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First Flight in America, 1757
CelebrateBoston.com ^ | prior to 2013 | unattributed

Posted on 06/07/2013 6:38:59 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

On September 13th 1757, John Childs completed the first flight in America. Tethered to a rope, and attached to a feathered glider, he flew about 700 feet from the steeple of the Old North Church to the ground. He had placed advertisements in the Boston Gazette preceding the event, and many spectators attended. Brandishing pistols on his third flight, and with local business completely disrupted in the area, the town leaders barred him from any more sorties...

An account of the flights was published in the September 23rd 1757 issue of the New-Hampshire Gazette:

"[Last] Tuesday in the afternoon John Childs, who had given public notice of his intention to fly from the steeple of Dr. Cutler's Church, performed it to the satisfaction of a great number of spectators; and Wednesday in the afternoon he again performed it twice; the last time he set off with two pistols loaded, one of which discharged in his descent, the other missing fire, he cocked and snapped again before he reached the place prepared to receive him. It is supposed from the steeple to the place where the rope was fixed was about 700 feet upon a slope, and that he was about 16 & 18 seconds performing it each time. As these performances led many people from their business, he is forbid flying any more in the town. The said Childs says he has flown from the highest steeples in England, and off the Monument, by the Duke of Cumberland's Desire."

(Excerpt) Read more at celebrateboston.com ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: 17570913; boston; godsgravesglyphs; johnchilds; massachusetts; oldnorthchurch; threeifbyair; wrightbrothers
Old North Church Steeple

Old North Church Steeple

1 posted on 06/07/2013 6:38:59 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; decimon; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...

 GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach
To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.


2 posted on 06/07/2013 6:39:57 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (McCain would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: SunkenCiv

If I am not mistaken sounds like he was zip lining.


3 posted on 06/07/2013 6:49:54 PM PDT by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
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To: Red_Devil 232

On December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first sustained, controlled flights in a powered aircraft.

An important distinction.

Without powered flight we’d still marvel air balloons.


4 posted on 06/07/2013 7:08:52 PM PDT by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously, you won't live through it anyway)
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To: SunkenCiv

And he wasn’t burned as a witch? I’m calling sexism.


5 posted on 06/07/2013 7:27:57 PM PDT by TChad
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To: SunkenCiv

Video or it didn’t happen.

lol


6 posted on 06/07/2013 7:29:43 PM PDT by US_MilitaryRules (Tastes like Heaven, Burns like Hell! Mmmmmm. What is it?)
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To: US_MilitaryRules

;’)


7 posted on 06/07/2013 8:15:41 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (McCain would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: SunkenCiv

John Childs the Evel Knievel of the 1750s.


8 posted on 06/08/2013 1:13:14 AM PDT by Pontiac (The welfare state must fail because it is contrary to human nature and diminishes the human spirit.)
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To: Pontiac

He was a rebel and he’ll never ever be any good.


9 posted on 06/08/2013 6:58:11 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (McCain would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: TChad

Well, he *did* cover his glider with feathers, so maybe he was trying to get in touch with his feminine side.


10 posted on 06/08/2013 6:58:42 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (McCain would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: TChad

The witch burning was very much sexist...an was started by a deranged pervert ( both spiritually and sexually) via a book written in response to a rebuff by a catholic court.


11 posted on 06/08/2013 10:00:19 AM PDT by lepton ("It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into"--Jonathan Swift)
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12 posted on 12/17/2017 10:02:16 AM PST by SunkenCiv (www.tapatalk.com/groups/godsgravesglyphs/, forum.darwincentral.org, www.gopbriefingroom.com)
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To: Red_Devil 232

Didn’t take you long to reach the same conclusion I did...


13 posted on 03/19/2019 8:38:29 PM PDT by TXnMA (Remember the Alamo! | Remember Goliad! | REPEAT San Jacinto!!)
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14 posted on 11/29/2021 9:20:32 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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