New-York tribune., 1912-02-13
AVIATOR RACES TRAIN
HadIey Holds His Own with the
Lake Shore Limited.
THOUSANDS SEE CONTEST
Several Thrilling Automobile
Speed Tests on the Frozen
Hudson River.

Az fitting close to q day OF successful
flights. Clinton O. Hadley, Tarrytown
aviator. picked up the Lake Shore Lam
tied late yesterday afternoon at MISS Helen
, GouId's dock and raced neck-and-neck
with IL 10 Tarrytown station. As Hadley
rose five hundred feet In the air and passed
over the heads OF the thousands or peo'
nile who had waited TO see his final effort
a mighty cheer arose. The engineer on
the limited gave Hadley a salute with his
whistle as his train disappeared around a
curve.
No such crowd had ever gathered on the
river as the one yesterday to witness tho
lights and automobile races. II is esti-
mated that ten thousand were there Thou
sands walked across the Hudson from
Rockland County. Three thousand waited
at Osslning for Hadley. Many OF the
spectators were on the ice IN their automo-
biles.
Hadley had constant trouble in getting
his motor going. As he started south
large number OF touring cars trailed him.
He soon showed his heels to all Of them
and landed and waited near Miss Gould's
place for their arrival. Then he had
straight road OF five miles to speed north
of the lighthouse. Fred Koenig, who was
leading the automobile procession, got
caught in a snowbank and stuck fast. 1t
was an hour before he could get out. Had
ley was ahead when Koeng stopped. He
went nearly over TO NyaCk and returned
to the starting place No one knew 1t at
the time, but Hadley nearly had a bad
spill when his motor stopped because 1t
was not getting gasolene. The car dropped
suddenly, but Hadley volplaned and land
ed without damage.
In looking for the trouble Hadley found
a nick about six inches long I'm the gasolene
feed pine In some manner water had got
into the gasolene and 1t froze In the pipe
and prevented the carburetor from getting
its proper supply.
After that was remedied Hadley made
his prettlcst flight. He skrted due west
this time. rose about three hundred feet
went nearly across the river, then down
tho west shore and over a tugboat which
is frozen fast near Piedmont. The Tour
stranded were out on deck and they waved
to him. Hadley saluted with his hand.
Then he spied the headlight OF the Lake
Shore Limited. He headed In toward shore
near Miss Gould's door and when the
limited came abreast. Hadley turned north
and kept even with the fying express ana
passed TarrytoWn. lie made a circle ana
came down Thousands gathered around I"
shake his hand and congratulate him. lie
will fly to-day.
He intended to race the Twentieth Cen
tury yesterday morning, but just as ne got
into his seat section Of the carouretor
came of. caught In the propeller ana
smashed A new propeller was put on ana
HadIey made two flights against a gale
Of forty miles an hour. IN the afternoon IL
WAS much better and had II not been for
the carburetor trouble tho aviator would
have done still better
During the afternoon there was ten
mile automobile race between Koenig' X
J. Driscon and Robert Hopkins. hopkins
won in the second lap. although DriscoI
would have given him a hard rub had not
his car caught fire. In a anal race be-
tween r. T.. Hopkins and J. Stuart the
latter won by hundred feet A big auto
mobile race is being arranged for Satur-
lay