The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-10-20
HAD AIRSHIP
UNDER CONTROL
Santos -Ddmont Makes Succe S.
full Ascension at Paris.
ROUNDS THE EIFFEL TOWER
SOME DISPUTE OVER AWARDING
OF PRIZE OFFERED.

Paris, oct. 19.-The Santos Dunont
airship assembled at St. Cloud at 2:3S
this afternoon and five minutes after
ward began to round the Eiffel tower
Santos-Dumont started for the first
time at 2:29, but on leaving the park
his guide rope caught in a 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.
II was seen through field glasses to
arrive at the tower and round it, The
time up, to that point, with the wind
IN the balloons favor, was eight min
utes and 70 ty-five seconds. 1t re-
turned against the wind and made
slowed headway, but still kept in the
Light direction for ST. Cloud, which
it reached in the total time of TWEEN
ty-nine minutes. fifteen seconds.
But instead of descending immedi-
ately, Santos-Dumont made a broad
sweep over the Aero club grounds
with the result that another minute
and twenty-five seconds were con-
sumed before the wOrkmen seized the
guide rope. Thus, technically, Santos
Dumont exceeded the time limit by
forty seconds.
The enormous crowd which had
gathered inside and outside the
doUS ovation AS his basket came
within speaking distance, Santos-Du-
mont leaned over the side and asked:
Have ! won the prize?"
Hundreds of spectators shouted:
Yes. yes" but the Count de Dion,
member of the committee appeared
and threw a damper on the enthusi-
asm by saying:
Said He Lost the Prize.
My friend you have lost the prize
by forty seconds"
Numbers of the onlookers protested
Of
terms. but the Count de Dion 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
ensusd, the majority of the specta tors
taking the ground that Santos Dumont
was entitled to the prize because he
had reached the grounds within the
thirty minutes although he had not
descended Immediately.
The aeronaut. after protesting
against the decision Of the committee,
finally shrugged his shoulders and re-
marked
for the 100000 francs. 1 intended to
give il to the pocr."
The crowd persisted in declaring
that Santos Dumont had won. A num-
her of ladies, who were present, threw
flowers over the aeronaut. Others Of
fered him bouquets, and one admirer,
to the anus ernent of the onIOol1ers.
even presented him with a little white
rabbit.
At this moment, NJ. Deutsch him
self arrived at the club grounds. hav-
ing only shortly before that moment
reached Paris from Biarritz. He adj
vanced. embraced SantOs-DumOnt,
shook hands with him and said:
For my part, / consider that you
have won the prize"
The crowd then gave the two men
a great ovation, cheering heartily
Claims He Won.
Santos Dumont claims that he won
the prize because he reached the park I
within the time and that original |
rules governing the contest made no |
mention of having TO touch the ground I
within the thirty minutes.
The dispute is due to the action of ]
the committee which some time ago I
modified the terms of the contest by /
inserting the latter stipulation. San
tos mont. at the time, protested I
an, = Used to be bound by the fresh /
Regulations, and strenuOusly upheld I
this view with the Count de Dion and
other m mbers of the committee on /
descend, 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.
M. Deutsch said he would give 25.COO /
the decision of the committee, but I
Santos Dumont declined to accept the I
offer as solution of the difficulty
There was a large assemblage of /
people at the EiffeI tower and con- I
siderable interest was manifested in /
the achievement in other parts of j
Paris. groups of people gathering in /
the streets to watch the progress of !
the elongated yellow balloon with long |
guide rope hanging and white canvas |
propellors whirling around. while
those below distinctly distinguished /
the loud buzzing of the motor.
Santos-Dumont rounded the Eiffel ,
tower between the second and topmost 1
platforms at about seventy-five yards 7
away from the tower. The balloon
pitched somewhat when going against
the wind. ana Santos-Dumont, when
he descended. said the motor sudden
" stopped while the balloon was lit
tie distance from the tower. He
thought he might have to descend, but
luckily he succeeded in getting the ma
chine started again. From that time 1
on the motor worked satisfactorily.