The San Francisco call., 1907-03-17

- EE FIRST annual contest fa> The
seronautic cup offered BY Nj.
James Gordon Bennett started
from the Tuileries Garden, In
Paris. on September 80. 1906.
sixteen balloons, representing seven
different countries-the United States.
Great Britain. France, Belgium, Ger
many. Italy and Sps in-were entered.
and in spite or the difficulties due to
time. distance and expense. every one
OF the sixteen started on the Seth-
truly q good record and one seldom
eoualed In other sports.
Less than a year ago James Gordon
Bennett placed a cup In the hands OK the
Aero Club OF France, which gladly as
sumed the responsibility for organising
the first OF these contests. How well
IT acquitted itself Of SITS task Is at
tested by the success achieved at the
Tuiieries Garden on September 30. Six
teen balloons. requiring IN all more
than a million cubic feet OF gas. were
prepared. filed and started on in the
presence Of 100000 spectators, without
a pause. without a hitch. exactly ac-
cording TO the published programme.
The nrst balloon started at p. m.
Long before that hour the gardens
and the Place &c la Concoroe aoJoin-
ing were packed with q curious and
interested crowd Several bands were
on hand to enliven the occasion. Count
less numbers Of toy balloons. Of in
neted figures OF men and animals.
made out OF goldbeaters' skin, were
released during the two hours preceo-
ing the start OF the first balloon Fin
ally a fOck of carrier pigeons was set
free. All this. combined with the nat
ural gayety OF q French holiday gath
ering. made a fascinating and long to
be remembered scene.
Lots had beer drawn for the order
OF starting. and Signor Vonwiller OF
the Italian Club had drawn first place.
At exactly 4 O'Clock his beautiful silk
balloon, the Elfe, rose slowly and
gracefully from the starting point be-
side the little pond at the upper end
Of the gardens. Passing over the Place
de la EoRcorde, he started directly
west Then, in their designated order
and at five minute intervals. followed
the fifteen remaining balloons. None
drew more applause than Santos Du-
mont. who. true 10 his mechanical in
Eenuity. went up with a siN-horse-
power motor buzzing away, driving
TWO norlzOntal prOpeilerS CcSLlneo 70
give vertical motion TO his balloon,
thus dispensing with his having 20
throw out ballast.
Ny balloon. the United States, repre-
senting the Aero Club of America, was
the twelfth to start Ny companion
was Major Henry b. Hersey, OF the
Rough Riders Of 1898 and at present
chief executive OF the Wellman Polar
Expedition. We took our places in the
car AT ten minutes TO FIVE, were led
90 he starting point by the squad OF
b. Don troops for that day. and st Eve
minutes TO i've we left the earth. Like
all the preceding balloons. we went al
reCtly west. following the Seine for 9
distance, passing near the Eiffel Tower
across the Longchamps race track
where the crowd was just breaking az
after the races; across the Seine again
at ST Cloud and out into the country.
keeping at an altitude OF 500 to 1909
feet For the fret two hours we had
four other balloons quite near US. One,
from sts yellow color. we easily recog-
nized as one Of the three German bal
looms; another. from its elongated
shape, we knew 70 be the English bal
loon Britannia, piloted by Mr.. Rolls. As
night came on they disappeared one by
one. TIL, finally, at $50 p. m, all were
loet 70 view.
W.I... ,f H. C~~.Ls-nr Tr.,v~,y>~%