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2ND NEWS SECTION. THE STATEN ISLANDER PAGES 9 TO 18. St. George, Staten Island, October 9, 1912. AVIATION SATURDAY OPENING DAY AT OAKWOOD WILL BE SOMETHING GREAT. Big Programme Includes a Dozen of the Most Famous Birdmen in the Country and the Only Professional Woman Aviator - Captain Baldwin Will be Mayor of Oakwood Heights - Preparations are Complete for the Entertainment of a Great Crowd. Everything is ready for the opening even of Staten Island's first aerodrome. The members of the Aeronautical Society have worked hard and spent lots of money for the aviation tournament, which is to be held at Oakwood Heights next Saturday afternoon, Columbus day. The fact that the Aeronautical Society, which is the oldest scientific organization in the United States devoted to the development of aerial navigation, has selected Staten Island for its official flying grounds means a new boom for the Borough of Richmond. The programme for Saturday's event includes the participation of a dozen of America's most famous aviators. Everybody is looking forward with the keenest interest to Staten Island's first big aviation event. The society has invited the officers and sailors of the fleet to be present and it is expected that several hundred of them will come over to Staten Island on that Day. Thrilling Programme. The most thrilling programme has been arranged by the aviators, and even if anybody has seen flying before, he cannot afford to miss Staten Island's first aviation meet. There will be spirals, ocean rolls, dips of death, jumps from an aeroplane [[airplane]] 2,000 feat high, and a hundred other kids of thrills which the famous aviators have planned to perform for Staten Islanders. Those who will take part will be Captain Thomas S. Baldwin, familiarly known among the aviators as the "grandfather of aviation," with his Red Devil biplane; Miss Ruth Bancroft Law, the only woman in the United States who is doing any real flying to-day [[today]], with her Wright machine; Harry Bingham Brown, the darling young Wright flier from whose machine Frederick Rodman Law will make parachute jumps; George W. Beatty, who has promised to do the turkey trot in his Wright machine; Cecil Peoli, who will fly the Red Devil; O. E. Williams, who will fly a Curtiss machine, is coming from Scranton, Pa.; Sam Barton, who will fly a Curtiss type hydro-aeroplane, and George O. Simmons, who will fly Robert J. Collier's aeroplane. Woman Flyer. Miss Ruth Bancroft Law will doubtless be one of the chief attractions at the Oakwood Heights meet. She is the only woman aviator who has ever operated a Wright biplane over Staten Island. For the past week she has been making practice flights at Oakwood Heights, going to altitudes of two and three thousand feet. On Columbus day Miss Law plans to beat the present altitude record for women aviators, which is about 3,500 feet high. If everything goes well next Saturday afternoon, Miss Law will very likely fly to an altitude of 6,000 feet, or about a mile high. One of the interesting characteristics of Miss Law is that she is a decided blonde. Heretofore, all women aviators in the United States have been brunettes. Miss Harriet Quimby, who was the first lady to fly a monoplane on Staten Island and lately met with death at the Boston aviation meet, was a brunette. Miss Mathilda Moisant and Miss Blanche Scott, the only other two women aviators, are also brunettes. The question has arisen among aviators who have seen Miss Law fly whether blonde women will make better aviators than brunettes. There is one thing certain that Miss Law is by far the most skillful woman flier America has yet seen. Captain Baldwin's Machine. Captain Baldwin, who is at present flying at Danbury, Conn., will have his machine at Oakwood Heights by Friday. The captain was down at the field last Saturday. He felt greatly satisfied with the progress that has been made in preparing the field for the tournament on Columbus day. Captain Baldwin, who is by far the veteran among aviators because he has been associated with all forms of aerial navigation for the past half century, is an enthusiastic flier. The captain, when he arrived at Oakwood last Saturday, was greeted with loud cheers. "Hello, boys," shouted the captain, as he whizzed onto the field in his automobile. "I see we are all here and ready to boom Staten Island's flying ground. This is the finest field I have laid my eyes on, and we are all going to do a lot of good flying here." Elected Mayor. The other aviators rallied around the captain and began to make plans for the success of their new flying ground. By