The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-01-31


full spee' Ghead just in front OF me.
At ttat time I could plIinly see the
city and harbor of Havana. Even the
outlines of the buildings in some instances
were quite distinct, and for moment
| grew respondent over tn" thought thi'
! mus descend. However, ] made ny
my mind that tho only thing to do was !
to give IT up fCr the time beng anu so
| glided down I, tho surfaC" of tho water,
ahghtry ~ smoothly that oven my T,
smoking tobacco that ! carried IN my 4,
Coat pocket was not moi~t"n"d
The destroyer Terry was the first To
reach me. having followed me after /.
picked her up The Padding was full
sreei ahcad bat she turned back as
soon AZ her PEOPLE saw from the deck
,ha. | had aighted had been in the
water lust ,onr miSutes when the Terry
came up to me and took me on board.
You cannot imagine how happy was
to step on the deck of that vessel
But thcrc is on" thing | want To say.
and that is that you must not got the i'm
preston that | did not tax" Il sufficient
supply Of oil. for | did. The trouble was
that in So'1n 'Inaccountnhic way my oil
tank became punCtui"d and much of
the OH ,oikcl ont and was lost. When
| foInd That | was running short nv
motors We" worhing splncdidlv. and
thore is no ou 'stion in tho word that
only for this could have reached Havana
and my pror".'i landing at Camp Co.
lumbia with thr gr~ i'Nst case.
1T was Just Twelve minutes ~ ~ o'clock
when aiightrd ard thrt made my time
I,, a nj -ht ,,,t, .tf. ts,
the ai; from the time left he" West
Il have learned since tha; | was almost
csact!i ton miles from Havana md siN
E?ilos of the shore of Cuba whom ! struck
tho surface cf tho So, did not e. ! the
sliGhtoat norv business when | landed for
the macnin" noated pcrtcct.. and
knew thai on" # IN" dcst"ovcrs would
quickly arrive and rot mo cut &c he
water
when the reroplanr was taken on
board tho destroyer and examined II
was found tha. onr of tn, planes had been
brohsn when 1t touch d 'h' w&,ar Tor
this reason the machine mua' go back to
the factory for repair,
1T was lust an hour and forty five min
utes 8s ne,r as can figure after | loft
hey West that | sighted tho island of
Cuba A first il had the appearance
of a heecv cloUd far in tho distance. hIt
owing 10 the rapidtv Of my flight II gro"
distinct IN very short time Gradually
could sec the outlines Of the hills and
then the trees came into Wow
Il cannot say too much concerning the
kindness and courtesy with which | wa
treated not only by na:al officers Of the
United S,a.es but by tn, officials of the
Republic of Cuba "a well When | was
delayed in making M start il worried
me considerably, but the na"al officers
told me to Get II out Of my mind and
assured me tha' they would wal until
ea'her conditions were ia orahle. 70
matter how lonC that was | would
have taken them a their word ard would
have waited for weeks If necc ssa"v. if
the weather had not changed this morning
making m" fight possible
"Forslns o!y tho wn ..ha- conditions
ws-, rorfNc. this morning have mad
no pro.i-,in.-y CHI, b,caIso thr winds
h1vo bt,a to- s,ronS and trn@cho ~ou~
and anyhow know tha' such to'ts w.r"
unn, 70 sar, because my machine was IN
perfec: condition.
Some pursors had tri,i to frlgh' NJ
me hesors | stared b. t,lling mr tbs
ir case I got into tho soa ! would h" in
danger of tho sharks the' infcst tropical
waters. but tn, naval officers VINO wcro
accustomed to tn" gulf told m tha'
such a notion was absurd For thai
reason folt no un >n.inoss whc ;eync
AS to my delay. in starting | will 80 -
that until thi; morning tn" sci was 50
rough tina. it would have horl impos-
sibls fer mo to alight on tho water with
out ashiny nv mlchln' In thi'
event of course | should have gon" 10 III
bottom.
krY WFsI Jan. 80. Cigarmakers of
this c.:y will present Net urdy with a
medal and a loving cup in recognition oi
his daring fight and in sympa hy Tor no,
attaining his desire to land on 'uNa
chores
The lo.GO people who assembled on
the grounds within half an hours notice
TO witness his s,a', 90, thp l0ea Ina
some hing wen; wrong a very enoi 'lm'
after leaving nc ground 10 mad" almost
quarJer ,urn and so suddenly and so
soon a. e: leaving ,he ground ma Il va
believed the airship was abou, 10 fall
from he a tanned height of 800 fee
IL was expected b" all mat h" would
descend, but NE machine riEhtod r-"lt
and seemed TO pick up speed, ard h"
made anoth circle over 'he crowd aId
then headed for Cuba
MANY criticisms have beef MAD" her"
concerning the location used for k"oplrg
tho airship and about the machir" having
been exposed to salt and fresh air. !,
raiued half tho day on Sunday on tn"
machine and the delicate LITTLE ship has
not been housed since il was put together
ove.' n week ago. The action of tb" salt
air here on machinery is we'll known TO
machins
Ii is rumorei that suggestions were
offered concerning carrying more cylinder
oil on the trip, but u l. said that the usual
amount was put IN and nothing more
was said until tho report was received
concerning lack OF oi. causing the failure
Expert machinists here say that many
exce,!ont oils used north of the Gulf
Strc I'm arc not satisfactory here. 1t is
believed that certain parts Of the ma
chinery Of the airship could through no
intended neglect but through ir"xpe-
rience of machinists in the climate have
q. become 80 damaged by salt air and rust
as TO have proved detrimental and
caused the failure.
Aside from Glenn II CurtlsS and the
Wright brothers J. A. d. Met mdy has
had longe.' flying experience THAI any
othe. aviator He made his first public
flights in the United States n Hammonds-
yot in aeroplanes constructed by the
Aerial Experiment Association, OF which
i.e was member and which was founded
by u. Aloxa nde; Graham Bell