The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-06


Tomorrow. wind and weather permit
ting. will witness the first flight of an air
ship in the contest for the grand prize OF
$4,000 offered by the Exposition company
The ship which will be the first TO so
after the money Is the monster flying ma
chine of Hippolyte Francois, the Gallo
a~eronaut. The immense bag is filed. the
trench dug. the frame will be attached to
the balloon to-day and The bond for Sa-
900 filed by the Exposition has been &C
cepted by Judge G~allenkamp.
Nothing now remains TO prevent a night
of the Francois airship tomorrow, save
adverse weather. The hour OF the hlsh'
under the rules OF the Grand Prize con-
test may be set By the %aeronaut himself
and Francois has not yet announced IT,
The first trial for the prize will be maze
by the largest airship ever constructed.
and It Is expected to prove the sensation
| of the Fair. 1t will be sent over the course
prescribed in the rules for the contest Tor
the grand prize.
This course, according to the rules, shall
| begin and end in the athletic amphitheatef
| adjoining the %aeronautlc concourse- But
there Is a clause In the rules permit
| ting 1t to start and finish from other parts
| of the a~eronautic concourse and ii, in the
Judgment of the aerouautical jury, this
| should seem impracticable, it is probable
| that they will be from the concourse.
This course will be L-shaped. one leg
being shorter. and in full view from all
parts of the Exposition. 1t will be marked
by three captive balloons. the starting
Point being at the angle OF the l..
Choice of the direction in which he starts
is left to the aeronaut, but he must turn
| around the captive balloons marking the
bounds of the course in opposite directions.
The length of the course will not be less
than ten miles nor more than fifteen miles,
reckoned in an airline from center to cen
ter Of the captive balloons.
To the aeronaut whose average speed
during his fastest three trips around the
course shall be greatest the grand prize
will he awarded. providing the average
time made on each of his three best trips
be at the rate of at least twenty miles
an hour. This includes the time consumed
in the starting and the landing. reckoned
from the time the ship starts free of the
ground until his car again touches the
earth, within a radius of fifty yards from
the starting point, without serious injury
to the vessel or its occupants.
There is no limit TO the number of trials
every competitor may make for the grand
prize. Competitors viii have The privilege
ct any trial of passing over the course
without stopping as many, times as he de-
sires in a continuous fight. and in such
case shc average time in which he covers
the full course will be recorded as his
official time, but this shall count as but
one trip.
FOUR MINOR PRIZES.
No trial will be considered by the judges
In which the aeronaut does not go around
the prescribed course once, and every nav
lgator must make at least three trips
around the course TO be considered in line
for any prize.
Besides the grand prize of s1o0.o0 there
are four minor prizes offered. They are
for $50. 500. 5000 and $3.50 respective
~, and will be awarded to the four COM
petitors in order whose speed comes near
est to the record of the winner OF the
grand prize. provided that each of them
shall. at least, nave made the full course
three times. and each time at an average
speed of at least ten mics an hour IN
addition to the money each winner VIII
be awarded a diploma, medal or certih-
cate recording his achievement.
The time limit, requiring Of the winner
~ tho grand prize that he make an aver
40. time On each OF his three best trips
AT the rate of at least twenty miles, is a
reversion to the original time limit MADE
nv The Aeronautic Committee after 1t be-
came known that Santos-Dumont wouid
M. ba a competitor. the original was
changed 70 eighteen and t~nree-quar'er
-, ,o,r at the request of the Bra
lillian. or-
a. o,rounced reason that the Meteor
OF Mr.. Benbow of Montana laiieu a.
tempt q trial fight yesterday. mr. D
bows balloon was inflated VITA q 80
u,a,,v If gas. but he did not choose 10
chance q fight in SUCH a gaze. anu
E crowd that waited a msnt Went e""'
, unsatisfed.
MANY FLIGHTS PLANNED.
:, 49, ,rosrects for unusual activity IL
s~.tannachine and airship circles at th'
u,arid,s FAIR this week are very natter
ing. ,re,as Cal
: Al ,nsste the balloon for his flying ma
! chine to-day. Mr.. Reynolds does not wan
: "a have his aerial craft confused with th'
airships. as it is a flying machine
The balloon Of his flying machine Is tn
smallest balloon at the Worlds Fai
! grounds. containing but 5000 cubic feet o
COS which is not sufficient to raise tn
weigh. of the ooerator and mechanism
which is approximately 80 pounds.
8 The balloon is used snpiv as an aiu Il
s sustaining the weight, the power for mig
= being gained by the exertion Of the op
orators own energy in manipulating b.
d means of hand and foot power two wings
i measuring Is feet and 8 inches from ii
IS to tip. and patterned as nearly as poss.
d hls after the wings of a bird, being 3 fee
, wide at the wides. point.
These wings can be operated By eithe
l. ono or both of the sets OF levers. and ais
TO steer the craft through the air. Tn
altitude that can be reached depends en-
tirely upon the operator. as an increas
> In the manipulation of the wings will in
crease and a relaxation will decrease tn
altitude without the shifting OF ballas
or permitting gas TO escape.
o5 Mr.. Reynolds stated that with favorabi
d weather condtio he will be ready t
I'll make a flight tomorrow or Tuesday a
{. any time the Exposition Company ma
designate.
The Berry Navigation Company bega'
~ -. 80 xA. r,lrln- for rEA 1frSnfn 60