The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-09-14
Flew 100 Miles an Hour 5000
Feet Above the MineOla
Aviation Camp
GREAT PLEASURE,
COLONEL DECLARED
Did Not Wait for the Operator to Make
a Test Flight, Declaring That He
Wanted to Go Into the Air Right
Away'-His Second Experience.

MINEOLA, l.. L., Sept. 4-Colonel
Roosevelt yesterday tested the new Lib
erty motor, with which the United States
hopes to attain the war supremacy of
the air, and after a flight of half an
hour at a speed of more than 100 miles
an hour, he pronounced it great"
The Colonel rode in the observation
seat of a big military biplane driven by
II. W. Blakely, an employee of the /.
w, +. company, the maker. Most of the
flight was at a height of between 5000
and 5000 feet and was for a distance
that would have carried the aviator and
his observer far over the German lines
had the start been made from an allied
field in France, where Quentin Roose
welt is now serving in an air corps. Quen-
tin got his training at the Mineola
school
| 1t was the second flight the Colonel
has made. Four years ago in Kansas
ne made a short flight with the Inflated
IloXey. But that was as nothing com
lTared to yesterday hight.
With Captain and Mrs. Thomas Hitch
cock Of Westbury and Major Vincent,
an army engineer, Colonel Roosevelt ar
rived at the Mineola army aviation field
j about 1890 O'Clock He was driven
over TO a hangar where Blakelv was tun-
ing up a new biplane, one Of the first
at Mineola to be equipped with the Lib
crty motor, the perfection of which was
ANNOUNCED in Washington by Secretary
of War Baker on Wednesday. The Colo
mel was invited to 90 for a flight and
accepted. Blakely proposed that he take
the machine for a test flight first.
No, =" replied the Colonel No test
flight FOR me. / want to 90 right
away
Then he DOTTED his broad brimmed fell
hat, and slipped on a helmet with cog
glesIr3 SNH eh'oaS .Najar dirsent 5 rain
coat. He climbed into the observer :,
seat while a last inspection of the ma
chine was made. The engine started t.
roar, as helpers held the big machine
Blakelv climbed into his seat. waved
his hand, and while the hundred or NOR
persons about, including many aviation
students, cheercd the machine ran 70
fifty feet and then shot up, climbing a
a rather steep angle. 1t circled up t
a height of 900, then 1000, and the
L 5000 feet and shot off in the direction
: of Camp Mills, where the Rainbow
: division is in camp.
When it passed over the camp the ma
chine was at an elevation of 5000 feet
The soldiers below paid but passing in
. =, L
have been in camp they have beeom
accustomed to seeing airplanes about
Once over the camp thesmachine tume
south for five miles and then circle
= back over the Mineola aviation fel(
The engine was working perfectly. Aft
or circling the field two or three time.
I Blakclv brought the airplane to tn
earth with n graceful landing fer
\ yards from the spot where he had star
ed.
Although at an elevation of 5000 fee
today the cold was rather severe, tn
Colonel showed no, effects of it as h
clinlbetll ont bfi .tRe observation sea
waved his hand at everybody, and Z
II he pnlled off the goggles, said
III cit wasi ttanatkab1e: IL was a grea
pleasure. | thank YOU ALL
Then the Colonel with his FRIEND
l left for his home after he had shake
hands with a number of the officers {
\ the field. The Colonel is deeply int
\ est"d in aviation and when Quent
was a student at Mineola, made sever
Z trips here.
Colonel Roosevelt 5 characteristic
Of the last developed airplane of Il
American service az remarkable
4 identical with what he had to say of
4 trip he took in the submarine, Plunge
III 1903, when he was president. r
Plnnger. then the latest deyelonment