Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1930-09-18
LIGHTS , fsS ESs5fs
Of NEW YORK

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES eseSseNN<rs%~NsS
There is a faint suspicion In my
mind that I must be advancing in
years; because / see things In the
newspapers which remind me Of other
things which certainly happened far
away and long ago. There Is, for ex-
ample, the death Of that great figure
In aviation, Glenn II. Curtiss. The
first time l ever saw Mr.. Curtiss was
at Bresccla, northern Italian city at
the foot Of the Alps. That was In 1909.
These college boys of today, who
hop into their planes and drive to
polo match, a boat race or football
game, probably don't remember much
about such engines as the Anzani or
the Gnome, or about such aviators as
Delargrange, Paulhan, Rogers Som
mer, Lefevbre, Ferber, Latham, and
Fernandez. Yet most Of that group
gaye their lives to aviation before
mans wings had grown so strong.
Other great birdmen Of that day are
still known; because they eventually
associated with big companies to
which they lent their names. Among
these are the Wrights, Santos Dumont,
Helry Farman, the voisians, Blerlot
and Curtiss.
The first real aviation meet was
held in France, at Reims. Nobody
went very far to see that one. 1t was
felt that this flying business was just
/ stunt; that 1t never really would be
| practical. But they did pretty well
at Relms, so, when the second meet
was held in Italy, at Brescia, we de-
clded to 60 and see 1t. Brescia was
crowded. We stayed in the same no.
tel with Glenn Curtiss and some OF
the other flyers, but arrived 80 shortly
before the meet that we were given
! the proprietor's own room. never
have forgotten the family photographs
on those walls. They certainly were
not taken by Hal Phyfe or any of
these fashionable Photographic artists.
That certainly was great meet.
Bleriot was there with the little mono
! plane in which he had lately flown the
(, channel on that early morning when
Hubert Latham, with his larger An.
toInette plane, was waiting for the
wind to 60 down. And the voislns,
Henry Farman, Wilbur Wright and, !
think, Santos Dumont, all were on
hand. The huge crowd, which ran the
scale from royalty to peasants, caught
sharp breath and then exhaled a
united "Ah!n as the first plane left
! the ground. Our 'ah' was as loud as
any Of the rest. None of this present
generation ever will get that kick out
Of seeing a man fly.
The Wright plane didn't have any
wheels then. It had skids, and they
had to build a tripod and track to
get 1t into the air. It couldn't be got
off the ground. Most of the planes
had bicycle wheels. Glenn Curtiss
won the prize for distance flight.
! Somebody, probably Latham, broke the
altitude record In Yoisin plane. He
| must have risen almost thousand
feet. Glenn Curtiss prophesied that
the day would come when man would
fly the ocean. People laughed gently
at his enthusiasm; but he lived to see
that day. What will this present gen
Grafton live to sect That meet at
Brescia with those rickety, feeble,
handmade planes was only only TWEEN.
ty-one years ago. What about the
next twenty.one yearsi Like the man
who never had suffered from delirium
tremens, we haven't seen anything yet.
Another thing which takes nue. back
through the years is the earthquake
In the purple Appennine portion Of
Italy. They say Vesuyius is growing
again. climbed vesuvius once with
the last crowd up before 1t blew Its
bonnet of. That old hill has red
hot disposition. But the earthquake
is what brings back memories, and not
pleasant ones. 1t happened we were
in Sicily the year of the earthquake,
and got into Messina as soon rs they
would let US. That was picture no
body who saw 1t forgets. Dead, dy.
ing and injured; homeless, frightened
people, who had lost all they pos
sessed; mothers who had lost their
children; children who had lost their
parents; great piles of crushed stone,
plaster and debris where buildings and
streets had been; walls left standing
with fragments Of floors sticking out
and supporting articles of furniture
The Red Cross did good job there,
but there are some things beyond hui
man aid.
Illustrated books are coming In
again. The return of Illustrations
started with private editions, often
reprints with new Illustrations. These
sold for about SIS. But now some of
the regular issues of books have pic
lures illustrating the text.