The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-01-24
AERIAL DERBY
At WORLDS FAIR
$50, 900 in Prizes to Be
Offered.
THINGS DOING IN THE AIR
Fourteen Hundred Entries Offered for
the Event-But Eight Have
Been Accepted
THINGS DOING IN THE AIR

air next summer which are just now
claiming the attention of aeronauts all
over the world. During the Worlds
Fair, between the months of June and
September, there viii be flown at st.
Louis the First Aerial Derby, for
which the management Of the exposition
has appropriated the sum Of $4,000 10
be awarded in prizes.
A grand prize Of coo is offered in /
open competition without limitation as /
to the power used or the mechanical /
principles involved. in addition to which /
there win be minor and subsidiary I
prizes aggregating $4,000. Naturally. |
the object around which the greatest /
interest is centered is the grand prize. /
not merely for the Decunary reward /
offered the winner. but rather for the |
honor and glory which Will belong to 1
the successful competitor.
Must Have Made Mile.
The rules and regulations governing /
this prize provide. in addition to open l
competition, that no applicant shall be /
admitted who does not present satisfac- /
tory evidence of having, at some time. !
made a flight over at least a mile course 1
and return. with a machine similar in 1
principle to that which he proposes TO /
use in the competition. The aeronauti- /
cal jury reserves the right TO r1le out \
any machine deemed too hazardous TO j
life, and no vehicle will be admitted 70 |
the contest which is not absolutely free |
from the earth in its flight after the I
start has been made.
An entrance fee Of $3.50 will be required |
from all competitors which will be re-
funded before the start or when the ex-
hibitor occupies the space assigned him
with an apparatus conforming TO the
rules. Each machine entering in this
contest must carry at least one person
in it's fight.
Letter 81" Course.
The course over which the Derby will
be flown will be shaped like the letter
I'll" marked by three captive balloons,
and be not less than ten nor more than
fifteen miles, reckoned in an air line
The aeronaut will be given his choice
of direction in which to start. but will
be obliged to round the captive balloons
in opposite directions
The award Of the 10000. together with
a medal or diploma, will be made TO
the competitor who shall show the be-
average speed. provided he be-
the entire course thre at
averaging each ae e1t lrss
twent~ m at tr a,iCttlo-
t6r |
$780,
aware use fa.r
rf ~ rs--s-t
of fhe lrrr s-za- of
rtc fs enc fai
ius az at- sgevo
uo- Tess fsn r1E IA hour
ccfn ~ be allowed the
rrtrge passing over the course
-snout stopping, as many times as
they desire. in a continuous fight; in
he frup r7o1
judges. shall be the average time in
which the full course is covered
Machines Without Navigation.
Special contests viii be arranged for
machines not carrying navigators. but
which carry ballast TO the amount OF
ten pounds. A prize OF $500 will be
awarded TO the machine in this class
making straightway flight of one mile
and return In the shortest time
Gliding machines will be awarded two
prizes; 5000 Tor the machine CARRYING
an operator which shall advance IN a
calm or against the wind at a vertical
angle. making at least twenty glides OF
not less than four hundred feet each and
s1.oO0 for a like machine exhibiting the
best automatic stability under the same
conditions.
AirShip Motors
In addition to the prizes already
enumerated a first prize OF $500 and a
second prize OF $1,000 is offered for air
ship motors having the least weight and
greatest efficiency in proportion to their
power. while a prize of 5000 will be
awarded for successful attenpt TO
drive an airship motor by energy trans
United through space. either I'm the form
OF electric radiation. or in some other
form Of electric energy, to an actual
amount Of one-tenth Of one horsepower
at the point Of reception and at a dis
lance Of at least 900 feet.
-Four prizes OF 5000 each are offered
TO the aeronauts who win IN the fol-
lowing contests. which Will start from
the exposition grounds: The greatest
height attained; the longest time in tho
air; for landing nearest TO the Wash
ltngton Monument in Washington. ID. C.:
the longest distance Travelled in one
Hight in any direction.
Fourteen Hundred Entries.
There have been received, up to the
present time. by the exposition authori-
ties, 400 entries for the above con-
tests. only eight Of which. however,
have been accepted While the vast
majority of the entries received are not
Of such character as TO warrant Sc
rious consideration, il shows that there
OF air ship invention than many have
imagined. In addition to the J. 100 per
sons who have made known their de
sire 70 enter the contests there f.,
probably al equal number endeaVOring
20 invent successful flying machines,
whose plans have not yet sufficiently
nnatured 70 admit OF them Offering an
entry.
Santos-Dumont has expressed him
self as being confident Of his ability 70
carry of the first prize with his cele-
brated No 7. In which he has made
many successful flights
Greth Is Confident.
DIR. August Greth recently astonished
the Inhabitants Of San Francisco By. a
successful fight over that city He IS
now laying plans for a new and i'm
proved machine. which he claims will
be superior to that OF Santos Durnont {.
and in which. when completed. he con
templates an aerial fight from San
Francisco 70 St Louis. Or. Greth has
expressed himself as confident OF being
able to beat the railway time for the
distance between the two cities.
Beyond a doubt. before the entries
close, there Will have been accepted a
sufficient number OF machines. capable