South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-06-25
AME ERICA SPEEDS
THROUGH NIGHT
IN TRIAL TESTS
Nasty South Wind Almost
Wrecks Big Flyer Due to
Attempt Flight Across Ocean
Flies Against the Winds.

HAMMONDsPORT, y. Y. June %.
"Wednesday night in a blackness
that hid everything except the murky
and the shimmering waters Of lake
Keuka. the flying boat America,
which is destined TO make aerial his
tory next month by attempting TO fly
across the Atlantic sea. made two
mysterious flights into the darkness
a nasty south wind, which during
q furious storm Wednesday afternoon
almost wrecked the big flyer as she
lay in the aviation field. buffeted the
America with tremendous force as
she few like "A swallow through the
night and circled Blur point with all
the ease OF a huge bird
She experienced just a taste of
what she must encounter when she
begins her flight against the winds,
the waves and the cross currents OF
the ocean, but she weatheTed her
trials like a gull and travelled at the
tremendous rate OF 60 miles an hour
as she did IL.
An enthusiastic little crowd gath
cred IN the hangar yards. saw the
America put out into the night. She
set forth under the full power Of her
two great engines. Two canoes lost
ia the darkness crossed her path and
the searchlights from half dozen
motor boats began flashing here and
there 10 warn the occupants Of the
frail boats 10 fee
Porte at Helm.
John Cyril Porte. the English naval
officer selected 10 pilot America on
her hazardous voyage. was at the
helm. Glenn Curtiss, builder Of the
great flying boat. and George Hallet.
the lanky mechanician who is to do
the hard work when the America is
speeding toward England, were i'm the
cabin with the Briton.
The motor boat lights found the
canoes toiling nightly but blindly TO
flee from the path OF the Onrushing
monster end the little crowd on the
shore set up a cry of alarm.
Curtiss. the man Of the moment,
saved the situation. With the great
est ease he lifted the America from
the wafer He shot her up 90 feet
at q Jump and cleared the terror
stricken canoeists by so feet.
Around Paradise hill and over
Blur point the great whale, again
under the control Of Porte. circled
until she dropped 20 the waters sur
face and began scoOting back home
like a water spider. She was dimly
visible in the deepening shadows of
twilight.
Flies i'm Darkness.
Il - - SttOLQ i4bnA Was nldut III utter
darkness. Water, sky and hillside
alike were hidden. Sumner y. Hol-
lander and William u. Cash. Rod
man Wanamakers personal repre-
sentatives; Porte. Hallet, George
Robinson and James Lamont. me-
chanieians. six men, were in the boat
this time.
The Curtiss speed boat was sent
out over the lake TO warn dawdling
canoeists and one-cyllnder motor
boats 20 seek shore. Heavily loaded
and guided by nothing except her
compass and the tiny beacon light on
Bluff point, the America shot out
into the night like an arrow She
rose te a height OF so feet and eircIed
the lake. Then she mounted TO 100
feet and few I'm great circles while
the tiny fingers of the motor boat
searchlights tried TO find her
For ten minutes at an average rate
Of 55 miles an hour. the America
demonstrated that she knew the night
As well as she knew the day. She
flew as IL 10 was her nature. Hol-
lander and Cash Immediately cabled
ROdman Wanamaker in Europe that
America was sure 20 be the first fly
ing boat 20 cross the ocean
Storm Hits Boat.
a tremendous storm Wednesday
afternoon, sweeping south Pleasant
valley like hurricane. almost drove
the America into the lake and 20 de-