The Hattiesburg news., 1914-04-17
MARONEY RISKS
life IN Flight
over HUB CITY
AVIATOR DEEIEs HAZARD AND
SAILS DIRECTLY ABOVE
THE CITY.
VIOLATED RULES OF
y AMERICAN AERO CLUB
Perfect Exhibition Of Flying, Banking
And VoIplaning--Montana Bird Man
Stays in Air Sixteen Minutes at
Mile a Minute Clip.

T. T. Maroney, Montana aviator, |
sped over Hattiesburg yesterday for
sixteen minutes with nothing to sup
port him but Forrest county air and a
gasoline engine.
1t was the first aviation fight ever
held in Forrest county and it was the
first over-city fight ever held in Mis-
sissippi towns. Aviators have risen on
the outskirts and circled the town, but
Hattiesburg is the only city in the
state that has, had an aeroplane fly
directly over the heart of the city.
An over-city flight is in direct vio-
lation of the laws of the Aero Club OF
America, and in making it aviator
Maroney has laid himself liable to
heavy penalty. The possibility of the
engines stopping and the machine
dropping on housetops and trees; the
air currents that are always prevalent
above high buildings and concentrated
population; and other risks that are
not encountered when the machine Is
flying over open country have combin-
ed to cause the Aero Club of America
to be rigid in its prohibition of such
flight.
Danger of Losing Life.
Despite the extreme danger Of los
ing his own life and in direct violation
OF the laws of the club of which he Is
4 member, Maroney flew directly over
the business section of Hattiesburg
and even volplaned when he started
to +: turn to his hanger near the Nor
NAL College. He did it because he and
w. |. Swain, under whose management
the flights are conducted, were dis
couraged because the people of Hat
tiesburg, buncoed once before when an
alleged aviator failed to keep his con-
tract. doubted whether Maroney would
fly. Determined to remove any possi-
bility of such a doubt, Maroney and
Swain decided late yesterday that the
aviator not only would ride through
the air. but would do it in the most
dangerous manner possible.
II was about $3.50 o'clock yesterday
afternoon when dozen men pulled the
big Curtiss biplane out of the hanger
and to the crest Of a hillock. The
big eight cylinder, seventy-five horse
power motor was started and after
Maroney was satisfied that the ma
chine was in first-class working or
der, he4took his seat behind the wheel
A terrific buzz, motion to the by
ISLANDERS to move out of the way, and
the man-made bird sped down the hill
about 100 feet, lifted itself from the
ground as gently as an eagle and sho'
through the air toV'rd the Norma
College at sixty miles an hour.
As it started from the open field the
aeroplane loomed large on the horizon
"A hut as it passed above the buildings o
Normal College it grew smalle
IF2ad smaller.
IN Reaches High Altitude.
| Mro lessen the danger of an over-cit!
( Might, Maroney determined to fly at
xigh altitude. He figured that II nj
/anqine went bad while he was passini
4 over the city he might have an oppoI
tunity to glide into an open field ant
make landing.
\ To obtain this altitude the aViato
nointed the big wings upward an
n Sanked it against the atmosphere s
IA Vat the angle formed by the interses
M of the plane of the machine wit
| W tne perpendicular to the earth
Veil rs exceeded forty-five degrees.
tit sA this way he followed spiral pat
lh1ltAd the aviation field and quickl
t1 eid an altitude Of some 1000 Zee
he headed for Hattiesburg, gan
Ill lbore altitude as he went
Ill tjthe time he reached the souther
kbibn of the city he had reached a
x(tlde of approximately 5000 feet h
MI (turned north and passed directl
Isl uthe town, dropping his altitude
AiContinued on Page Eight