Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-07-01
GREAT AVIATOR
ON THE HARBOR
Christofferson, World Famous
Aviator to Take Part
in the "Splash
FIRST WINGED BOAT BUILT
His Machine Is Far in Advance
of Any Other Now
in Use

HOQUIAM, June 30.-Mr. and Mrs.
Silas Christofferson and Robert Mont
gomery arrived in Hoquiam on the
Pullman train yesterday morning and
as soon as they could get their aero
plane out of its car and hauled to the
work of assembling and setting it up.
They are here to fly and both Mr..
and Mrs. Christofferson will make
flights while in this city.
THE people of Grays Harbor need
not be worried about whether they
are going to see an airship in success
full flights stated Mr.. Christofferson
yesterday This will be the first pub
lie test of this machine, but I have
made several private fiights-about
20 in all-with this boat, and l know
what it will do. We are here to give
an exhibition of aviation with hydro
aeroplane and we will do it."
First Boat Of Its Kind
The boat now being assembled at
the Eighth street dock is the first
of it's kind ever built successfully. It
is nothing less than the hull of a
small launch with wings attached,
save that the stern of the boat has
been tapered somewhat like a fish's
tail. With two passengers, the avia-
tor and sufficient gasoline for the
fight, the machine weighs 1000 pounds
the heaviest by 400 pounds of any
water machine.
This boat is far in advance of any
of the other hydro-aeroplanes now in
use. Curtis has come the nearest
to approaching the Christofferson ma.
chine, but he has thus far failed to
build a real winged boat, such as this
one is. The hull of the boat is plank
ed with white cedar, with spruce
frame. Over this is laid covering
of canvas put on with marine glue.
so that the hull was tight enough to
stand a 81 hour test in the bay at
San Francisco.
Danger Eliminated
In this machine Mr.. Christofferson
has practically entirely eliminated the
danger of tipping, and says the only
way it can be wrecked is that an
accident should occur in alighting ON
a very rough sea and the boat plunge
its nose into a very high wave. In
the air it is impossible, he says. to
tip the craft with the controls. and
few days ago he flew for nearly
half an hour over San Francisco hart
Dor without touching the controls to
keep the machine righted.
The machine is equipped with q
15o.horsepower Scott aviation motor
with eight cylinders. 1t has spread
of wings of 40 feet, and will attain
a speed of between 60 and 65 miles
an hour under ordinary conditions.
This machine has accommodations
for two passengers, riding directly be-
hind the aviator. The company il
now building one which will carry
four people besides the aviator.
Wife 10 Enthusiast.
Mrs. Christofferson is as much OF
an enthusiast as her husband and Is
an accomplished aviatrix herself. They
have been married only few months
and are the couple who achieved fame
by taking their honeymoon trip from
Portland to Vancouver, Wash, in an
aeroplane.
"I am going up with this boat In
it's first trip over Grays Harbor," de-
clared Mrs. Christofferson yesterday.
81 enjoy flying. feel perfectly safe.
MY husband has been wonderfully sue
cessful in his work and in this boat
has Just about the last thing in air
ships, we think"
Christofferson flights here will be
made from in front of the Eighth
street dock on Thursday, Friday and
Saturday