The Postcard
A postcard bearing no publisher's name that was posted in Southend-on-Sea using a ½d. stamp on Tuesday the 18th. July 1905. The card was sent to:
Miss B. Hollands,
High Street,
Boro Green,
Nr. Sevenoaks,
Kent.
The message on the divided back of the card was as follows:
"I am very sorry for you."
The Liberal Party of Hungary
So what else happened on the day that the card was posted?
Well, on the 18th. July 1905, the Liberal Party of Hungary, the opposition party in the Képviselőház, Hungary's lower house of parliament, voted to issue a manifesto urging Hungarians to refuse to obey orders of the incumbent government.
The Death of an Early Aviator
The day also marked the death at the age of 26 of the
American aviator Daniel J. Maloney.
Daniel was killed while demonstrating John J. Montgomery's Montgomery Glider in the skies over Santa Clara College in San Jose, California.
After the glider was released from a balloon, Maloney was guiding it when the aircraft began falling apart, and both he and the aircraft plummeted from an altitude of 2,000 feet (610 m).
Daniel J. Maloney - the Early Years
Daniel John Maloney, who was born circa 1879, was a pioneering aviator and test pilot who made the first high-altitude flights by man using a Montgomery glider in 1905.
A native of the Mission district in San Francisco, California, Daniel Maloney started his career in aviation by making parachute jumps and trapeze stunts from tethered hot-air balloons in the 1890's at Glen Park, San Francisco and Idora Park in Oakland.
For these events Daniel would often adopt the name “Professor Lascelles” or “Jerome Lesalles” although he was never formally trained as a professor.
Many of the parachute jumps occurred at heights of 500–800 feet above the ground. By 1904 he had become a full-time aerial exhibitionist.
Daniel J. Maloney as an Aeronaut
Maloney was hired by John J. Montgomery in early 1905 in order to serve as an aeronaut for a tandem-wing glider design called the Montgomery Aeroplane.
In February 1905, Maloney was trained by Montgomery on the workings of the glider at Aptos, California through a series of unmanned ballasted test flights, with the goal of launching the glider at high altitudes after ascending under a hot-air balloon.
On the 16th. March 1905, this method was attempted for the first time with Maloney as pilot from Leonard's Ranch at La Selva near Aptos.
After a first failed launch attempt, on a second attempt Maloney was carried aloft in the glider under the balloon, released at an estimated 800 feet, and glided back under full control to a landing in a nearby apple orchard without damage.
On the 17th. March 1905, Maloney released at an estimated 3,000 feet above ground, and controlled the glider through a set of pre-defined turns at 45 degree bank angles back to the launch location with a successful landing.
On the 20th. March 1905, Maloney was once again launched in the glider under the balloon, released at 3,000 feet above ground, and repeated the performance of the 17th. March with a flight of 18 minutes duration.
These experiments of March 1905 were made in a private setting, with Montgomery increasing Maloney's control authority over the aircraft on each subsequent flight. With each flight, Maloney was able to control the glider through wing warping and a controllable elevator, and landed lightly.
On the 29th. April 1905, Maloney repeated these performances through a public exhibition at Santa Clara College as Montgomery's aeronaut. By this time the glider had been re-christened as The Santa Clara in honor of the college.
With a large crowd and members of the local press on hand, Maloney released at an estimated 4,000 feet above ground level, and glided in full control for roughly 20 minutes to a perfect landing a predetermined location.
This flight was the first public exhibition of a controlled heavier-than-air flying machine in the United States.
Maloney and Montgomery subsequently made repeated demonstrations of the glider at various locations in the Bay area in the spring of 1905 with varying degrees of success, owing to the complicated nature of hoisting the balloon aloft with a glider tethered beneath it.
The Death and Legacy of Daniel Maloney
On the 18th. July 1905, Maloney and Montgomery repeated their demonstration at Santa Clara College. However, during the ascension, a rope from the balloon struck the glider and damaged the rear cabane.
Upon release from the balloon at altitude, and after making a few circles under complete control, Maloney dove the aircraft to increase speed and pulled up.
The glider suffered structural failure and plummeted to the earth. Daniel Maloney died as a result of the injuries suffered during this crash. It remains unknown if Maloney was aware of the damage to the glider prior to release, or whether did not think that the damage was severe enough to cause a structural failure.
A marker at Aptos, California marks the location of the March 1905 glider trials.
An obelisk dedicated by the citizens of Santa Clara, California on the campus of Santa Clara University marks the location of Maloney's April 1905 public flight.
In San Jose, California, Daniel Maloney Drive is named in his honor and features John J. Montgomery Elementary School.
