Cañon City record., 1907-10-31
CFrom McClure's Magazine)

(FrOm McClureS MagaZlne)
Probably the greatest sporting event
the world has ever known-certa1nly
the greatest the modern world mas
known-was the long-distance balloon
race for the Gordon Bennett annual
challenge cup. which started in Paris
on Sunday afternoon, September 5o'
1906. and finished in England some
twenty-four hours later. The contest
stands out surprisingly, for several
reasons, among all boat races, horse
races, prize fights, bull fights, and the
like. 1t was a struggle for victory IN
noble and spectacular sport; 1t re-
uuired skill and courage; it involved
the risk of several lives; and it was
widely International, the sixteen COM
peting balloons, with their respective
champions, being sent by seven great
countries: England, three balloons,
France three, Germany three, Spain
three, America two, Italy one, and Bel
GUM one.
Never, | suppose, in any city, has
so vast a crowd assembled for mere
pleasure as on this day packed the
Place de la ConcOrde, the Champs
Elysees, and all the neighboring re-
gion. All Paris was in the streets and
on the house tops. Some thousands
paid half franc or two francs or nVe
francs for privileged view, while two
hundred thousand got what view they
could, and paid nothing. This is one
feature of a balloon race-that any
one who likes may see the beginning
of it.
Filling the Balloons With Million
Cubic Feet of Gas.
Four O'Clock was the time set for the
departure of the first balloon; but al
ready, early in the morning, a great
concourse had assembled to follow the
details of preparation. With tireless
interest, thousands watched the pro-
cess of imitation as, one after another
the huge spheres filled out their
widths of fifty or sixty feet and rose
proudly above tree-tops and house
tops, sixteen great struggling crea-
lures heaving at their bonds. Twelve
of them were practically of the maxi
mum size allowed under the rules,
that is, they held 79,7O0 cubic feet OF
gas or a little less, but Santos-Du-
mont's 1.-TWO Americas" was somewhat
smaller, with $4,000 cubic feet, and
Lieutenant Lahm's United States"
Ut was the old Eros" fixed over) con-
tanned 1880 cubic feet, while Won,
willer, the Italian, had silk balloon
(the others were cotton) with 65,35C
cubic feet, and the German, Scherle
had the smallest balloon in the race
with only $4,000 cubic feet 1t may be
noted that the larger the balloon Is
the more ballast it can carry and the
longer flight it ought to make; also
that no hydrogen was used in this
race, all the balloons being filled with
ordinary Illuminating gas, brought to
the grounds by special pipes. OF this
gas more than a million cubic feet
were required.
Despite the enormous interest in this
contest, there was virtually no bet
ting on it-partly because of the new
ness and strangeness of the event and
its evident uncertainties, partly be-
cause of the crowd being French, was
overwhelmingly in sympathy with the
French pilots. Nor was this entirely a
matter of national pride. France was
the mother-country of ballooning, and
at this time French aeronauts un-
doubtedly led the world in experience
and skill. Count Henry de la Vaulx,
one Of the three French contestants.
was holder of the worlds long-dist-
ance record, twelve hundred miles in
to Russia, and of the worlds duration
record, forty-one hours in the air with
out descending. The second French
contestant, Count Castillon de Saint
victor, had sailed the Skies from Paris
to Sweden and won Drizes-four OF
them first prizes-in ten balloon races.
The third, Jacques Balsan, had made
a long distance flight of over eight
hundred miles, and held the French
record for altitude, some twenty-eight
thousand feet, or over five miles. Here
certainly, was trio to be feared, and
unbiased opinion looked among them
for the winner, de La Vaulx being the
general favorite.
Santos -DumOnts Dirigible Balloon
There was much curiosity touching
a strange contrivance fitted up under
Santos -Dumont's, balloon, six-horse'
power motor arranged to drive two
horizontal propellers. the idea being