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A Girl of New York's "600" Steers Santos-Dumont's Airship Over Paris
Her Own Story.

[[Image of a woman flying an airship]]
JUST AFTER THE ASCENT

[[Image of a man]]
M. SANTOS-DUMONT

Beautiful Miss Ada Acosta, Mrs. Philip Lydig's Sister. Whom Paris Is Wildly Acclaiming "La Premiere Aer-Chauffeuse," Describes Her Sensations on the First Dirigible Balloon Ascension Ever Made By a Woman: "Frightened? Not for a Second. I Never Had Such Fun in My Life. I Floated Up as Easily as If I Were on an Elevator at the Waldorf. It Was Perfectly Glorious Skimming Over the Tops of the Trees.  Every Touch of My Hand on the Steering Wheel Brought an Instant Response. No Auto Ever Steered Better. I Hated to Come Down, Though I Was Up Two Hours"

[[Image of an airship over trees]]
FLOATING OVER THE TREE TOPS IN THE SUBURBS OF PARIS.

[[Image of a woman standing on deck of a ship]]
MISS ADA ACOSTA ON SHIPBOARD FROM A PHOTOGRAPH BY A WORLD PHOTOGRAPHER

[[Image of woman standing in basket of an airship]]
THE LAST MOMENT BEFORE THE ASCENT

"MLLE. ADA ACOSTA, la premiere aero-chauffeuse!"

It was Santos-Dumont himself who said it.

To-day all France sounds the praises of "la Belle Americaine"--the stunning New York girl, first of her sex to negotiate the air alone. She's just back from her triumph, and is now at Newport enjoying a round of its gayetine.

This New York girl has done what no woman has ever done before in the world. She has mounted the air in the first [[?]] [[?]] dirigible balloon. She has run its petrol engine unaided. She has steered it against the wind. She has tacked starboard and port. She has brought it to earth again, the journey done. Paris acclaims her its air queen. And never another soul went up in the air with her when she did it. 

Santos-Dumont himself stayed below on the ground while Miss Acosta ran his new "No. 7" to suit her own sweet will. She chose to sail from his big grounds at Neuilly to the Polo Club. She did it-this girl of fashion who had never essayed the air before in her life. It was a two hour trip, she brought the machine as gently to earth again is if Santos himself were at the helm.

"Frightened?" she laughed. "Not for a second. I never had such fun in my life."

Society knows Miss Acosta well. She is the second daughter of Ricardo Acosta, the wealthy merchant. Her elder sister is the beautiful Rita Acosta who was now the wife of the gallant [[?]] "[[?]] one of those young men of station who went to war when the nation needed soldiers five years ago just as his father did before him in '[[?]]7.

Sister of the Popular Mrs. Philip Lydigs

The Lydigs have a villa at Newport and there Miss Acosta is now playing the toast of all the gallants and the envy of all the belles.

Ask her about her trip in the clouds and she'll laugh at you for thinking it was anything at all. It doesn't mean any more to her than to run some tiny little auto down Bellevue Avenue in the early morning when a few tramps are stirring 

That Santos thinks she's "some pumpkins," only that's not the way he'd say it in his elegant Parisian

Mrs Acosta went abroad this spring and her daughter went with her. Mr Acosta stayed behind here at his [[Cedarhurst?]] mansion with the youngest of the family, who still have to go to school

"It was a good thing too," laughed Mrs Acosta, yesterday. "If he'd been along he would never have let Ada go up in Santos's airship. He's a funny fellow, that Santos-he's daft about flying machines. Everything in his Paris apartment is airship, airship, airship. Even his furniture make you think you're up in the air. That dinner he gave with chairs and tables on legs ten feet tall was the funniest [[?]] Paris ever saw.

"I went along to see Ada fly, but I wasn't as nervous as you [[would?]] think. It didn't look a bit dangerous; everything was as carefully built. That boy Santos was as as particular himself to have everything just as for my daughter."

