Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-28
BALLOON RACE PLANS
st. Louis May Be Chosen as
Start of Great Contest.
DENVER ALSO SUGGESTED
The Bennett and Lahm Aeronautic
Cups for Winners.
NEW PRIZES ARE OFFERED
Great Progress Made by the American
Aero Club-Only Two Accidents
Mar Years Record.
NEW PRIZES ARE OFFERED


made for the next international balloon
race for the Bennett cup, the trophy won
from Europe last year by Lieut.. Lahm of
the Aero Club of America. The club is
now considering the choice for the starting
place for the race-the Coupe Internation-
ale des Aeronautes. Two prime factors
have to be considered in the clubs choice
quality and quantity of gas and distance
of the starting point from the water.
Denver has been suggested but the club
will probably choose st. Louis. The latter
city is the best situated in regard to dis
lance from tidewater of any city yet con-
sidered and if gas of a proper specific
gravity can be had there and in sufficient
quantity it may be the starting place not
only for the race for the Bennett trophy,
but also for the new Lahm cup.
For long distance balloon racing st. Louis
is peculiarly well situated. The nearest
tidewater is the Gulf of Mexico, about I'D
miles or 1,12O kilometers to the south. The
Atlantic ocean, toward which the balloons
probably will sail, is about 800 miles or
LAO kilometers to the east, and the Pacific
is some 1900 miles or ESQ kilometers to
the west. To the south and north the bal
looms would have the broad sweep of the
Mississippi valley while there would be
little trouble under ordinary conditions in
passing over any part of the Appalachian
range on easterly drift.
Contest in October.
The contest probably will be held in Oc-
tober, after the September gales have
blown themselves out and there is the
greatest likelihood of strong, steady winds
from the west.
Foreign clubs in the Federation Aero
nautique Internatonale will have little
trouble in getting their balloons through
the custom house. Under the present tar
iff laws balloons have an ad valorem tax of
As per cent imposed, but arrangements are
being made to bring the balloons into the
country in bond and to facilitate their
passage through the custom house. By
February the list of entries will be COM
plete, and the officials of the Aero Club
believe that the number of starters will
exceed that in the race at Paris last sum
mer.
Besides the James Gordon Bennett cup
there is also the Lahm Aeronautic cup to
be contested for. This is a challenge cup
open to aerostats aeronauts and aeronefs
for the longest continuous trip made in
the United States. The first winner must
exceed 648 kilometers (4026i niles to gain
possession of the cup. The distance will
be measured in a straight line from point
of ascent to point of descent, the latter to
be properly certified to by witnesses.
Made Great Progress.
The Aero Club of America-the winner of
the biggest balloon event of the year
started only a year ago without a balloon.
Now it owns two club balloons, the Orient
and LIE Centaure, the latter being the one
in which the Comte de la Vaux established
the present lOng-distance record. Among
the private balloons are DR.. Thomas Mir
vana, Alfred n: Chandlers Initial, Lieu
7 III
belonging to A. Leo Stevens You and I,
Sky Lark and Grand Air, and also his
Klondike, which has the huge capacity of
10000 cubic feet.
In addition to the gas bags are the aero
planes and dirigible balloons owned by A.
Leo Stevens, Edward c. Boyce, Capt
Thomas S. Baldwin Roy knabeshue Miss
E. L. Todd. Israel Ludlow and DR.. Thomas
Most Of these We're shown at the club s
exhibit in conjunction with the recent auto
mobile show.
Only two accidents of serious moment
marred the record Of the first year of en-
thusiastic aeronautics in this country, and
neither of them a club event Paul
Nocquet made a successful trip out to sea
in Lapazzi's parachute balloon and came
back to die later from exhaustion in the
South bay marshes after a successful land
ing. Late in the spring Israel Ludlow
dropped to the Ormond beach with his aero
plane and still goes out in a wheeled chair
as the result.
Will Have New Quarters
On New Year day the Aero Club will move
to new quarters in the Flatiron building
Arrangements are being made, however, to
procure permanent quarters elsewhere
In the last few months several new prizes
for various kinds of aeronautical contests
have been offered. Among them are the
London Daily Nails prize of $4,000 to the
first aeronaut to fly from London to Man
chester in twentyfour hours The others
are:
The Car, s2625 for longest distance flown
in the United Kingdom without touching
the ground by any sef-propeled machine
January 1, 1907. Lowest limit twenty-five
miles. Also, s25 mile for every mile sue
cessfully accomplished up to twenty-five
miles. Prize divided between steersman and
designer, apart from the engine
The Brooklands Automobile Racing Club
$4,000 to the owner of any aeroplane which
completes the circuit of the Brooklands mo-
tor course (hree miles, without touching
the ground, at an altitude of thirty to fifty
feet Open until December 81, 1907. Three
weeks notice must be given by competitor
Machine must cover the course in not less
than eighteen minutes or at minimum
speed of ten miles per hour.
Offer of Circus.
Barnum & Bailey offer $4,000 and an en-
gagement for flying machine
Adams Manufacturing Company, manu-
facturers of the Antoinette engine, offer a
$4,000 aeroplane prize, open to any combi-
nation of aeroplane and motor, providing
flights are made within the next two years
and that the machine is entirely British
built The competition is not restricted to
the use of the Antoinette engine.
Ruinart Pere & Fills offer $500 to the first
aeronaut to fly across the English channel
In machine heavier than air before Janu-
airy !, 1910.
The Paris Matin offers $4,000 to the win
ner of an aerial race in France in 1908.
The Observation-Disclosures con Grand PriX of
$4,000 to the first aeronaut who flies kio-
meter in a closed circuit has not yet been
won. Open to heavier than air machines.
Work and Fatigue.
From the Paris Revue.