FROAI THE WATER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1079, 18 March 1911, Page 6

FROAI THE WATER.

AVIATOR GLEN CURTISS'S GREAT I'EAT. At Sail Diego (Cal.), on January 26, for tho iirst time it is declared in tho history of aviation an aeroplane rose from th 3 surface of the water, sailed about, and . returned to tho startingpoint, landing on tho water as easily as a gull. This feat was achieved by Glenn H. Curtiss in his specially-equipped aeroplano on San Diego Bay. The machine covered a district of about two miles, and tho flight was mado after almost two weeks of experimenting to devise special appliances to float the machine and allow it to attain a high speed on the surface of fho water before lifting. Both the Army and the Navy were represented 1 at theso experiments on North Island, the former by Lieutenant John C. Walker, jun., and tho latter by Lieutenant T. 0. EHyson, both 'specially detailed by their Departments to learii aviation. When tho aeroplana was brought out at noon and floated on tho shallow water between Coronado and North Island, it was equipped with hydronlanes and a new arrangement of front surfaces. Curtiss climbed into the seat and started tho powerful motor. Tho aeroplane scudded un tho bay at a dO-milo clip for a quarter of a mile, then lifted out of the water and roso to a height of 50 feet.- Curtiss brought it down on the surface after flying half a uiilo and turned around as easily as a motor-boat. Putting on his full power, ho ro c o again, this time to a height of 100 feet, sailwl out over the bay a milo from tho starting place, circled around near the revenue cutter Bear and the repair ship Ins, and landed lightly on the water in ,r i hangar on shore. ' "I havo succeeded in solving tho ono problem the Secretary of tho Navv regarded as tho most difficult, and" the ono necessary to make the. aeroplano of value to the Navy," said Curtiss as he stepped ashore. "I can now start an aeroplane from tho water alongsido a warship, make my trip and return, alight alongsido and bo hoisted aboard. This, I believe, is of great importance to die Aavy. 1 shall continue the cxpsriments lor some time, and will bo able to further perfect tho appliances I am using to rise from and alight on tho water."