Santos-Dumont must have known the Acostas for a long time. When they arrived in Paris he was among their first callers. Mother and daughter were duty bidden to inspect his marvelous balloon plant out at Neutily. Miss Acosta [[?]] in wonderment. 

Santos-Dumont was immensely pleased.

The ordinary run of his guests were [[languidly?]] infatuated and [[perna-?]] asked a few polite questions. But not so this New York Girl. She wanted to know the why and [[wheres?]] one of every wheel and lever. How did the rudder work and what controlled the big propeller aft?

The aeronaut duly explained [[waxing?]] [[?]]

"I'd give anything to go up on one myself."

Santos Dumont [[stared?]] quizzically at the guest.

"Do you mean that?" he asked after a minutes silence.

"Of course, I do" said the girl, looking the aeronaut straight in the eye. 

"Would Mrs. Acosta consent?"

"Anything I ask her she will let me do, except that -oh, oh father won't be here anyhow, and mustn't know"

"Will you go [[out?]] today?"

"If you'll let me."

That settled it. She went. 

But [[?]] Miss Acosta [[will?]] [[about?]] it herself. The family are just back from Europe on the Kaiser Wilhelm [[?]] [[?]]. Miss Acosta was with her mother at Cedarhurst when a writer for the [[?]] World Magazinne called and [[?]] she told about [[?]] [[?]] every minute she fully declared how foolish it was of anybody to be a bit interested in a simple American girl's trip in an airship. 

"I never had so much fun in my life." she laughed. "Well I don't see why that should interest anybody. And I wasn't a bit afraid. I don't see how you could be afraid. Don't you know [[?]] is too [[?]] [[?]] airships are too well built.

"I went up in No. 9 his [[?]] [[?]] [[?]] [[?]] [[?]] afternoon when I said I'd like to try it he let me go. We were 

Balloon had to be Lightened.

Then we worked out a code of [[?]] with a handkerchief. All I had to do was to [[?]] [[?]] [[?]] the ground below and everything [[?]] going smoothly [[?]] that I'll tell soon. [[?]] I was [[?]] He weighed 180 pounds and I [[130?]]/ They had for tighten one which [[?]] I was sane. They [[?]] off the [[?]] in [[?]] 

Then I had a hard time getting in the basket. Then [[?]] looked very [[?]] and tied a [[?]] to his left wrist.

"If you go too high in the air and get frightened," he said, as if I was going up to heaven right away, "pull that cord. It will let the gas out of the balloon. "Then you will descend. If you fall your light will open this valve."
How hard will I come down?" I asked him.
"well," he said, trying to look very gay, you'll come down with something of a crash, but it won't [[?]].
[[?]] I began to learn how to run an air-[[?]] to [[?]] any harder than [[?]] everything [[?]] and any sirs can do that. Everything was [[?]] ready, [[?]] work opened the tent and made ready to let go at the ropes. Just for a precaution, [[?]] a training room to the airship life [[?]] feet long, but he never had to touch it. There wasn't [[?]] of sensible.

[[?]] In front was [[?]] showing the [[?]] of the wind and its [[?]] The little petrol engine was working as smartly and smoothly as a [[?]] machine.

The Code of Handkerchief Signals.

"Just watch my signals," said [[?]] and you will be all right. When I wave to the right, steer to the right, when I wave to the left, steer to the left. If I circle the handkerchief rapidly, let your propeller go [[?]] fast as if [[?]]. If I [[?]] it. descend gently.
"And that was all there was to it. Up, up ,up I floated from the grounds, near the Cafe Market, as easily as if I were in an elevator at the Walford, Santos started to follow me on a bicycle, but I went too fast for him, why really, the poor fellow was working over his pedals harder than he ever did in his airship. 

