The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1901-10-25
AIR SHIP C|RCLED THE TOWER
TRIP WAS A PERFECT SUCCESS.
Deutsch Says the Aeronaut Won the
Prize, but Committee Says He Was
Too Slow-Large Crowd Present
Snntos-DumOnt Loudly Cheered-
Ship steered by Motor.

Paris, Oct. 21.-The Santos-Dumont
air ship assembled at st. Cloud at 2:3S
O'Clock in the afternoon and FIVE min
utes afterward began to round the
Eiffel tower. Santos-Dumont complet-
ed his trip successfully, but a question
has arisen as to whether it was done
within the time limit, 80 minutes.
NJ. Deutsch says the aeronaut won
/ the prize. The committee, however.
{ declares that Santos-Dumont took 80
minutes 40 Al seconds to make the
trip.
Santos-Dumont started for the first
time at 2:29 but on leaving the park
his guide rope caught in tree and he
was obliged to descend. He started
again at 2;42 p. m, rose $50 yards and
/ then pointed for the Eiffel tower, the
balloon going in a straight line. 1t
was seen through field glasses to ar
rive at the tower and round it. The
time up to that point, with the wind
in the balloons favor. was minutes
and As seconds. 1t returned against
y
but still kept in the right direction for
st. Cloud. which It reached in the total
time of 20 minutes, Is seconds. But
instead Of descending Immediately
Santos-Dumont made a broad sweep
over the Aero club grounds, with the
result that another minute and 25 sec
ends were consumed before the work
men seized the guide ropes. Thus
technically Santos-Dumont exceeded
the time limit by 40 seconds.
Crowd Was With Him.
The enormous crowd which had
gathered inside and outside the
grounds gave the aeronaut a tremend-
GUS ovation. AS his basket came with
in speaking distance, Santos-Dumont
leaned over the side and asked: Have
won the prize?"
Hundreds of spectators shouted:
yes yes" but the Count de Dion, a
member Of the committee, appeared
and threw a damper on the enthusi-
assn by saying: my friend, you have
lost the prize by 40 seconds"
Numbers Of the onlookers protested
terms. but the Count de Dicn said:
THAT is the decision Of the commit
tee in accordance with the rules of the
contest"
The crowd, however. refused to ac-
cept this view and a warm discussion
ensued the majority Of the spectators
taking the ground that SantOs-Dumont
was entitled to the prize because he
had reached the grounds within the 30
minutes, although he had not de-
seconded Immediately. The aeronaut,
after protesting against the decision
of the committee, finally shrugged his
shoulders ami remarked:
anyway. do not care personally
for the 100000 francs. I intended to
give it to the poor"
The crowd persisted in declaring
that Santos-Dumont had won. A num-
Der Of ladies who were present threw
flowers over the aeronaut. Others Of
fered him bouquets, and one admfrer,
70 the amusement of the oniOokers,
even presented him with a little white
rabbit.
At this moment NJ. Deursch himself
arrived at the club grounds, having
only shortly before that moment
reached Paris from Biarritz. He ad-
vanced. embraced Santos-Dumont,
shook hands with him and said: ''For
my part l consider that you have won
the prize"
The crowd then gave the two men a
great ovation. cheering heartily.
SantOs-Dumcnt claims he won the
prize because he reached the park
within the time and that the original
iuIes governing the contest made no
mention of having to- touch the ground
within 80 minutes.
| The dispute is due to the action OF
the committee, which some time ago
modified the terms of the contest by
inserting the latter stipulation. San
tos-Dumont at the time protested and
refused co be bound by the fresh regu
lations. and srrenuousiv upheld this
view with the Count de Dion and other
members of the committee on descend
ing today. finally declaring that he
considered that he had won the prize
and would not try again. If the money
was withheld, it was not his fault.
NJ. Deutsch said he would give $25,
600 francs TO the poor, Notwithstanding
the decision of the committee, bu
Santos-Dumont declined to accept thu
offer as a solution of the difficulty.
There was a large assemblage o
people at the Eiffel tower and cOnsid