New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-02
Continuing Trip from Squantum,
Atwood Sets New American
'CroSS-Country Record.
CIRCLES OVER MANHATTAN
Making One Stop, Aviator Covers
Approximately 14o Miles IN
2 Hours and At Minutes,
Actual Time in Air.

,o,don Conn, to Governors lsiand yes
do, morning. distance, including
.o.,itous circles above the metropolis
and towns along the way, OF approx
,ootelv 40 miles. in two hours and forty
seven minutes actual flying time lie
did not carry a passenger.
ON Friday Atwood took his mechanic
nv aeroplane from Squantum Field near
Poston. TO New London. approximately
IA miles. All American 'cross-coun'rE
records with and without a passenger
are therefore beaten by the CONTINUOUS
tourney from Boston to New YORK DIS
flown. being a distance of at least 10
miles -,
Atwood stopped at Astoria Long ISL
and. at 9:31 o'clock for some ci"cA'i'
and gasolene Also, being a stranger III
town he thought Astoria was on Gov
ernor's Island IT was the only stop ne
made on the journey.
Being informed by one policeman ana
three thousand spectators who quickly
swarmed to the field that Governor S
Island was four bridges further down the
East River and then some, Atwood
munchcd a few crackers fed gasolene to
his motor and ten minutes later started
10 circle the Singer Building tower. A
strong wind prevented this feat how
ever,
First to Cross Manhattan.
He flew up and down and across the
financial district for five minutes, and
then landed on Governors Island at
1921 o'clock. For the first time in its
history d man in an aeroplane had flown
over Manhattan Island
Before he left New London at 1:OI
a. m. he knocked on the door Of the
hotel room Of w. Startling Burgess. of
Marblehead. Mass, head OF the Burgess
Company & Curtis, licensed manufact-
urers Of the Wright machines, and said:
Guess III fly TO Mineola to-day, as
you suggested last night
IL was not until he got within sight
of New York that the aviator's ardor
for the little Long Island town cooled
and that ne decided to make Governors
Island his destination. But even yet he
had no hunger for the high spots above
the city's greatest towers, no intention
OF doing what more experienced aviators
had pronounced ridiculously hazardous
He landed at Astoria having crossed
the wrathful waters of He'll Gate. The
lot was so full of tin cars and empty
barrels that Atwood had greet difficulty
in making a safe descent.
policeman ran toward the aviator
70 find out why he was on the premises
and what he intended to do. Atwood
told him he might be there for thirty
minutes, and suggested to the patrolman
that he call for help, as there would
probably be a crowd Of spectators on
hand soon
The policeman said TO Atwood: Leave
'em 10 me-" Three thousand persons
arrived. The policeman walked around
in circles, demanding that no one put
his foot beyond a given radius from the
aeroplane. The crowd obeyed, the driver
OF truck went after gasolene, Atwood
ate some crackers that he drew from his
coat pocket and asked the way to Gov
ornor's Island. They told him about the
greensboro, the williamsburg, the Man
haitian and the Brooklyn bridges
only FOUR" said Atwood
lie climbed into his seat. Volunteers
turned the propeller until the motor re-
AeIed them Of further duty. The silver
aeroplane shot heavenward
The prisoners Of BlackwelTs Island
JUST setting about their daily tasks,
stared upward at the great white bird.
no doubt appreciating the advantages
mat such vehicle could offer to men in
'Ner unfortunate position The ferry
Ooats plying back ana forth on their
uliS from Long Island city to the Long
Is''Au FaiIoad station at 34th street
footed their whistles in greeting.
A'"ood waved his hand, dropped to a
!eNeI with the tunnels of the river craft
and slided along beside them until tho
passengers distinctly saw the aviator
sitting erect in his seat among the shin
ing wires. the motor pounding away in
ms rear and the two propelIers flashing
The shores Of the river bccaroa bIacl,
with spectators. oxcitedly yelling to the
man. whose name they did not know and
VINO could not hear their shouts.
Factory whistles shrieked a greeting.
Many persons dance when they see an
seroplane In fight Yesterday there
were thousands Of such on the river
PIERS and roof tops; thousands Of waving
handkerchiefs
atwood was flying perhaps one thou
sand feet high over the four bridges. He
took them as they came. They worried
him not at all. Soon after the Brooklyn
Bridge had been placed behind him the
machine swerved to the westward,
mounting higher
Feels Cell Of Metropolis
He had just felt the call Of the metrop-
oils in all its mysterious power Until
that instant. he said later. his one am
biticn was 10 find Governors Island,
historic aviation field OF Wright, Curtiss
and Hamilton. And then he saw the
Singer Building tower, and a sudden re-
solve came upon him 10 circle it and
have something 10 tell the old folks at
home
He mounted higher The air currents
surrounding the tall buildings Of lower
Manhattan were famous to him through
evil report of those who had studied
them from more pleasant flying grounds.
Ha a I. al a