So as [[?]] for his auto, and followed under [[?]] that. Never once did he have to soften the trailing rope. He just signaled and I knew what to do. After the first flight I forgot very bit of nervousness, it was perfectly [[?]] skimming over the tops of the trees and looking down on the face of the earth just as if I were an angel.
"I could see Santos all [[?]] time. Now and then he waved his handkerchief, and I could see what he was signaling every time, and obeyed him. All he really had to do was keep straight on the course, because I didn't know the way as well has he did. 
"The Polo club was our institution-that is, it was our house. The [[?]] game of the weapon was as I was beginning to enjoy it. All Paris [[st-ed?]] to be at my feet. The little engine was working away so [[?]] [[?]] that you could [[wh-?]] and the [[?]] perspective was [[wh-ing?]] around [[?]] [[and?]] [[?]]. [[Every?]] [[?]] [[of?]] [[my?]] hand [[at?]] the steering wheel [[?]] as [[instant?]] [[response?]] from the big airship. No [[auto?]] ever [[steered?]] any better.
It was a beautiful day. There was very little wind. The sun [[was?]] shining [[out?]] of [[?]] beautiful [[blue?]] [[?]] [[?]] [[?]] very very [[accurate?]]. [[It?]] was [[everything?]] [[?]] minute of it, but below that [[?]] was [[?]] [[with?]] [[died?]].
My airship had [[-ing?]] [[h-?]] [[-oop?]] and his [[?]] [[?]] was [[having?]] a [[hard?]] time [[?]] [[keep?]] up. Once a [[-ed?]] a [[f-d?]] [[-ded?]] by high [[f-?]], this [[su-?]] [[couldn't?]] [[function?]] [[w-?]] me. I laugh every time I think of [[?]] [[?]] [[had?]] [[to?]] [[get?]] [[?]] [[?]] [[the?]] [[f-?]] [[and?]] [[?]] [[it?]] [[?]] [[?]] [[he?]] [[-d?]] [[?]] me. The [[p-?]] [[fellow?]].
Right [[ahead?]] was the polo [[?]] I'd [[?]] up [[own?]] [[?]] [[then?]]. [[fluttering?]] [[along?]] [[?]]. I hated to come down. [[Up?]] there [[was?]] [[?]] [[waiting?]]. So I [[-pp-d?]] [[the?]] [[p-?]] [[?]] and I [[whirled?]] around the steering wheel and [[-el?]] the valve gently. Down I [[?]] like a [[feather?]] softly, gently, [[elegantly?]] - [[you'd?]] [[not?]] [[?]] might say. [[-der?]] [[?]] [[was?]] a pillow.

Embarrassing Struggle to Get Out.

"[[S-?]] [[was?]] [[there?]] and all his [[?]]. They [[caught?]] the [[machine?]] and weighed it down [[so?]] that it couldn't rise [[again?]]. [[Then?]] [[?]] was [[real?]] [[-in?]] [[?]] [[was?]] I going to get out of that awful [[basket?]]. I was in [[almost?]] [[?]] to my neck. [[The?]] [[biggest?]] crowd I [[ever?]] [[faced?]] [[?]] my life was looking on.
[[Fin-?]] [[didn't?]] make fun of me. They [[had?]] to [[dump?]] [[me?]] out. I climbed up [[a?]] [[fa-?]] [[?]], I [[could?]] [[and?]] then [[the?]] [[?]] [[gently?]] [[tilted?]] [[down?]] the [[?]] [[with?]] [[?]] [[?]] [[?]]. Oh, [[those?]] [[-ment?]]. It looked as if a million of them were watching [[everything?]]. They applauded politely and [[they?]] [[?]] [[?]] [[in?]] the basket and off [[he?]] [[?]] [[again?]].
Never [[more?]] did [[?]] [[ha-?]] [[?]] the [[?]] rope. Most of the time he [[?]] [[have?]] [[do-?]] it even if [[?]] [[had?]] [[wanted?]] - [[?]] [[was?]] [[fe-?]] [[-gh?]] [[on?]]. Still it was nice to know that he was [[believe?]] ready to [[save?]] me if I got into trouble, which I didn't."
[[And?]] now the French newspapers are calling all about the prowess of Miss Acosta. "[[l animations?]] is quite the biggest [[-ing?]] that [[?]] France in [[th-?]] [[?]] summer [[dark?]], unless it's whether Japan and England will go to war with Russia.
"[[Voila?]], Santos la, Santos la!" is quite the proper thing to say in Paris when you see something quiets [[skimming?]] the sky.
It's a [[?]] to a [[King's?]] mansion that the queer object is [[Manfroe-Dumont?]] crowding the clouds [[close?]]. [[Set?]] [[?]] [[Paris?]] [[wind?]] in [[sensations?]] went wild when [[it?]] [[?]] the pretty New York do what [[Bashot-Dumont?]] did.

