Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-10-11

u ~ M ~ ~ M
William b. Curtis, writing from st. |
Louis to the Chicago Record-Herald: |
or all the many undertakings of i'm
-ortance here at the exposition only
one has failed. and that is the attempt
Of the management to develop aerial
navigation. Two years ago the gentle
and genial Frederick James v. Skiff |
conceived the idea that it would give
an impetus to aeronautic progress and
add to the attractions Of the exposition
If a generous money prize were offer
ed to competitors in that science The |
suggestion was adopted. and the man
, agement appropriated $200,0 for the
encouragement of ambitious aeronauts.
A grand prize of 100000, the largest
ever offered in the world for a me-
10 whoever will make at least three
flights over a fixed ten-mile course at
rate of speed not less than twenty
on the exposition grounds is right
angle with a long leg and a short leg,
the starting point being at the angle.
The competing air ships are required
to sail southwark two miles, turn
to the starting point and down the
long leg three miles and return
Preparations Were Elaborate.
This course was laid out at con.
ference Of experts in 1902 Octave
|. Chanute of Chicago, 1o.merly president
Of the American Society of Civil En-
gineers, and recognized the world over
as an authority on aerial navigation,
was made superintendent of tests and
chairman of the committee of arrange
ments Another member was Profess
sor A. Lawrence Rotch of Harvard
University, famous meteorologist
and astronom er, and the third was
Santos Dumont, a rich young Brazilian
|AA'who has been working with flying ma
p chimes all his life, and Is today recog-
nized as the foremost and most sue
cessful aeronaut in the world. Mr. Du.
mont accepted the appointment and
came from Paris, with his secretary at
the expense Of the exposition author
/ tiles.
Dumont the Disturber.
These three gentlemen laid out a
course, named the prizes and prepared
the rules and regulations, which were
printed in dozen different languages
and distributed all over the world. Mr..
Chanute then went to Europe and had
personal conferences with every aer-
onaut and aeronautic society and club
4 of any Importance. The rules met with
& almost unanimous approval. The only
,sEsYggestion was to have them modified
.hso as to make the test easier. which
the management refused to do, pre-
Hrring to maintain a high standard.
VT y year later Santos Dumont, who
~ have just told you. assisted in
liz preparation, advised a lnodifica-
in order to induce competition, as,
ttis opinion, the science of air navi-
ktion had not yet reached the point
I there the conditions of the contest
,ypuld be complied with. His sugges-
tdon was accepted, and the minimum
speed was reduced to eighteen miles
an hour.
IA little later Mr.. Dumont demanded
d guarantee amounting to his full ex-
\ penses if he took part in the contest.
MThis was declined on the ground that
iYst would defeat the object of the COM
Il petition for the. exposition company
Ito assume all the risks, and that it
would not be fair for them to give a
guarantee to one competitor unless
they gave it to ALL Mr.. Dumont then
insisted that the speed limit be reduc-
ed to fifteen miles an hour and declar-
/ cd that he would not come otherwise.
The committee was called together,
and the rules were revised giving a
& graduated scale of prizes-$100,000 for
a a,speed of twenty miles an hour, $751;
Il 900 for a speed of eighteen miles an
hour and $4,000 for speed Of fifteen
X miles an hour. Dumont accepted these
notifications and came to st. Louis
4 with twenty-four men and an airship
4 upon which he paid S1,700 freight and
announced that he was ready and
eager for flight.
Dumont Given Bonus.
~ The directors of the exposition we're
S-anxious that the first test should take
s8place on the Fourth of july and offer
ed to pay all of his expenses if San
i tos Dumont would be ready by that
date. He agreed and accepted the
bonus. Afterward he declared that it
awould be impossible for him to get
Vready, but, as the flight had been adj
vertised throughout the entire coun-
4 try and the money had been paid,the
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