The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-22
BALLOON CUP RACE
 BEGINS ON TIME Nine Big Gas Bags Start Out
 At St. Louis MOST SPECTACULAR SCENE Three American. Balloons Are in the Race, While Three German, Two French and One English
 Will Contest.
MOST SPECTACULAR SCENE

St Louis. October 21.-Drifting along in a direction just west of north, when lost to view, in the haze of falling night and with freshening southwest breeze behind them the nine balloons are com peting tonight for the honor attached to the winning of the second international aeronautic cup race. A brilliant moon is shining. Throughout the middle west. conditions seem ideal for record break ing flight.
 A stiffer wind would have been more welcome to the occupants of the wicker cars, but the five-mie breeze of the lower air stratum gave promise of splen- did racing currents in the higher alti- tudes. The Germans made for the upper course right from the start. The French and the English aeronauts were more con- servative and selected a middle depth, while the Americans raced away at an altitude which seemed to take them just clear of trees and house tops.
 So low in fact did two of the American aeronauts balance their cars that there was grave danger of the baskets ralxing across the grand stand, and intense ex- citement prevailed. The St. Louis, one of the largest balloons in the race, came so close to the stand that it was seized by squad of soldiers, swept back to safer starting point, and sent away two minutes after the official word to go was given. In the big race there are three balloons representing America, three representing Germany, two for France and one for England.
 The basket of each balloon contains two occupants, the pilot and his aide.
 Great Crowd on Hand.
 With a prospect of the breeze holding to the southeast, mauy predictions were made tonight that the final landing place of the winner would be in Missouri Or the Dakotas. Others held that the upper currents would send the craft further east to descend east of Lake Michigan. The record of the race, established last year by Lieutenant Lahm of the United States in a flight from Paris to the north of England is 402 miles, but each aeronaut in the contest today confidently expected to exceed that distance. The start was spectacular in the extreme, and was wit messed by throng gathered in Forest park. variousy estimated at from 60oC0
 
 slSyward during tho late afternoon, but a pail of smoke obscured the l--.loone from the distances. The action of the Germans in taking the higher attitudes assisted materially in making the start the splendid spectacle it was. Float ing away along three levels as many as six ballons were visible at one time the American contestants being the first to disappear in the haze along the hcri- zon. The German balloon, Pommerin. a bright chrome yellow globe number one in the race. was the first away, the start being made just 35 seconds after the scheduled hour of 4 o'clock.
 Cheering the Aeronauts.
 The other contestants followed at in- tervals of five minutes As each was sent away the great crowd broke into cheers, and until they were well out of view the occupants of the baskets were kept lowing and waving their hats in acknowledgements of the demonstrations of good wishes and good luck.
 The American teams came in for the greatest applause, and when the St. Louis, entered by the Aero club of St. Louis took flight, the shouts and cheers were louder than all that had gone before. A military band stationed In the grandstand played the national anthems of the nations represented as the various foreign balloons ascended. For the American teams there was the star Spangled Banner and Yankee Deedle;" for the English, God Save the King" for the French, the "Marseil- laise,' and for the Germans, Die Yacht Am Rhein." The St. Louis, the last of the con testants to get under way, was greeted by Yankee Doodle at first and then amid reneweG cheering the band struck up T Don't Know Where l Going, But I'm On My Way"
 Dove Is Coed Omen. There vas another incident connected with the lt. Louis. Just before the big bag was dragged into starting position. dove alighted on the very
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