The Six Hundred at Her Feet.

For all this the girl - she's still in her teens - hasn't [[had?]] her [[?]] [[?]]. You can see any day at [[Cefelderhurst?]] playing tennis, or following her golf [[hall?]] [[?]] the [[?]] , or taking a run in her auto.
Just at the moment, [[?]], she's dining and [[-ing?]] at [[Newport?]], the [[g-?]] of her stunning [[?]]. Mrs. [[?]] [[and?]] [[forming?]] many a [[-ead?]]. She [[?]] the Six Hundred at her feet.
You wouldn't dare call Miss Acosta pretty. She's more than that - she's beautiful. She has the wavy dark hair, the [[snapping?]] eyes, the olive complexion of the Spaniards from whom she [[takes?]] her descent, [[?]] she's no [[?]]. [[?]] a [[-ty?]] a New Yorker. If you [[?]] her telling about [[golf?]], or tennis, or Auto [[making?]], or even flying machines - you'll be lucky if you can - you'll find out [[is?]] a [[?]] that she's a regular everyday American girl and her conquest of the air hasn't turned her [[head?]] a [[bit?]].
Keep the [[reef?]] of this a [[?]].
Mrs. Acosta wants to go abroad again and if she [[?]], Miss Ada and her younger sister, Miss Maria, [[?]]. Santos-Dumont will be waiting to meet them and there may be - don't tell a [[soul?]] - a more ambitious [[?]], perhaps a thousand feet high, and all day in [[duration?]].
Then again [[it?]] [[?]] be Miss Acosta, premiere [[?]], but there are a lot of young men in the range of the [[morally?]] [[elect?]] [[?]] [[?]] like in make it [[p-?]] Mrs. [[?]]'s where you have a chance to [[grow?]].


[[bottom margin]]
Alberto Santos-Dumont is the authority for crediting Miss Aida de Acosta as the first woman to pilot a dirigible airship. His series of airships were built in the period 1898-1906.

Miss de Acosta, of a prominent New York family, was a student in Paris when Santos-Dumont was experimenting with his airships. One day with some friends she visited his hangar where he was adjusting his airship No. 9, called the "Runabout" because of its convenience and small size. In it he made frequent trips about Paris. He became impressed by her alert interest and was surprised by pleased when she asked if she might operate it. He gave her three lessons; then on June 29, 1903, she piloted it alone. Rising from the airship yard at Neuilly-Saint James, she guided it for nearly a mile above the Bois du Boulogne and landed on the race course at Bagatelle. Her adventure is more fully described in this and the adjacent frame which she has donated to the Museum. The engine which powered her trip is in a nearby case.

Gift of Mrs. Henry Breckinridge

311,167-A
[[/bottom margin]]

Transcription Notes:
Last 3 columns still need to be transcribed. Lots of [[?]] to fill in. -I took a screenshot of the image and then edited it on my desktop. Up the clarity and exposure and down the lighting to make it easier to read while comparing to original. ------------ I tried my best on the last columns, but there was only so much I could do. Many words need to be filled in and checked.