Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-05-23
DANIELS IN THE AIR.
Secretary of Navy Takes a Trip In a
Flying Boat. ,.

Secretary of the Navy Josephus
Daniels this afternoon. Travelled elgnt
miles through the air in flying boat,
saws an Annapolis dispatch of We'd
1T was delightful; enjoyed the
sensation thoroughly" was the sec
retary's reply to an inquiry just atter
he alighted. !" s.. : 80, y
The secretary went up with Lieu
tenant John H. Towers, senior of1cer
of the navy aviation corps, whose
camp is across the river from tne
naval academy. The flight was made
in the flying boat C-1. The air Trip
was begun at four minutes to 4
o'clock. Eight minutes later the trip
was over and the secretary, after
travelling about eight miles at
height Of 500 feet, was telling OF his
experience. ..,.
! Mr.. Daniels came to Annapolis this
morning and inspected the buildings
and grounds at the academy. After
dining with Superintendent j. II. GID
bons, he boarded q navy launch which
carried him to the aviation camp.
AS he passed the battleship Illinois
in the stream, a salute OF 19 guns was
fired in his honor. Lieutenant Towers
and the other officers OF the camp
showed the secretary the long line OF
hangers in which five flying machines
were stabbed. When the last was
reached. the flying boat was quick,
ly launched while Mr.. Daniels donnea
an bvercoat and stuffed cotton waste
into his ears to drown the noise of
the engine during the flight. Then
after signing his name to the official
register where all passengers place
their signatures and weights before
beginning q trip, he took his seat
beside Lieutenant Towers.
Starting from shore, Lieutenant
Towers kept his craft on the water
for about an eighth Of a mile ana
then sailed gradually upward and to-
ward the mouth Of the Severn river
and Chesapeake Bay. After about
two miles Of steady climbing In this
direction a turn was made and the
flying boat passed over the camp at
q height Of about 500 feet. AS ne
sailed over, Mr.. Daniels waved ms
hand to the crowd below. A straight
flight up the river of about four miles
was made and then Lieutenant TOW
ers turned for the trip back and down
ward, landing just in front OF the
point from which the start was
made.
A. four-starred pennant OF blue
silk, made by the sailors at the camp
and which flew from one OF the
standards of the air craft was pre-
sented to Mr.. Daniels as a souvenir.
When he had landed, the secretary
talked of his sensations and men
toned the fact that by flying today
after having taken a dive in sub
marine boat at Norfolk recently, he
had gone down and up with the navy.
"I always thought I was a good
fellow, but never before knew / had
such good WINGS" said he. Asked II
the noise of the engines was very
loud, he said 1t was not but that 1t
was difficult to talk. "A congressman
recently told me that was the case and
then said 1t would be a good thing
to get an aeroplane for every mem
Der Of congress II it would make talk
ing difficult to them," he remarked
with a laugh. Mrs. Daniels did not
cross the river with her husband but
witnessed the flight from the naval
academy. When he was asked what
his wife thought Of his taking such
risks, the secretary said, "Oh, she did
not object. She's a better sailor than
l anyway"
AS he turned to enter the boat that
was to take him back to the academy,
the secretary said: Remember, be
good here, II you want to fly here
after"
2. Lieutenant Commander J. l. Pal
mer, the secretary's aide, made a
flight with Lieut.. E. L. Smith, In one
Of the converted biplanes.