New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-16
DARES DEATH IN HYDRO.
AGAINST Curtiss's Advice General
Allen Makes Flight.
BARELY ESCAPES WITH LIFE
Dashing to Certain Destruction
When Planes Righted as
They Hit Water.

r,.i-odior Cororal lanes II. Allen. CHIEF
~ the signal corps Of the Ihlt'd STATES
army and director Of all military aNla'o"'
swooped down in 'urtisS hNhr"-de'"''"''
from a height of several hundred Ieot neal
Bedlow's Island Yesterday noon and took
sudden shower bath in the ley waters oil
the bay So swift was tn" descent mat
spectators aboard craft in the North River
and even z dozen or SO members oi the
Aero club of America who were watching
the flight from Pier A al the Battery were
not convinced that serious accident had
not bcfallen the army man until th'N were
assured 10y telephone from Bellows ls'ahh'
whittier the aviator made his way ai''' h'S
spectacular drop fIom tho sky.
General Allen was accompanied on HIS ""-
| ventures i'm air and water by charles =
Whitman The two men went out from the
| Eattcry at 1890 O'Clock, and after choppms
| the tops of the waves for a hundred Nards
tho airship arose and took course que
south toward Governors Island. As the
machine steadcd in the high wind Witmar
: swcrvcd 10 the east over BEttcrmiIk 'hat-
mel cut across the bows 81 tn" United FRUIT
| Cumpauys steamer Santa Marta, "ut"arh
/ bound. and then headed across the bay
toward the Statue Of Liberty
Lucky Gust Saved Their Lives.
| Witmar swung around the island in lively
time. turning a scm-circc so fast that the
watchers on shore could hardly see wher"
the craft had gone. II" was just settied
down again on his course for Governor
! Island when the unexpected happened 10
! those aboard tho harhor craft and on the
| Battery wall it seemed a 4 the heavy wind
| had doubled the front planes OF tie aero
| plane under and was sending IT straight
! downward into the bay.
Those nearer saw Wtmar right tho
| machine as it alternately settled ana
plunged in the descent Just before the
water was reached Witmar brought his el"-
| waiting planes out to such an angle that
! they caught the pun Of steady wind that
was luckily there 10 meet them and. AS a
result. the aeroplane struck the water at an
angle which only ploughcd up dense
cloud Of spray and brought the aviators 10
( a sudden halt.
Both General Allen and Wtmar wer"
cicrch,d to the skin. but tho latter pluck
Ii,y attempted to rise again from tho water.
For "A moment the hydro-e"roplanc did rise
I
again presently IN swirl ~ foam. There
upon the engine was started al low speed,
End the machine sailed back on th" suria'"
Of the water to a landing in front OF the
statue Members Of IT." Aero club wh"
j ad tclophou"d To the island 10 iind our
" hat had happened sent two men over III
small boat to nclp start the a"roplan'
again and We're assured by General Allen
that everything was going well and that he
had only stopped of FOR luncheon.
General Alien was carried back to the
Battery M the machine later ia the after
noon after u had been repaired at Oh" ISL
and lie said that aside from IN" damp
r.ss he enjoyed IN" trip immensely, ana
! that while ne was waiting f"r ia" plane To
hc tuned up be- even found tim" 10 inspect
the signal corps at Bellows Members ~
the Nero Cub then appeared and took him
D f,,t hoo