Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1913-08-15
Airman Outpaces Fast Train.

who last Friday attempted nonstop race
in his monoplane with train from New
York to Washington and thence to Fort
Myer. Va, for exhibition flights, reached
his destination late Friday afternoon after
he had been compelled to interrupt his
flight on the farm of Mr. John B. Diamond,
near Gaithersburg, this county.
Wood won his race with the train, max
ing the landing near Gaithersburg at 9:O1
O'Clock, 40 minutes before the train rolled
into the Union Station at Washington. He
failed to break all the American records
he had hoped to smash, but claimed to
have established new marks for nonstop
flying between two points, and for duration.
Wood set out to replace all the records
established by Lieutenant Thomas De W.
Milling, of the army aviation corps. His
greatest disappointment, he declared, was
in not having set new sunrise to sunset
figure.
In all, Wood estimates that he flew 287
miles in covering his circuitous route from
Hampstead field, where the flight started
at 4:30 O'Clock Friday morning, to the
field near Gaithersburg where engine trou-
BILE forced landing at 9:01 O'Clock, four
hours and 81 minutes later. The actual air
line distance is unofIicially estimated at 260
miles, which, if verified, exceeds by 10
miles the distance record held by Lieuten-
ant Milling.
Concerning his trip, Wood said: 81 was
lost almost from the minute started. Get
ting across New York harbor, ran into a
thick fog and couldn't tell if was over
land or water. To make my discomfort
greater. engine trouble began to develop
before had been in the air is minutes.
1t cleared up soon and went over the har-
Dor at about 5000 feet, riding over the
fog banks, and didn't see land again until
was over Trenton.
Then had more engine trouble and
volplaned down to about 1000 feet when
the engine picked up again and went on
toward Philadelphia. 1t seemed that en-
CINE trouble started every time neared a
city. When over Philadelphia it was so
bad was certain I'd have to land. | vol
planned about and came down looking for a
safe place to make landing, when the
engine picked up again and | flew on
around Wilmington and over Baltimore,
where engine trouble started again. and
finally finished by the engine stopping dead
when GOT over Gaithersbure.
II did not see the special train once in
all the flight, and not once did | see rail-
road tracks that | was sure were the Penn
slyvania's. When | left Baltimore the
smoke clouds made me lose my way, and
| was heading for the Potomac River, cal
culating that by flying ahead would cross
it, and if it were narrow | would know |
was above Washington if it were wide
would know was below. But it was no
use the engine stopped, and down came.
After his enforced stop at Gaithersburg,
where his balky engine went dead for the
last time Wood and his mechanician has
tened repairs, which took until 5:24 clock
He then rose an continued his fight with
out mishap and alighted at Fort Myer, at
5:54 O'Clock, after a vOlplane from height
of $500 feet He landed squarely in the
large white cloth cross that had been placed
in the middle of the parade ground to guide
him.
Major Edgar Russell, acting chief of the
Army Aviation Corps, was the first to greet
the aviator as he stepped from the airship.
To him Wood gave the message entrusted
to him for delivery by General Barry, COM
mander of the Department of the East at
little later he was in a conversation with
Lieutenant Milling. busily comparing rec
ords. Among those to greet the aviator
were Chairman Padeett and Representa-
tive Buchanan, of the House Naval Affairs
Committee.
The train Wood was racing and which
had made a nonstop run over the Penn
sylvania road from New York, with guests
officials of the aero club and newspaper
men, did not arrive in Washington until
$50 O'Clock. Woods assistants, when
they learned of his mishap. hurried on to
Gaithersbure to get his plane in condition
to resume the fight.
While Wood had begun his flight from
Hampstead, Long Island. at 4:36 O'Clock
Friday morning, the train started for Wash
ington from Jersey City at 4:30. Wood
was 10 miles behind the train. railroad
officials said, when the flight began. Then
Wood got ahead and sustained his lead.
passing over Baltimore 35 minutes before
the train reached there. From Baltimore
to Washington his route was in a south
erly direction, over a level country, but he
flew too far to the west.
While passing from the Diamond farm
over the county to the District line, Wood
and his machine were easily seen by
many Of our citizens The noise the ma
chine made in its flight was plainly heard.
which indicated that it was not far dis
tant from the earth. 1t was the first time
our people had witnessed an aviation
scene and they enjoyed the bird-like
motion Of the machine as it sailed with
startling speed.
COIesviIle Horse Show.
The second annual exhibition Of the
~ 4. In l..