The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1907-10-25
GERMAN BAuOON|ST WINS
HAS BUT FIVE MILES ADVAN.
TAog OF FRENCH CONTESTANT.
EVERY RACING RECORD BROKEN
Asronauts Ride Winds From st. Louis
to Atlantic ocean-Pommern Covers
Airline Distance Of $50 Miles
L'lsle de France Second.

- lSlc ue TIdHSS OOSOHu'
st. Louis, Oct. 24-Proclaimed as
the most remarkable ballooning con
test in the history of the worlds aero
| nsutics, with every racing record
broken, the second international cup
competition, which started from here
on Monday last, ended, with Germany
accorded the winning laurels. The
feature OF the race was the close fin.
| ish, which was the closest ever known,
the victorious German balloon, the
Pommern, which landed at Asbury
Park, N. j., having but Ave miles the
advantage of the French contestant,
| L'Isle de France, second in the race.
which descended at Herbertsville, N.
j., few miles from the Atlantic
coast and slightly northwest OF Point
| Pleasant.
Another German balloon, the Dus
seldorf, stands third In the race.
American entries are fourth and fifth.
a third German team is sixth al
French team seventh, American eighth
and English ninth. The unofficial es
timated airline flight of the Pom
mern is $50 miles and that OF the
LIsle de France is S75. The Dussel
dorf, third. which landed near Dover,
Del, is estimated to have covered 700
miles. The official measurements will
re computed by the geological survey
Of the United States government at
Washington. Only the proximity OF
the Atlantic ocean stopped the won.
derful flight Of the Pommern. The
balloon could have remained In the
air many hours longer and undoubted.
| ly would have added several hundred
miles to her record but for the ex.
panse of water ahead.
News of the landing Of the Pom
mern was received here at an early
hour and was followed by reports OF
| the descent of every other contestant
in the race, with the exception Of the
LTsle de France. The race was at
| once conceded to be between these
| two, and when a report was received
at noon to the effect that the French
craft had been sighted In the vicinity
| Of Asbury Park intense excitement
prevailed. There were many predic
| tons that the contest would result
in tie for first honors. When the
L'Isle de France did not descend al
the point selected by the German
| leaders in the race, there was a be-
| lief the French aeronauts might after
all be declared the winners. Evident
| ly contrary current caught the
L'Isle de France. however. and blew
| the vessel back to the southwest
Realizing that their supply Of gas was
low and that they were losing actual
ground, the occupants Of the French
basket decided to make a rapid de-
scent as near the coast as possible
It was the drifting back from Asbury
Park to Herbertsville that placed
them In second position.
While losing the distance record and
possession of the cup. the French
team sailing LIsle de France gained
| the honor of the worlds record for
duration of fight, being in the air
Just forty-four hours. The previous
record was forty-one hours. Eve min.
utes, held by Count dc la Vaulx OF
| France.
Sailing to windward and return over
| the course, measuring mile and Il
half from the start to finish. Lincoln
| Deachey of Toledo won the dirigibe
| balloon or airship race. which marked
| the close of the st. Louis aeronautic
carnival of 1907. The prize was g..
| 900. In his "Beachey airship," q
cigar shaped affair. propelled by q
| four.cylinder gasoline motor. the win
ner covered the distance In minutes
| and 40 seconds. Jack Dallas, in the
| "Stroebel airship." sister craft to
| the Beachey, won second place, with
q time record of minutes and 10 sec
onds, while Captain Thomas Baldwin
| of New York, In the California Ar
low" was third, in Z minutes and 81
seconds. A fourth competitor, the
Comet" entered by Charles Bays
oorfer of Omaha. Neb., and steered by
Horace Wild, did not complete the
first trial of the course, the motor
breaking.
The race as finally arranged was \
start-at-will affair, with each contest
ant having three trials, BeaChey
made the best time of the round, Is,
and did not start again until the "Ar.
row" had made a record of 7:05 on
its last attempt. Then the BeaChey
ship started on the best flight Of the
day. Heading his car directly into
the wind the big car sailed to the
turning point. wheeled around in its
own length and came whirling back
before ths breeze at a speed which
must have approached fifty miles an
hour. The precision with which the
ship was handled was marvellous and
when the time was announced the
crowd which had gathered TO watch
the contests broke into cheers, which
were renewed when the alrshiR was
| hrnnnht Ia tho around utli Ii N n fnm