Scouts Fly At Night.

New York Times 100 years ago today, January 31, 1913:
Navy's Expert Aviators Make Innovation at Guantanamo.
Special to The New York Times.
    WASHINGTON, Jan. 30.— The members of the Navy aviation staff practicing at Guantanamo have taken up a new form of aeroplane scouting. The local peculiarities of topography seem to render the air so "bumpy" during the day that the expert fliers have resorted to night flying with marked success. Lieut. John H. Towers, who is in command of the aviation camp, in a report to the Navy Department received to-day, says that he and Lieut. Herbster have done a good deal of moonlight flying at considerable altitudes. They find the wind conditions more favorable than during the day, and can keep their bearings more accurately than it was supposed was possible. They have found difficulty in landing and are obliged to exercise great care.
    Lieut. Towers says that he has "to feel for the shore," and has developed a sort of sixth sense by which he can tell whether he is approaching the surface of the earth over water or dry ground.