Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-01-30
Aviator Fai' ed in Attempt
to Fly from Key West
to Havana.
WORD OF FAILURE FLASHED
BY WIRELESS TO CAPITAL
Government Boats Mark Trail
Across Ocean for Dar.
ing Bird=Man.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30.-J. A. D.
! McCurdy alighted with his aeroplane
when ten miles from Havana In mis-
spectacular flight from Key West to-
day, according to wireless dispatch
received by the war department. He
was not injured.
/ He was compelled to alight because
his lubricating oil ran short. wire-
less dispatch from the Roe reports the
aviator as safe.
! KEY WEST, Fla, Jan. 30.-After a
week of nerve-racking anxiety Aviator
/ j. A. ID. McCurdy in a Curtiss biplane
started on his much-heralded flight
! from Key West to Havana at 1872
/ o'clock this morning. He was unsuc-
cessful, falling ten miles from his des-
! tination.
At Key West light breeze was
blowing and the sea was smooth. Siml-
lar reports came by wireless from Ha-
vana and McCurdy, whose patience
had nearly been exhausted by a week
of anxious waiting, quickly decided to
make the flight.
Early this morning orders were issued
to the government boats at Key West.
and they Immediately took their posi-
! llODb ldll lllllGS upSal w ASA WoAeN
came by wireless from the torpedo boat
destroyer Roe that the boats were all
ready for him, MeCurdy got ready to
make the fight Every brace and wire
on the biplane had been thoroughly
TESTED The motor had been tuned up
and amid a silence that was almost :,
4 oppressive McCurdy took his position
in the aeroplane. The engine was
started, an assistant gave the propeller
/ couple of twists. McCurdy Astene4$
: a moment to the sound of the rnotor,
then raised his hand as a signal to the
men holding the machine to let CO.
Swiftly the aeBeplane ran along the
smooth ground for about one hundred
feet Then easily and gracefully 1t rose
from the earth and McCurdy COM
menced to mount to the sky. AS he
left the ground the assembled crowd
gave a hearty cheer. McCurdy waved
his hand and was off on the most diff
icult trip over the sea that has ever
been attempted.
shoots Out Over Ocean.
With tremendous velocity the great
white winged biplane shot out over the
smooth waters. Anxiously the crowd
gathered on the shore watched the ma
chine as 1t grew smaller and smaller
and faded from sight. Anxiously they
waited for the first news and by wire-
less and when the dispatch came that
he had passed the third boat, thirty
miles from shore, and was flying
smoothly, another mighty cheer was
given.
MoCurdy had originally planned to
start January "a on the flight to Ha-
vana He arrived at Key West sew
eral days before that date and made
careful preparations for the flight. On
last Tuesday morning, however, at
mospherlc conditions were such that
he decided it would be unsafe to make
the attempt. Day after day and night
after night he waited for reports that
the wind was moderate and the sea
smooth: but, like vexatious imps, the
elements refused to be docile, and poor
McCurdy waited impatiently, ready at
any hour to risk his life in the attempt
#to fly over about ninety miles Of open
water. u
Every Aid Is Given.
The navy department took an activa
interest in the proposed flight and every
facility at it's command was given to
help. Tugboats and torpedo-boas
, destroyers were ordered to act as sta-
ton boats ten miles apart to mark the
course of the flight. Early this morn~
ing they took their stations. Firss
came the cutter Forward, ten miles
from shore, and then at intervals OF
ten miles each the tug Massasoit ana
the torpedo boat destroyers Terry
Crayton, Roe and Paulding
Some of the torpedo-boats We're
equipped with wireless, and when the
word came from the last boat out at
sea and Havana that weather con-
a ct RI
made. AS McCurdy passed each boat
at a velocity estimated at nearly fifty
miles an hour the sailor-men gave
him rousing cheers and steam whistles
were blown The torpedo-boats, as soon
as McCurdy came in sight, started
ahead at full speed, but the swift
flying biplane soon outstripped them
The torpedo-boat destroyers desig-
mated by the navy department. to con-
vov him and several lighthouse tenders
steamed to sea to take positions where
thev could mark the way to the Cuban
city and render aid if McCurdy should
fall into the waves. The Paulding was
stationed about sixty miles from Key
West, the others at short intervals out
A wireless dispatch from the Roe says
McCurdy passed third boat at S:ls
a. m
I Headed for Havana.
When news of the start had been
flashed to the waiting boats, placed ten
miles apart, everybody was on the look
out, officers on deck and sailors in the
rigging of the destroyers. Suddenly
out of the light haze loomed the great
white Curtiss biplane-known as the
Belmont racer''-fiying high and IN
direct course for Havana. the motor
clatter being distinctly heard by those