The Jersey City news., 1906-10-01

Santos Dumont Of Brazil In the Two
Americas and Lieutenant Eahm, v.
S. A., Among the contenders For
Airship Honors = countrynen Bid
eau Revoir" to Army Officer.
Paris, Oct. 1.-More than d million
persons gazed slzyward for hours on
end as they watched sixteen big bal-
looms soar to the clouds in the start Of
the first race for the international cup
for aeronauts.<
All the~world and his wife were In
the TuilIeries gardens when the race
was begun-all the French world, at
any rate, with liberal sprinkling OF
other peoples. The race was disap-
pointment to ballo0ning enthusiasts,
for an adverse wind held, blowing
from Paris directly westward, thus
making the ocean the farthest point
to which the aeronauts could go with
safety But the army of sightseers
cared nothing for that. Paris was out
to stare and chatter, and the brave
show made by the aerial yachts as
they mounted to the blue suficed for
the light French hearts rejoicing 10
any excuse for holiday.
From Paris to the oosan.
To the lay mind the short trip from
the gay capital to the Atlantic is no
joke-in midair. One has not the Sc
we're strain of long cruise over half
Europe, but there is excitement in
abundance even in the dash to the
coast. Paris has not forgotten the
thrills Santos-Dumont gave it when
he merely circled the Eiffel tower.
Here, then, were sixteen monsters
launched daringly among the perils Of
the unknown, if not the unseen. Sure
ly that was enough for the eagerest
thrill seeker Thus one would argue
from the delight in that round million
of faces as one after another the bal
looms shot up, their crews peering in
terestedly at the vast crowd and now
and then waving CHEEKY farewells to
earth.
Say "Au Revoir' to Yankee.
Irreverent Americans in the army of
uplookers were heard to whistle sSay
Au Revoir, but Not Goodby'' as Sam
tos-Dumont and Lieutenant Frank p
Lahm, the upholders of America
honor in the overhead struggle W a
aloft Evidently the army ofsee
Lieutenant Lahm is enrolled with the
Sixth cavalry-heard the notes and
caught the allusion, for he was Iaugh&
ing heartily when his face faded to
white blur against the background oS
his balloon.
1t remained for one of the Ameri-
cans = the Brazilian, Santos Dumont,
who nayigated his balloon, Two Amer
icas-to spring surprise ~sss1' Cd S1e Zero
naHtic world. His car was equipped
with a vertical propeller of six horse
power. With that device he expected
to raise his balloon without wasting
ballast and by reversing the propeller
to descend without freeing gas from
the big silk bag ON which and from
which he must depend. Many were
the favorable comments made on the
famous Brazilian's idea.
Lieutenant Lahm also received gen
erous applause. He had as his assist
ttAt S1elJOA 41ClSCt, WIZ Was w iktEA
Wellmans companion in his north pole
expedition. There were cheers for all
the contestants, indeed, and there was
a round of approval for the promoters
when the sixteenth balloon was safely
aloft and not an accident had marred
the programme.
Long Race Impossible.
Although the winds persistent west.
ward course made impossible the long
race to the east for which aeronauts
had prayed in the hope that the dis
tance record made by the Count de la
~Eaulx six years ago would be broken,
it was recognized that the contest had
scientific value as test of the length
of time each balloon could stay in the
air.
The winner of the cup is to get $2,9
in cash, the next contestant $266, theH
third $133. In addition, there werd
the Contessa Campellos cup for the8
best voyage, the English team prizesy
for meteorological observation, the gold
medal for endurance, the Gaulois
tance cup and the Santos Dumont p
for the greatest distance in forty-eV
hours. ~