Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-22
ITALIAN PLANES
STIR WASHINGTON
Nations Capital Thrilled by
Dazzling Aerial Circus of
Three Great Machines
FLY FROM NEWPORT NEWS
WASHINGTON. Sent. %.

WASHlNGTON, sept. S2.
Escorted by two smaller war planes, the
giant ve-passenger.csrrying Caproni,
piloted by Lieutenant Emilio Resnati. ended
its sensational flight from Langley Field, Va.
and alighted at the Polo grounds here. Just
before noon today. The great bird-machine
carried eight passengers on its flight.
owing TO high headwinds record was
not established, although the biggest Ca
proni made the 125 miles IN two hours AZ
the end of the flight. all Of the machines
electrified the city by a series Of the most
dazzling circus aerial stunts the capital
ever saw.
Watched by President and Mrs. Wilson
from the south portico of the White House
and by all official Washington, the grace
full machines Circled around the White
House and the Washington monument be-
fore making landing. The first machine
to alight was the Pomilio, piloted by Lieu
tenant Baldioli and carrying Lieutenant
franklin X. Lane, Jr., son of Secretary Of
the Interior Lane. The Secretary and Mrs.
Lane were on hand to greet the young Lane,
who received an ovation from the big crowd
az he unstrapped himself from the machine
and rushed into his mothers arms. The
Pomilio made the trip in exactly one and
half hours.
The Fiat machine driven by Lieutenant
Ballerni and carrying Lieutenant Abetu,
was the second TO alight. Its time was
one hour and thirty-fve minutes. few
moments later the giant Caproni machine
wEs sighted emerging from bank of
clouds 5000 feet in the air. In long spirals
| II gradually came to the ground. In addition
! to Lieutenant Resnau the machine carried
| Captain Tappi, DR.. W. +. Dursnd, DR.. S.
W. Stratton director of the Bureau of
| Standards; W. r. Stout. of the Interna-
| tlonal Aircrafts Organization Board; Mr.
| Kubel two mechanicians and signal corps
| photographer. Speaking through an In
| terpreter, Lieutenant Resanu said that aside
from heavy head wind which they had to
| face all the way, the conditions were IDEAL
| I'VE would have surely made a record II
the wind had not been blowing so strong.
| shortly before reaching Washington we
ran into a heavy bank of clouds. This COM
PEELED me to ascend much higher than we
had been flying. AT one point We were up
| 5000 feet"
The machines are expected to leave
| Washington late this afternoon with Gov
| ernment officials as passengers.
| The flight today is preliminary TO round
| trip flight from Norfolk to New York, to
! he undertaken within fortnight. The New
York flight will be made with all the pas
! senger seats Of the Caproni filed.
After the New York night Captain Res
natl will undertake flight from Wash
| ngton to San Francisco. and If this record
breaking trip is successful n flight across
the Atlantic will be attempted
The members or the Italian mission for
| aeronautics are fully convinced that a
trip from Newfoundland to Ireland can be
| made by machines of the Caproni type with
out difficulty. They have suggested to the
| Signal Corps officers that through the air
Is the only way to deliver Americas feet
of airplanes in France.
The purpose of the Italian aero mission
in coming to the United States was to dem
onstrate to the American aviation authori-
ties the wonderful engine with which the
Italian fighting planes are being equipped
The members of the mission believe the
italian engine Is superior in many respects
to the sensational Liberty motor produced
by American gasoline engine experts
The route of today's flight to Washing
ton was to be part over water and part
over land. Captain Resnau preferred ar
all-water route, but some of his guests eX-
pressed desire TO fly part way over land
The Caproni that took to the air this
morning is the largest of five similar ma
chimes brought here by the Italian mission
Yesterday the warpane was given thu
severest kind of test by Captain Resnat
in preparation for todays flight The ma
chine was flown at an altitude of 5000
feet for two hours and forty minutes. anc
three wind currents were encountered