mutual consent, all the aviators agreed to make Captain Baldwin the mayor of Oakwood Heights aerodrome. Captain Baldwin accepted the honor with thanks and said he would try to make the best mayor that the aviators could possibly have. Harry Bingham Brown, who is one of the youngest aviators in this country, has made a reputation for himself which reaches from the Atlantic to the Pacific. He was the first aviator who dared permit a man to jump from his machine at an altitude of 2,000 feet, using a parachute with which to reach earth safely. Next Saturday Mr. Brown will perform this difficult task at Oakwood Heights. Frederick Rodman Law will be the man who will jump from the aeroplane with a parachute. The Turkey Trot. One of the most difficult flights that will be witnessed at the aviation tournament will be George W. Reatty's interpretation of the turkey trot with his aeroplane. It is very hard for an aviator to put his aeroplane through the evolutions of a dance, but Beatty says he can do it. Robert J. Collier, president of the Aero Club of America, has consented to allow his aviator, George O. Simmons, to fly one of his Wright machines from Wickatunk, N.J., to Oakwood Heights. Another feature that will interest all those who attend the flying tournament will be the model aeroplane contest in which about a hundred boys will take part. Edward Durant, who has for a number of years interested boys to compete in these contests will be in charge of the event next Saturday afternoon. Frank A. Seiberling, president of the Goodyear Rubber Company, of Akron, Ohio, has consented to have a captive balloon at the Aeronautical Society's meet. In this balloon people will be permitted to make ascensions. As is well known, Mr. Seiberling financed the [[Vanniman?]] balloon which was to have crossed the Atlantic ocean had it not been for the unfortunate accident at Atlantic City last July. Mr. Seiberling is a member of the Aeronautical Society and very much interested in its success. The Managers. The field director at the Aeronautical Society's tournament will be A. Leo Stevens, who has spent many years building balloons. Mr. Stevens was the manager for Harry Atwood when he made his famous flight from St. Louis to New York. He was also manager for Miss Harriet Quimby and Harry Bingham [[?]] Hugo C. Gibson [[will?]] assist Mr. [[?]] stations in the country in connection with the Oakwood Heights field which runs to the water's edge. A special row of hangars will be built on the beach and it is expected by next spring there will be at least a dozen hydro-aeroplanes flying from there daily. A feature of special interest to the public is the offer made by Harry Brighton Brown to give a free ride in his flying machine to the lucky holder of a grand stand seat ticket bearing a certain number. The winning number will be duly displayed on the bulletin and the fortunate professor of the coupon will be entitled to go up in the air for an exhilerating aerial trip. Announcement is made by the exhibition committee that all children hangars, grand stand, fence, etc. and preparing suitable quarters for the aviators. Mr. Wittemann will be field marshal on Saturday and upon all subsequent exhibition days. A great advertiser himself, and a firm believer in the future of Staten Island, Mr. Whittemann says the aerodrome at Oakwood Heights will result in making Staten Island known everywhere in the civilized world. [[image of aeroplane with 2 people]] [[image of aeroplane with a crowd of people]] [[image of car with a person driving it]] [[image of balloon and aeroplane]] [[caption]] Frederick Rodman Law. In his thrilling jump with a parachute from Henry Bingham Brown's machine, 2,000 feet in the air. [[/caption]] [[image of 2 people]] [[image of aeroplane with 4 people]] [[caption]] George W. Beatty Picking Up Three Passengers. [[/caption]] [[image of aeroplane]] [[caption]] Miss Ruth Bancroft Law in Her Wright Biplane. [[/caption]] [[image of head]] [[image of Baldwin's Hydro-aeroplane building]] [[letter]] [[stamp]] Posta 56 28 7 [[/stamp]] [[stamp]] Deficiency in Address Supplied by Wash. [[illegible]] [[/stamp]] [[stamp]] Washington AUG 25 6 PM D.C. [[/stamp]] Not known at Hq. East. Dept., Governors' Island, N.Y. Miss Ruth Law Pilota Aviatrice 90 PM Chicago [[strikethrough]] New York [[/strikethrough]] Ills [[right margin of letter]] (74) Verificato PFR Insura Genuva [[illegible]] Estera Censura [[/right margin of letter]] [[image of person]]
Transcription Notes:
There are various images that appear in between the articles so I just added them all at the end, starting from the top right and ending at the bottom left.
