The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-31

along the smooth ground for about 10C feet. Then easily and gracefully 1t rose from the earth and McCurdy commenced to mount to the sky. As he left the ground the assembled crowd gave 8 mighty cheer.
 McCurdy waved his hand and was off on the most difficult trip over the sea that has ever been attempted. With tre- n1endous velocity the great white winged plane shot out over the smooth waters. Anxiously the crowd gathered on the shore and watched the machine as it grew smaller and smaller and faded from sight. Anxiously they waited for the first news by wireless and when the dispatch came that he had passed the third boat, 30 miles from shore and was flying smoothly, an- other mighty cheer was given.
 The Original Plan
 McCurdy had originally planned to start on January "A on the flight to Havana. He arrived at Key West several days be- fore that date and made careful prepara- tions for the flight. On last Tuesday morn ing, however, atmospheric conditions were such that he decided 1t would be unsafe to make the attempt. Day after day and night after night he waited for reports that the wind was moderate and sea smooth. but like vexatious Imp, the ele- ments refused to be docile and poor MCSuIuy WdiNSQ libPdtiChliy, icetuy at any hour to risk his life in the attempt to fly over 90 miles of open water.
 The navy department took an active in terest in the proposed flight and every facility at its command was given to help.
 Tugs and torpedo boat destroyers were ordered to act as station boats ten miles apart to mark the course of the night. Early this morning they took their sta- tions First came the cutter Forward ten e1A fl,n, at Int o1c oP tora miles each the tug Massasoit and the topedo boat destroyers Terry, Crayton, Roe and Paulding
 Some of the torpedo boat destroyers were equipped with wireless and when the word came from the last boat out at sea and Havana that weather conditions were propitious, the start was made. As Mo Curdy passed each boat at a velocity es- timated at 50 miles an hour the sailors gave him rousing cheers and steam whistles were blown. The torpedo boats. as soon as McCurdy came in sight. start ed ahead at full speed, but the swiftly flying plane soon outstripped them. < Awaiting a Report
 As soon as the aviator had disappeared from view the crowd gathered about the wireless station and awaited reports by wireless. When the news came that he had passed the third station a vigorous cheer went up. As the moments flew and no further reports came this morning the crowd grew anxious and gathered about the cable office to wait for dispatches from Havana.
 It was estimated that McCurdy should have reached Havana by 10 o'clock and when that hour passed and still no news. enxiety was expressed Then came a wireless that the intrepid bird man had fallen into the sea and groan went up from the crowd. Finally they received the news that McCurdy had been forced to light on the water because of short age of oil and that neither he nor the machine had been injured. the cheering was renewed, mingled with expressions of regret that the attempt had failed when McCurdy was within sight of his goal.
 Within 10 miles of the Cuban coast and but a short distance from his ultimate goal, the Camp Columbia aviation field McCurdy ran out of lubricating oil and was compelled to abandon his flight. He had covered 80 miles and when he saw that he could not quite reach the port, McCurdy alighted safely on the waters and the pontoons floated his airship un- til the destroyer Paulding overlook the aerial craft. McCurdy and his machine were taken safely to port