The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-10

Three intrepid Curtiss aviators battled
with the treacherous winds which swept
the Bonneville aviation field yesterday
and won a notable victory Eugene B.
Ely. Charles r. Willard and Glenn Fl, Cur
tiss tempted fate by flying in the face
Of a destructive gale. Willard and Cur
tiss each made Il successful flight In
changing winds that threatened to smash
machines and pilots to bits. Eugene Ely
made two flights. the last I'm wind that
was almost a tornado. Mr.. Curtss flew
his hydroplane from the surface of Great
Salt lake, riding on the rough waves and
in the turbulent atmosphere.
By far the most dangerous flying OF
the meet was that OF yesterday. Only
the Curtlss aviators went aloft. They
found the wind so treacherous and so
dangerous that IL was only by the exer-
else OF the greatest skill and courage that
they were able TO fly al all. The Wright
brothers have always refused 10 allow
their, aviators TO fly on Sunday SO that
Brookins and Parmalee Of the Wright
team made no attempts 10 fly.
Twelve Thousand Present.
nous grand stand and overspread along
the sides OF the field. Rather than dis
appoint this enormous crowd the Curtiss
flyers -,1ecided~to-fy In spite OF the squalls
were yer followed BY high winds which swept
varying directions. willard and Ely frst
tempted fate by flying in this weather
After being. buffeted about In the atmos-
Ia4n hd ar they after eeg
minutes In the air.
After the first flights the wind arose
hour Hirmen and Merchandising declared
that no aeroplane could live in such
gale. Nevertheless. just when the wind
everything rather than disappoint the
crowd. In the worst part OF the gale
he ascended and for a quarter of an hour
the crowd witnessed spectacular bat
tie between the aviator and the winds.
The little bple was blown and tossed
about In the air like straw. NeYer'he-
VIM Wind, dying with p IT and d. against az it " His
worst trouble was when 1t kept changing
It's direction. threatening always to over
and driver 10 the earth Finally the We
locity of the wind increased md Ely was
forced to land half II mile from the avla-
tion field,
Curtiss Takes Chance.
Despite the winds and the experiences
Of his aviators in ~thcir flights Glenn II,
TuTtiss took his hydroplane out on the
waters OF the Great Salt lake and made
lis second successful demonstration of his
rolling waters OF the lake and after show
Ing the capabilities Of his machIAe on
water he arose In the air and fought with
the winds for ten minutes. aga In descend
ing and lighting on the surface oi the
lake.
The. demonstration of the hydrop!anes
was the most successful demonstration OF
the craft ever given Never before has
Curtiss attempted To fly II In n storm
and the success with which he met adds
to the worth and stability OF his new
invention. II was hitherto thought that
fair and calm weather was necessary TO
flights of the hydroplanc, but Curtiss
yesterday demonstrated what IL could do
in n storm -
All Of the flights of yesterday rank with
the most hazardous ever attcnpted I'm the
history of aviation. and that there were
no accidents is due TO the wonderful skill
of the aviators and the stability OF the
machines.
Attendance Record Broken.
The threatening weather Of Sunday
doubtless deferred thousands from at
tending the aviation meet Had II not
been for the wind and the heavy clouds
that threatened rain there would prob
ably have been 10000 people at the ayia~
tion meet. AS II was. the aviation at
tendance records were broken and $4,000
people witnessed tho victory Of the air
men over the elements, Captain VIII
liam Bracket and his assistants han
died the crowd we'll and there was no
,, confusion whatever, The crowd was was
during the long wait between flights
when II was hoped that the wind would
become less fierce
When the programme opened the
weather was spually, but the wind was
| not as heavy as II was later Eugene
| B. Ely, the Curtiss aviator who flew fGom
| land TO the deck of the Pennsylvania I'm
san Francisco bay and then back again.
| opened the programme. Hc rose pret-
| tily. but quickly encountered a sudden
| gust OF wind which rocked his plane
| periously. He climbed higher and was
| greeted by alternate sharp winds and
| cams All during his flight he was
| rolled about by the winds. but he fought
| them with a courageous tenacity and
| demonstrated wonderful ability handling
| his craft,
Willard Follows Ely.
Charles f.. Willard. the star trick flyer
| of the Curtiss team. followed Ely In the
| air TSy this time Ely had reached the
| higher strata and not troubled so
| much as was Willard by the heavy wind
| which came up just as Willard rose
! from the ground, For the ten minutes
Continued on Page Twelve.