The semi-weekly messenger., 1901-10-22
mense Crowd

Paris, October 19.-The Santos Du-
mont airship ascended at st. Cloud at
2:3O o'clock this afternoon and in
five minutes afterwards began to
round the Eiffel tower. Santos Du-
mont completed his trip within the
time limit, thirty minutes. NJ Deutsch
says the aeronaut won the prize The
committee, however, declares that NJ.
Dumont took 80 minutes 407s seconds to
make the trip.
NJ. Dumont started for the first time at
2:29 o'clock, but on leaving the park his
guide rope caught in a tree and he was
Obliged to descend. He started again,
rose $50 yards and then pointed for the
Eiffel tower, the balloon going in a
straight line. 1t 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 minutes. 45 seconds.
1t returned against the wind and
made slower headway, but still kept in
the true direction for ST. Cloud, which
1T reached in the total time of 90 min
utes, 10 seconds: but instead of de-
scending Immediately Santos Dumont
made a broad sweep over the Aero
Club grounds. with the result that an
other minute and twenty-five seconds
were consumed before the workmen
seized the guide rope. Thus, technically,
NJ. Dumont exceeded the time limit by
40 seconds.
The enormous crowd which had gath
cred inside and outside the grounds
gave him tremendous ovation. AS his
basket came within speaking distance,
NJ. Dumont leaned over the side and
asked: Have I Won the prize?"
Hundreds of spectators shouted:
Yes YesI" but the Count de Dion. a
member of the committee, approached
and threw damper on the enthusiasm
by saying: My friend, you have lost
the prize by forty seconds
Numbers of onlookers protested
again this announcement in lively
terms, but the Count de Dion said:
That is the decision of the committee,
in accordance with the rules Of the con-
test
A number of ladies who We're present
threw flowers over the aeronaut,
others offered him bouquets, and one
admirerp to the amusement of the on
lockers, even presented him with a lit
tie white rabbit.
At this moment M. Deutsch himself
IL,
only shortly before that moment
reached Paris from Biarritz He ad-
vanced, embraced NJ. Dumont, shook
hands with his and said:
For my part, consider that you
have won the prize
The crowd then gave the two men a
great ovation, cheering heartily for
Santos Dumont and Deutsch.
Santos Dumont claims that he won
the prize because he reached the park
within the time and that the original
rules governing the contest made no
mention of having to touch the ground
within the thirty minutes.
The dispute is due to the action of
the committee, which some time ago
modified the terms of the contest by in
serting the latter stipulation. NJ. Du-
mont, at the time, protested and refus-
ed to be bound by the fresh regulation
and strenuously upheld this view with
the Count de Dion and other members
of the committee, on descending today,
finally declaring that he considered 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 $4,000
francs to the poor notwithstanding the
decision of the committee, but NJ. Du-
mont declined to accept the offer as
solution of the difficulty.
There was large assemblage Of peo-
pie at the Eiffel tower and considerable
interest was manifested in the expert
ment in other parts of Paris, groups
of people gathering in the streets to
watch the progress of the elongated,
yellow balloon, with its long guide
rope hanging and white canvas pro-
pellers whirling round, while those be-
low distinctly distinguished the loud
buzzing of the moter.
santos Dumont rounded the Einei
tower between the second and topmost