circled
above the fiat Hampstead plain during
,the afternoon. one event in particular
appeared 20 invite trouble that in which
aviatOrs with passengers skyrocketed
about the heavens, chasing little toy bal
looms with messages attached 10 them.
Four and five biplanes were in the air at
once IN the course Of this contest, Dip
ping wheeling, passing over and under
one another. The aviators themselves
considered ii remarkable that no fatal
collision resulted
And while all this was going on Earle
L. Ovington got a sack Of mail from
Pcstoffice Inspector NJ. H. Boyle, at
Aeroplane station No. /. in the centre
OF the field, jammed it between his knees
and few with it i'm his Bl6riot monoplane
over TO Mineola. The postmaster OF
Mineola had been waiting for him since
800 o'clock il field there. When he
flew overhead at $50 O'Clock the post
master shouted a heated welcome which
nearly gave him tonsillitis. Then he
waved a handkerchief
Delivers First U. S. Aero Mail
Ovington knew Immediately what was
wanted. He dipped gracefully 70 within
sixteen feet Of the ground and cast the
sack Of mail ar the postmaster's head,
but missed. He rose again and the post
master made off with the mail for the
Mineola postofice Thus ended the first
official dispatch Of mail by air ir this
country.
Ovington started from the aerodrome
at 5:26 o'clock, delivered the mail in six
minutes and arrived back at the aero
drome at J.I5 O'Clock. The mail sack
had contained $40 letters and 1,2S0 post
cards. weighing in al about ten pounds,
which had been gathered from twenty
mail boxes scattered about the grand
and field stands and hangers Of the aero
drome
A Brooklyn letter carrier did the col
lecting and Inspector Boyle stamped the
letters and postcards with the aerial
pest stamp and locked them in the mail
sack with a United States lock key 10
which was held by the MIneola post
master From Mineola. where il was
sorted. the mail was dispatched by the
regular channels to all parts If the coun-
try.
About ten thousand men. women and
children arrived by automobile and spc-
cial train at the aerodrome before 3:3C
O'Clock. among them Gaby Deslys. in a
purple hat and gown that demanded at
tent'on The gown was split on one side
revealing a section OF black hose. AS the
wearer walked leisurely up the avenue
in front OF the hangers, accompanied by
her maid and an official OF the meet. she
gathered such a following that she was
forced 10 take refuge finally in an auto
mobile. After that the crowd turned is
attention once more 10 the flyers.
Bomb Opens the Meet.
At 3.l5 o'clock the bursting Of a bomb
above the centre OF the field announced
that the first event was on. This first
event was described in the official pro.
gramme as a passenger carrying rae,
for monoplanes, but the scarcity of mon.
oplanes and the fact that blplane flyer,
50 emed more willing To ascend i'm the ten.
mile wind caused the officials 10 chang,
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