Douglas Island news., 1911-01-11
Boyd and the Bird Men
pay.

Mr. w. c. Boyd, of this city, who is : spending the winter in California, at tended the aviation meet of the bird men at Los Angeles, and writes to the ! News as follows:
 We left Los Angeles at F m. on s. P. train for Dominguez Field, 30 miles south, and arrived there in 20 minutes. The field is table land GOT ill Spanish, a "Mesa"), about 150 feet higher than the surrounding country, and two miles long and wide; level on top-an ideal place for the business on hand. It is very steep and is ascended by long road cut into it.
 On arriving at the top the first sight was au immense captive balloon, held down by steel wire running under a pulley fastened in the ground and worked by a gasoline engine. Next came the immense grand stand, seating over 3OOO0 people. (There were 85,0O0 people on the ground.) Back of the grand stand were booths for the sale of refreshments, food, etc., fsker dens and exhibitions of different articles; back of them a road, oiled and rolled as smooth as floor, on both sides of which were packed automobiles-about 800 to 1,0OO-from Los Angeles and surrounding country. GA first class automobile despises distance.l
 Shortly after getting seated in the grand stand biplane-a fier with two planes, or sets of wings-came hopping and rolling along on the exhibition ground in front of us until it got mo- mentum sufficient to rise, when it's rider inclined the planes, turned on more power and speed and gradually rose up on an incline. This method of ascent is an imitation of the manner in which an eagle or raven rises from the ground. He hops along the ground on- til sufficient speed is attained, then with one strong hop rises clear of the ground, flaps his wings and rises on an incline. The biplane has pair of Cun- ners and two wheels under it to assist in this run; the speed is furnished by two propellors just behind the wings, and its power was 60horse. This fier turned around, flew along in front of grand stand a number of times and finally rose up and out of sight. It rose 6,7O5 feet. Height is measured by a self registering Aneroid barometer Ca Barograph).
 Next came Curtis biplane, worked in the same manner, with equal success. It tried for speed and made over so miles per hour. Its work was in front of the grand stand, at height of about 800 feet.
 The most entertaining exhibition was by the "Autoinette," run by "'Latham," French aeronaut. This machine is @ monoplane, or single plane-has but one set of wings, bat longer and larger. It rose as the others did, got about 200 feet high, and then at about 30 miles per hour cruised back and forth the length and width e miles by 2 miles) for 2l hours without stop. It looked like huge dragon fly or butterfly and appeared as one of them or an eagle hunting for its prey. The wind in- creased to gale of 40 miles per hour. but they all kept up. Finally the An toiuette in turning, with the wind on it's quarter, tipped over too far, had to plunge lower down, caught on tele- graph wire, capsized and broke wing. No one hurt.
 The greatest event ofthe day was the work of the third biplane Ca Wright) worked by Hoxsey. He rose Il ,474 feet, was Rp over two hours and took the worlds record for height.
 This was a record day day for aero- nauts, both for attendance and for height attained amid difficulties. 1t seemed to myself and those with me the machines were success and as cafe