Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-09
CHEERS FOR WOOD
At J0URNEY'SEND
Aviator's Remarkable Flight
From New York to Ma
tons Capital.
SAILS OVER WASHINGTON;
DESCENDS AT FORT MYER
Agrees to Remain Here Ten Days for
Exhibition Tests-His Record
Yesterday.

/ L. MurVln W OOu. VINO maue a fllgnt In
monoplane from New York to Gathers
| burg. Md. yesterday and thence to For,
Myer, will not fly back to New York
| today as he had planned. He talked las
| night with government officials, ane
| agreed to stay in Washington for abou
| ten days to make flights here. He was
| very tired this morning. but may go to
Fort Myer to make flight this afgter-
noon. His is the first monoplane tested
out in Washington.
| Gliding through still air from a sheer
height of $500 feet, like mighty hawk
| pouncing on its prey, the Blue Bird
Moisant monoplane, driven by Wood
came down on small white cross mar &
ed ont in the middle of the drill field
at Fort Myer at $50 o'clock yesterday
afternoon
After striking so truly the cross which
had been placed for it's guidance the
Blue Bird hoped along the smooth
grass for few yards and then came tc
full stop and from it stepped Aviator
Wood, calmly wiping a flick of oil from
his hooded and goggled face.
Greeted by Cheering Throng.
He was hardly on the ground before he
was in the midst of a large crowd of en-
thusiastic government officials officers
of the army and navy, friends and other
spectators of his remarkable finish of a
remarkable flight. Like bashful school
boy he stood while somebody in the
crowd called for Three cheers for Wood
and they came out with a whoop
Wood and his Blue Bird started for
Fort Myer at 5:25 o'clock from the Dia-
mond field near Gaithersburg, Md. where
he had been forced to land earlier in the
day because he had lost his way and
also because a spark plug of his engine
ersburg TO Fort Myer amounted to little
except to demonstrate the aviator's per-
feet control of his machine. and his de-
termination to finish the test he had
mapped out for himself
Alan r. Hawley, president Of the Aero
Club of America. announced before
leaving for New York last night that
the contest committee of the club will
hold a meeting next Wednesday to go
over Woods work to determine whether
tance record in his flight from New
York to Gaithersburg yesterday. Wood
claims that he flew about 26O miles in
an airline without stopping. which
would break the previous record of 2o4
miles. rs@.esea
Lieut.. Thomas De Wit. Milling, the
army aviator who made the record of
224 miles. was one of the first to greet
Wood when he landed at Fort Myer
yesterday. The two compared notes, but
to decide who now holds the record.
Lieut.. Milling made his trip in Texas.
and he carried a passenger, SO he will
still have record.
Greatest Altitude, $500 Feet.
After Wood landed his altitude record
ing instrument was examined by Morti-
mer Delane. secretary of the Aero Club
of America. who said that the highest
altitude recorded was about 1900 feet.
Wood thought he made this height over
Havre de Grace, Md.
The aviator expected to leave Gathers
burg yesterday afternoon in time to
arrive at Fort Myer at o'clock, and
at that time large crowd had gathered
at the army post to see him come down.
In the crowd were Representatives
Padgett and Buchanan of the House
naval affairs committee, Maj. Edgar
Russell. acting chief of the Army Signal
Corps; group of members of the Aero
Club of America and others. There was
a liberal sprinkling Of women in the
crowd.
plane appeared first in the direction of
Washington, rapidly approaching. Still
at a great height he circled over the drill
field twice to get his bearings, and then
flew back toward Washington for his
final sWoop He came down the last time
like a flash.
A large body of soldiers under COM
mand of Lieut.. Graham, adjutant of Fort
Myer. was on hand to keep the crowd
back. but they had hard struggle. All
the women spectators wanted to shake
the aviator's hand. The soldiers finally
formed ring about the monoplane. and
only special guests and newspaper men
We're allowed inside.
Wood was officially greeted by Maj.
Russell. to whom he delivered message
OF greeting given him in New York by
Gen. Barry, commanding the Department
Of the East, with headquarters at Gov
ernors Island. Maj. Russell said he
would give a reply message to Gen.
Barry when Wood was ready to return
to New York.
Among Most Interested Spectators.
One Of the most interested spectators
OF the landing was Col. J. NJ. Locke. U.
. A.. retired, who was balloonist during
the civil war. Col. Locke lives with his
son, Capt. Locke of the Sd Field Ar
tillery. at Fort Myer. His eyes spark
Led with excitement as the giant bird
flashed down out OF the sky.
Wood. who is from Kansas City, Mo-,
got his pilots license from the Aero
Club Of America in February Since
then ne has made q total of 123 flights,
with a clean record as he put it yes
terday, meaning that he has had no
accidents. He is unmarried.
literally dropped into a Diamond
field at Gaithersburg," said Wood. after
landing. Mr.. Diamond showed no great
surprise when descended near his house.
He treated me royalty He gave me a
fine breakfast and allowed me to use his
| telephone. Some people act mean when
you drop on their places. but Mr. Dia-
mond behaved perfectly"
The flight here was made for the pur-
pose of encouraging the government to
pay more attention to aeronautics and to