The Washington herald., 1911-08-26
ATWOOD COMPLETES
LONG AERIAL TRIP
Continued from Page One.

Continued from Page one.
aviator on his fight to New York. This
is triumph for the Wright biplane; but
the most important thing that stands out
as the net result Of Atwood's great trir
is Atwood himself. The success Of this
flight was almost wholly the triumph OF
| an Individual
He has unusual pluck and perseverance,
and he has the wonderful daring Of dis.
| tfnguished men who do deeds Of great
bravery. But aside from these qualities
| he has an indescribable quality Of in
domitable persistence.
During this journey he has scarcely
ever slept more than four hours during
| night. More often he slept only two
or three. One Of his mechanics, Frank
Lawson, succumbed to the hardships on
Thursday and was obliged to take to his
| bed.
Still Bright and Fresh.
But Atwood seems brisker and fresher
since the flight is done than when ne
started
His lean face showed no signs of weari-
ness.
1t has hitherto been held by avia-
tors that no man could fly over noun
tains and land upon them or between
them without sustaining grave injuries.
Atwood has markedly demonstrated that
the proper man can bring an aeroplane
safely to ground anywhere he wishes
In these feats he has achieved the
things that Wilbur Wright and other
eminent authorities pronounced impossi-
BILE.
Atwood announced tonight that he
would not fly to Sheepshead race track
tomorrow, nor will he fly to Boston.
He will go to Boston aboard a train
and his famous craft will be shipped by
express.
His Taste Il Offended.
He declined to fly to Sheepshead Bay
race track, because he did not like the
way the promoter had planned the event
Il don't care to finish this trip in that
way for the sake OF a few Thousand dol
lars" he said tonight. Because some
thing about the proposition offended his
fastidious taste he declined to grasp op-
portunities that would have netted him
$4,000 while he flew between ST. Louis
and New York. A typewriter manufac-
turer offered him 81 900 to carry a tiny
model machine from a point in upper
New York to Manhattan. He fatty de-
clined.
Atwood's reception as he passed into
the city limits Of Greater New York, at
Spuyten Duyvil, at 2:l5 o'clock this after
noon was worthy of the epochal flight he
was Just finishing. The craft in the
Hudson received him with a deafening
din. The housetops were black with peo-
pie.
Near the Battery he flashed over a
ferryboat at such close quarters that
the thousands massed on the shore in
voluntarily ducked their heads in SYM
pathy with the people on the deck Of
the boat
AS Atwood neared Governors Island he
drove his craft to a height of 800 feet
and started to make a wide turn to the
left. With this graceful circle he vol
planed to the ground.
Rush to Greet Him.
As he hoped out of his machine an
eager group Of army officers came rush
ing over the field in a race to be the first
to grasp his hand.
Probably the most dramatic incident Of
the whole trip from st. Louis, II not the
most dramatic incident in the history Of
aviation, was the start from Nyack this
afternoon. After considering the posi-
bilities of starting, even the venture
some soul of Atwood perceived that 1t
would be too dangerous to attempt to
fly from the small inclosure where he
landed beside Nyack Mountsdn on
Thursday. He selected twenty-five Of
the huskiest-looking citizens of Nyack,
the mayor. to help him, and
the aeroplane was carried slowly to the |
cow pasture belonging to Wilson P.
Foss.
When Atwood was ready to start the
motor would not turn. To accelerate II, |
Leo Stevens filled the cylinders with gas |
oline. At the next trial the whole motor |
was enveloped in flames, which Atwood, |
Stevens, and LIE Mat. a laborer, smoth- |
cred with their coats and dirt.
Jumps Over Fence.
At the next trial the motor worked |
In front of it, $50 feet away,
was a wire fence six feet high. Just be-
yond the fence stood two ancient locust
three. separated barely by the width Of
the aeroplane. Starting with his motor
-unning at top speed. Atwood guided the
raft over the bumpy ground.
But just as he reached the fence he
urned his craft upward, caused II to
ump like a kangaroo, and as 1t cleared
he fence by a few inches he twisted 1t
lround so that 1t tilted sidewise, passing
between the dangerous trees as furni-
ure mover passes bulky object through
| narrow door. The biplane swooped
through the archway Of trees with Just
ew inches of clearance on either side.
Then the young aviator made a grace
ul curve over upper Nyack and swung
,ut over the quaint old Tappan Zee.
wiftly passing down the Hudson to the
of the cheers Of the de-
lighted Nyack populace.
Atwoods fight to-day was made in
hour AZ minutes. His final mileage is
,269 miles.