Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-10-21
Weather Right for Start
at d O'clock This
Afternoon.
NINE ARE TO COMPETE
Skill of Four Nations, In Build
Ing Airships and Manipu-
lating to be Tested.

st. Louis, Oct. 21-The condition Of
the weather, air currents, wind, etc,
this forenoon were such as to indi-
cate favorable and satisfactory stact
at this afternoon of the nine ma H.
moth balloons representing France,
England. Germany and the United
States on the Journey which should
add an important chapter to the his
tory of aerial navigation in the con-
test known as the second international
aeronautic cup contest and prize race.
A massive silver trophy and $1,000 in
Ncash will be awarded to the winner.
Have Equal Chance.
The teams are regarded as having
almost an equal chance for victory.
Indications are the start will be wit
messed by the largest crowd ever as
the race was placed so late in the day
because the heat of the sun expands
ballooning gas to marked degree and
when contraction comes at night it
means a drop to a lower level and the
loss of several bags of ballast. BY
starting with the setting sun the first
loss is reached after nearly 2i hours
in the air and in this period the pilots
expect to cover the greatest part OF
their journey.
Continues Till Friday.
Todays contest marks the beginning
of an aerial carnival which will con
tinue until Friday. During which AL
kinds of balloons will compete, for
valuable prizes. sI3SiI
From All Over World.
st. Louis. Mo, Oct. 21.-Aeronauts
from all over the world here to partici
pate in the great international balloon
race for the Bennett cup, met last night
and completed their plans: Each OF
the nine balloons entered by America
France, Germany and England was
represented at the session. and at its
close the contest committee distributed
copies of their final instructions.
Under these pilots are required to be
at their balloons with their aids nc
ldlGI llldH r. l"O HOulo DCIOiN
the start.
Passage reports are to be thrown ou
from each balloon at least every two
hours The finders of these report:
are expected to telegraph their content:
both to New York and to st. Louis. an.
thus it is hoped to keep in close toucl
with each contestant at every stage O
the journey.
Program for the Week.
Tomorrow there will be a contest fo
aeroplanes, or flying machines, of tn
heavier than air type, with total cas-
prizes of $4,000.
Thursday the contest of flying me
chimes for the Scientific American Gu
will be held.
Friday will be "free for all' day. i
which any kind of air craft that wi
get above the ground may participat
in the contest to win the Lahm cuI
which has just been won by AerOnaut
Mccoy and Chandler in their long ba
loon flight from St. Louis to West vi
ginia.
Enclosed with Netting.
The balloon ground proper is abol
100 yards wide by 10 yards long an
is enclosed by fence OF wire netting
Twenty feet inside this fence is sti
another wall of netting, this inner cou
being reserved exclusively for I'll
aeronauts and contest officials. Throue
the center of the inner court runs
inch gas pipe from a gasometer wit
a capacity of 100000 cubic feet OF
of the largest in the world. All ii
dead grass has been burned away fro
the slopes of the hills leading up
the grounds, that a chance spark m;
not in few moments destroy maj