The Aeronautic Society of New York  
  mann, Dr. Julian P. Thomas, Vincent F. Lake, Lawrence J. Lesh, George F. Chamberlin,
Walter E. Brown, Harry R. Burt, Stanley Y. Beach, Harold H. Brown, A. B. Levy, E. La
Rue Jones, O. A. Danielson, C. F. Blackmore, Dr. S. B. Battery, Geo. A. Lawrence, Edward
W. Smith, Curt Schmidt, F. E. Boland, Adrian Beckert, Thos. A. Hill, A. E. Horn, J. R.
Loveday, Harry A. Lewis, G. C. Gillespie, Herbert G. Scott and Paul F. Mottelay.
     The charge for admission to htis Exhibition was $1. As before, most of the visitors
came in through the broken fences. Commissioner Bingham, who was then at the head
of the police department, very kindly lent the assistance of a very large staff of men, both
on foot and mounted, who did excellent service. But around so great a space, practically
without fences, not even a regiment of soldiers could have kept back the crowd who swarmed
in everywhere.
     In connection with this Exhibition a very complete set of rules was prepared governing
contests of aeroplanes and all other kinds of aeronautical competitions. It was the first
set prepared in this country, and is likely to be used very largely as the basis of all subse-
quent sets.
     A week later another Exhibition was organized by S. Y. Beach. It also resulted in a
financial loss. W. H. Martin remained with his glider. Mr. Curtiss made a flight similar
to the one on the previous Saturday. Some motorcycle events were added. The charge
for admission was 50c.
     The Directors dicided that it was inadvisable to risk the considerable cost that Exhibi-
tions ran into, necessitating a charge for admission, until, at any rate, the art in this
country had advanced somewhat further, and that, in any case, the condition of the
fences at Morris Park did not justify them in again taking the risk on those grounds. It
had been the hope of the Directors that the exhibitions, while stimulating the interest
of the public and encouraging inventors, might also assist in the formation of an experi-
mental fund for the Society for the provision of more workshops, sheds, etc., for buying
more motors for the use of members, and for preparing testing devices and other useful
aids for the benefit of all. It was very much to their regret that they saw this hope
unfulfilled.
 
 
 
  AS no further exhibition was to be given at Morris Park, Mr. Curtiss applied for
permission to take the Society's machine to Mineola, L. I. to practice some long
flights there over the safe, wide Hempstead Plains. Consent was immediately
granted. Although the delay entailed meant a very great loss to the Society, its keenest
desire was to do anything it could to help Mr. Curtiss along, as he was entirely
dependent upon this machine for any practice he could get to enable him to take
part in the contests at Rheims. members of the Society were astonished, a day or two
later, to gather from reports in the newspapers that, instead of the Society receiving the
recognition due to its courteous act, the machine was supposed to be in charge of the
organization which is closely linked with Mr. Curtiss' manufacturing company. Mr.
Curtiss was said to be making the flights at Mineola under the auspices of that body,
and the representatives of that organization were speaking of the machine as either
belonging, or about to belong, to that institution! The Directors of the Society had, how-
ever, always, since the formation of Mr. Curtiss' company in March, been aware of the
peculiar nature of the association between Mr. Curtiss' partners and the body referred to,
and their experience had taught them to be in no way surprised. It was obvious that Mr.
Curtiss was not entirely free to follow his own wishes.
     Poor as were the flights at Morris Park, they were sufficient to show what the machine
could do, if boldly handled. Mr. Curtiss was, therfore, entered to represent America at
Rheims, and at once set about building a duplicate of the Society's machine with which to
take part in the great international contests. By the courtesy of the Society he was enabled
to continue practice at Mineola right down to the morning he sailed for Europe

 
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