The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-11-01
GERMANS WIN
BALLOON RACE
Kaiser Gets First Honor in Great
International Contest.
FRENCH WERE CLOSE UP
United States in FOHrth and Fifth Place.
Winners Sailed Distance of $50
Miles in Forty-Tour Hours.

Proclaimed as the most remarkable
ballooning contest in the history OF
world aeronautics with all racing rec
ords broken, the second international
cup competition, which started from
st. Louis on Monday, ended Wednes-
day, with Germany accorded the win
ming laurels.
The finish Of the race was the clos
est and most exciting the followers
Of the sport have ever known, the
victorious German balloon, the Pom
mern, which landed at Asbury Park,
Wednesday morning, having but slight
ly more than FIVE miles the advantage
of the French contestant, L'Isle de-
France, second in the race, which
descended during the afternoon at
Herbertsville, N. j., a few miles from
the Atlantic coast and slightly north
west of Point Pleasant.
Another German balloon, the Dus-
seldorf, stands third In the 0e, Amer
lean entries are fourth and fifth, a
third German team is sixth, French
team seventh, American eighth, and
English ninth.
The unofficial estimated airline fight
Of the Pommern in $50 miles and that
of the L'Isle de France is 875. The
Dusseldorf, third, landed near Dover,
Delaware, is estimated to have cover
ed 700 miles. The official measurements
will be computed at the geological
survey OF the United States govern
ment at Washington. Only the proA-
unity of the Atlantic ocean stopped
the wonderful fight Of the Pommern.
The balloon could have remained in
the air many hours longer and UNI
doubtedly would have added several
hundred miles to her record but for
the expange of water ahead.
While losing the distance record and
possession Of the cup the French team
sailing L'Isle de France gained the
worlds record for duration Of fight.
Starting from St. Louis at 4:fO D. M.
central time, they landed Wednesday at
1:10 p. m, eastern time, making their
time in the air just forty-four hours.
The previous recog1f was forty-ons
hours and ave minutes, held by Count
de Ii Vauex Of France. The record OF
the international race set by the bal
loon, United States, in the fight from
Paris last year, was 400 miles. Thia
was more than doubled by Pommern
and the French balloon, which threat
ened the winner la fact, but One
OF the nine contestants in this year'a
race failed to exceed the 1906 record.
The result of this race, the first OF
its character ever held in this eouR-
try, has qualified the United States in
the opinion OF all Of the baliooning ex-
pCIkS 6dtuGI6u IA ~ 44OuAS a. bl1
most favorable aeronautic ground in
the world.
Every detail of the race was man
aged with consunSnats skill and many
regrets were EXPRESSED that the race
of next year could not be fought out
over the same territory Germany
having won possession Of the silver
trophy presented by James Gordon
Bennett. the race next year will be
in the home of the German Aero Club.
Final possession Of the trophy rests
with the club which wins it three
times. The balloon United States,
which finished eighth in this years
contest. was the winner in 1906, gain
ing leg on the cup for the Aero
Club Of America, the newest recruit
in the aeronautic confederation of the
world. Aside from possession of the
cup, the Germans won cash prize
Of $4,000 also offered by Mr.. Bennett