It was June 13, 1910. And if you had been here at 8:13 a.m. and 12:33 p.m., you would have seen the coming and going of the first airplane flight between two large population centers and the first flight on a prepared schedule, captured--look for the fuzzy blur in the upper right--in the photo below. It was also credited with being the "first fast aerial mail" by the Associated Press.
The New York Times and the Philadelphia Public Ledger posted a prize of $10,000 for the first person willing to complete the task. Enter Charles K. Hamilton, an early pilot and stunt devil. Hamilton was somewhat of a character, known as "The Crazy Man of the Air." He survived more than 60 crashes, and was "known for his dangerous dives, spectacular crashes, extensive reconstructive surgeries, and ever present cigarette." Some claimed that he "always flew carrying a loaded gun and was frequently drunk." During one flight between Washington, D.C. and Atlantic City, asked why he was carrying $10,000 on his person he explained, "I may want to buy a drink on the way." His obituary noted the silver plate in his head.
Hamilton was flying the Curtiss No. 2 that day, a biplane known as the "Reims Racer" and the newspapers sponsoring the event followed Hamilton's route along the Pennsylvania Railroad's main line in a special train. Among the passengers was his mother, who doesn't appear to have been a fan of Hamilton's antics.
According to the New York Times, Hamilton took off from Governor's Island at 7:36 a.m.--slightly behind schedule after an accident damaged the plane's propeller, which had to be replaced. Hamilton reached New Brunswick in heavy winds around 8:15 a.m. and was met with "factory whistles, firebells, and shouts from thousands of spectators," dropping commemorative leaflets as he flew over the New Brunswick train station.
Hamilton landed in Philadelphia at 9:26 a.m., and was met, according to the Times reporter, by "not fewer than 100,000 persons." He took off for his return flight at 11:33 a.m. He passed New Brunswick headed north again as 12:33 p.m., this time flying lower and closer to spectators. Unfortunately, the replacement propeller also malunctioned, starting flight troubles over Metuchen, and Hamilton was forced to land in a swamp in South Amboy at 12:54 p.m. The second propeller was damaged on this descent, forcing Hamilton to wait for a new propeller and repairs before starting again, which happened at 6:17 p.m. Hamilton finally landed at Governor's Island again at 6:40 p.m., making the trip in just over eleven hours, 3 hours and 34 minutes of which were spent in the air--a remarkably fast speed for the time.
Hamilton would lose the plane in August after being sued by its owner for falling behind on lease payments and for failing to pay royalties on some of his winnings. Hamilton would die at age 33 less than two and a half years later after a long bout with tuburculosis. Some claimed he had made over a quarter million dollars in winnings in his career, but died nearly broke due, in part, to his "fancy for diamonds."
This cache is your chance to connect with the birth of intercity flight and say hello to a daredevil and pioneer of early flight. The cache should be a relatively easy find but does not have room for swag or a writing utensil, so please BYOP. As with all of my caches, this one was made with the kids, and the kids created containers like this one for themselves while we made this one. There is no need to get anywhere near River Rd., so make sure you're not lost in your phone as you approach the cache. Please be careful getting to the log!