The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-18
First Leg From Sheepshead Bay to Middleton, N.
 Y, Finished
GIRL FROM MEMPHIS
 CHRISTENS MACHINE
Distance of s5 Miles Covered in Hour and B Minutes--Will Make Early Start
 5. Today

! New York September 1T.-C. P. Rod | gers. tho aviator, failed to start his trans l continental flight for the Vim. R. Hearst prize at first today. but later rose et the race track at s:25 o'clock at Sheepa- head Bay and swept in a wide circle over the grounds and then headed northwest | until his white winged flyer merged it. self into a bank of lowering clouds over
 the Jersey meadows and disappeared. He
 drove Wright blplane and carried a
 message from Mayor Gaynor to tho mayor Of San Fra ncsco and from the l commanders of the eastern division of tho army and navy to the commanders on the Pacific coast.
 The machine was ehristened by Miss Amelia Swift of Memphis. Tenn. before t started
 Flying over the city, Rodgers crossed
 Broadway at 4.45 o'clock at an altitude of 5000 feet and covered the mile from
 that point across the river in less than minute He was flying as steadily as 6 bird when he scared over the city and evidently was not bothered by the air 1 hcles which have troubled other ayatofs | in trough M At seven minutes after O clock he was | reported passing over Campbell Junction, 1 66 miles from the start. headed for Mid dletown.
 | The aeroplane looked almost like a toy | balloon at the starting ground as it
 measured 23 feet from tip to tip The
 aviator stands 6 feet inches and weighs
 22e pounds. Rodgers said he would ar
 rive in San Francisco without mishap. ! Middletown, N. Y. September 17--Af
 ter a flight of about S0 miles fin his proposed aerial voyage from New York | to the Pacific coast. C. P. Rodgers, the aviator. reached this city and landed at
 SIS o'clock this evening. He had cov-
 cred the distance from the Sheepshead Bay race track In one hour and 53 min- l utes.
 | crowd of about 1000o persons had | gathered on an open field on tte outskirts
 of the city and gave the aviator tuuul- tous welcome He made an easy landing
 and is in good position to resume his flight tomorrow. ....4s1 \ Rodgers might. have male better sinYe had he not mistaken the Erie and Jers Ay
 railroad at Greyeourt for that of the Et'is
 and followed the tracks of the former for | some distance When he discovered he was off his route he followed the Ontario and Western tracks from Crystalrun to | this city which he recognized from It's 1 church steeples He entered the city from | the north and swept around several tines | in wide circles at a considerable altifIJe
 so that everyone had a good view of hs
 machine in flight.
 | Despite his detour, Rodgers beat into l the city by two minutes special train
 which had followed him from the time | he began crossing Jersey City. He will | spend the night here and expects 10 maKe | an early morning start
 1 Annapolis, September 11.-Traveing at | the rate of nearly a mile minute for l the most part over Chesapeake bay, Lieu | tenant John Rodgers. aviation instructor l ct the United States Naval academy, this
 morning flew from his home in Havre l Der Grace to the navy aviation field at | Greenberry Point over the Severn river
 from the naval academy He covered ap- 1 proximately 5o miles in an hour and three 1 minutes. l On his arrival at College Park Satur- l day Rodgers announced his intention of | flying to New York.
 l This morning the aviator said the navy 1 department was not willing for him to attempt to do so and he decided to go | to Annapolis instead. He left this city at o'clock for New York to witness the start
 of his cousin, c. P. Rodgers, in the cosst | to coast aeroplane flight.
 ! osveeo. N Y September 17.-James
 J. Ward, coast to coast fliyer. did not atalt rom here today because of delay l in receiving a new motor which he had ordered The motor is here tonight and Ward expects to have 1t placed on the monoplane early tomorrow. He then will attempt to fly to Buffalo. 1s7 | miles west. The aeroplane damaged in yesterdays accident, has been repaired and except for the motor was ready | for flying today shortly after noon.