The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-10-21
FOUR COUNTRIES
TO Be REPRESENTED
IN AERoNAuric RACES TO START
FROM ct. LOUIS.
NINE BALLOONS ENTERED,
Contests are Scheduled to Begin To
day--The oreatest Prize in Sight
Is the Lahm Cup and $500
that Goes with II.

planning, weeks Of preparation and
days Of manual labor all arraugements
have been completed fer the second
international aeronautic contest
which will be held here this week be
ginning at 4 O'Clock this afternoon
Nine balloons have been entered. rep
resenting America, Germany, France
and England.
The first international contest was
held last year at Paris. and Lieut.
Frank p. l4ahiD. Of the United States
cavalry, by fight of iO2 miles, won
the James Gordon Bennett cup. the
trophy OF the contest. The cup is an
object of art In massive silver, valued,
at $500 and was offered by James
Gordon Bennett to the .aeronaut cover.
ing the longest Iis;afce in a single
fight.
II the cup is won three times In sue.
cossion by an aeronaut IT then be-
comes the property of the aeronautic
club OF which he is member The
winner of the cup In each information
al contest. by the terms Of the donor.
will receive In addition q prize of 81
500 in cash, together With one-half OF
the entry fees and forfcits. The con
testart finishing second viii receive
orc-fhird and tho contestant finishing
third the rest OF the entry fees and
the forfeit.
This second competition for the
Bennet; International acronautic cup
was orgapized by ihc Aero Club Of
America under the rules OF the Inter
national Acronnutic Federation. and
will be conducted under the auspices
Of the Aero Club OF ST. Louis. The
first five days Of the week will be de-
voted 10 aorGnauts
Monday will open the program, nine
balloons ascending for the long dis.
tance race for the Bennett cup.
Tuesday there will be contest for
aeroplanes or flying machines heavier
than cir, with total cash prizes Of
$500.
Wednesday there win be a contest
for airships and vehicles lighter than
air, with total prizes CT s2.J00.
Thursday the contest OF flying ma
chimes for the Scientific American cup
will be held
Friday will be "frec for all" day, in
which any Kind Of air craft that can
get above the ground may participate
In the contest to win the Lahm cup.
To win this the contestant must excel
Mccoy and Sbansller's long balloon
sight from st. iouis to West Virginia
last week.
Aeronoutic interest conters chiefly
on the international balloon race. Ac.
cording TO announcement of the Aero
club the first ballc.n,' the Pcmmern
will hn ~ A ~
the others viii follow at fve-minute in
tervals.
The balloons entered in the races
follow, in order Of Eight:
Balloon. Country. Pilot.
Pommern. Germany. Oscar Erbeloch
United States, America !. Mai. Hersey
Isle De France, France. "A. Lablanc
Dusseldorf, Germany. -. VonAbercron
Lotus l., England. Griffith Brewer
America, America. .......J. C. Mccoy
Anjou. France. e......... Rene Cashier
Abercron, Germany 80. Paul Meckel
st. Louis. America. -. "A. Il. Hawley
The Anjou IL the largest, holding TO-
500 cubic feet of gas. The United
States and the i.otus l. hold 75,200 feet
each. The Abercron holds $4,000 feet,
while the other i've balloons have a
capacity Of $1,000 cubic feet apiece.
All the air craft entered have reach
ed st. Louis and are assembled on the
plot Of ground whence tho ascensions
will be made. at the eastern end of
Forest park, sbout two miles from the
former site of the Louisiana purchase
exposition. The starting point is one
OF the highest In the csty and is far re-
moved from wires. buildings and
smokestacks. The ballconing ground
proper is about 100 yards wide by 40
yards long and is inclosed by fence
of wire netting. Twenty feet inside
this fence Is still another wall of net.
ting. This inner cour. is reserved ex-
clusively for the aeronauts. contest Of
ficers. members. of the United States
signal corps and the Frenchmen who
will assist in the imitation. A Gordon
OF soldiers will keep all others out.
Through the center OF the inner
court runs Finch gas pipe 100 yards
long, with alternating offshoots OF
smaller piping from which the cup con-
tenders will be inflated. The main
pipe Rms from o gasometer with a
capacity of i,000,000 cubic feet.
On three sides of the outer inclosure
are stands that will seat 10000 specta-
tors. On the south side are the tents
In which the airships and flying ma.
chimes are assembled to await the de-
parture Of their larger, clumsier sis
tors, the balloons. On. the fourth side
are the tents for soldiers from Jeffer.
son barracks, placed there to guard
the grounds and assist the police.
Capt. Charles Dep. Chandler and
his aide. J. c. Mccoy. who made the
flight last week In signal corps bal
loon No. TO- reached st. Louis Sunday
and were warmly welcomed The
Lahm trophy Of the Aero Club of
America will be awarded TO Chandler
as soon as the official measurement OF
distance travelled by No. 10 Is receiy.
ed from Washington. Chandler will
hold the. cup until some other balloon.
list cycels his record of Ats miles.
eernier Adds to canada's Domain.