Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-08
C. Marvin Wood Lands Near
Gaithersburg Today in New
York-Fort Myer Flight.
REACHES MILITARY POST
AT 5 THIS AFTERNOON
Started South Accompanied by Spe-
cial Train and Will Begin Return
Trip Tomorrow Morning.

&. Marvin WOon, the MOlSdnl dNldlof
who undertook to fly from New York to
Fort Myer today. reached the Diamond
farm. mile outside of Gaithersburg,
Md. one minute after o'clock this
morning and remained there the rest of
the day waiting for fresh supplies He
made a good landing and neither he or
the machine was damaged. although he
narrowly missed a wire fence in de-
seending. He wanted 10 make as good
time as possible for the whole distance
and would not use the gasoline available
at Gaithersburg sending to Washington
for il instead
After the mechanics had looked over
Woods engine he gave up all plans for
making a return flight to New York to-
day. but said he would continue to Fort
Myer. which he hopes to reach about 5
o clock.
The exhibition Wood was to have
given at the fort to demonstrate the
availability of the monoplane for war
purpose was scheduled for this afternoon.
While the mechanics worked on his
engine. some of the party hurried to
Fort Myer, more than twenty-five miles
off. for gasoline from the aeroplane
hangers there
Arrangements have been made for the
party of Aero Club officials to leave
Washington for New York tonight on
the special train at O'Clock. Aviator
Wood will remain over night in the city,
and will start the return trip in his
monoplane tomorrow morning.
Claims Distance Record.
Wood said he had covered 26+ miles on
the flight, and claimed an American dis
tance record on the strength of it. The
claim will be officially passed on by the
Aero Club of America.
The aviator left New York at 4:30 this
morning, having gained altitude of
500 feet over the aerodrome at Hemp
stead Plains. He said that at that
lost over the water of the harbor. He
then dropped TO 4.O0 feet. which he
kept TO Philadelphia. There he dropped
10 .o0p feet on account of the haze and
made the remainder of his flight between
l.Du and 700 feet.
He was to have been accompanied on
the way by a special train on which were
the officials of the Aero Club. He lost
the train on the road, and IL reached
Washington ahead of him. The official
observers then went back to Gaithersburg
by automobile.
When he had landed. Wood got to the
ington to ask that his mechanics be sent
10 Gaithersburg TO put his engine in con-
dition to resume his flight to Fort Myer,
where he was to have landed, demon
strated the efficiency of his monoplane
for war purposes before a number OF
army officers and then begin a return
flight TO New York in an attempt to cap
ture the record for the longest aeroplane
flight between sunrise and sunset.
Ahead of Train at Baltimore,
Il passed Baltimore away ahead of the
train" said Wood. when he reported his
landing over the telephone. land then
ian over smoke clouds that were so heavy
/ could aaot see anything / was flying
about 700 feet up then, and was going
fast i couldn't find my way. l came
down to about 1000 feet to see If that
would help any, but it didn't. and when
| got far enough down to see clearly it
was evident that / was away off my
course and then my engine stopped. So
/ came down and made good landing
lust getting over the telephone wires on
the pike.
Wood was Joined at Gaithersburg by
Allan Hawley, president of the Aero
club of America: Mortimer Delano. sec
retary of the club. and Joseph Stein
metz one of the club members, and e.
g Winnie of the Pennsylvania Aero
Club
The relief party. travelling in automo-
biles over rouugh roads, found Wood
with his monoplane in Diamonds field
just before noon Wood briefly told
the story of his flight.
Lost Almost at Start.
II was lost almost from the minute
! started" said he. Getting across
New York harbor, / ran into a thick
fog and couldn't tell If j was over land
or water. To make my discomfort
greater. engine trouble began to de-
velop before i had been in the air fir-
teen minutes. 1T cleared up soon and
l went over the harbor at about 5000
feet riding over the fog banks and
didn't see land again until i was over
Trenton
Then I had more engine trouble and
volplaned down to about 1000 feet
when the engine picked UP again and
went toward Philadelphia. II
seemed that engine trouble started
every time | neared city. When over
Philadelphia il was so bad j was GER
tain Id have TO land. ] volplaned about
and same down looking for a safe place
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