Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-10-07
REMARKABLE INTERNATIONAL RACE
Winner Covered Nearly Seven Hun
dred Miles From Zurich, Encounter
inc BAD Weather at Times-One
Contestant Reached Altitude OF
Eighteen Thousand Feet.
CRy Assoc,ated press.l


the only American contestant In the
international balloon race for the
Gordon Bennett cup in which II bal
looms started from here October y.
has Won and will take the cup back to
he United States. He Is from
Columbus. Ohio.
Mir Mix landed north of warsaw,
IN Russian Poland, at 3 o'clock Tues
day morning. lie won with plenty OF
time 10 spare from Alfred Leblanc,
the French pilot. his companion In the
ST Louis race OF 1907. who came down
at Kubin. Hungary, Monday after
noon.
The first news of Mr.. Mix's landing
was conveyed In personal dispatch
to the Associated Press. dated Ostro-
ienka. The aeronaut said:
II landed In the midst of a large
pine tree In the forest of Gutova.
west 0f Ostrclepka and north OF War
saw at three O'Clock Tuesday morning.
encountered a heavy rain. My bal
last was exhausted when | came
down. AT present am in the hands
OF the police, but all is going well.
Struck Bad Weather.
q mad bad weather Sunday night,
II was cloudy ana rain fell and | used
half OF my ballast before morning
II is evident that in spite OF the
encouragement Of drifting onward
without knowing his location, the
American aeronaut husbanded his bal
last aad kept his balloon afioat until
the last ounce of sand was gone. Hr
| made his journey through fog and
binding rainstsrms which compelled
all the other pilots to descend.
, After crossing the Swiss and the
Austrian Alps Captain Mesncr. one OF
the Swiss pilots. reported that his
clothes we're covered with ice to a
| thickness of half an inch. MeSner
reacned an altitude OF 1900 feet
| OF the division of balloons which
were carried more to the southwark.
| Leblanc, one CT the French pilots.
reached the farthermost point. He
covered n distance estimated at about
600 kilometres tabout 1876 miles-)
Mcsner's distance was ABOUT the
same as I.eblancs and Col Schaeck.
Swiss entraut, covered 1888 miles
| The others covered lesser distances
Erbsloh covered 1.aOS kilometres
fs7I.2l miles practically. from ST.
Louis in 1907, which is the longest
flight made in an international race.
although behind Count Del vaulx's
record trip to Southern Russian.
Carried Russian Passport
70 is impossible to explain why Mr..
Mix should have been molested by the
Russian police. as in anticipation OF
| landing in Russia each Of the pilots
was provided with special Russfon
passport guaranteed by the Russian
minister to Switzerland to protect
them against annoyance.
The American embassy at St
Petersburg has been advised of Mr..
Mix's prcdicament and asked TO take
| the matter up at once with the Rus
| sian authorities.
TIE committee sitting at Zurich
has issued an unofficial estimate OF
the distance covered by Mix. which
| II states to be I. 100 kilometres (about
EOS miles) OF go kilometres tl9S
miiesD more than Leblanc, the French
competitor accomplished.
Two Claim Second Place.
An exact classification OF the per
| form7nces Of the contestants viii be
| impossible until their long expected
reports arrive. but Mix Is an easy win
ner. Alfred Leblanc. REFRESHING
France. and Captain Mesncr. repre-
scniing switzerland. each OF whom
made slightly over 500 kilometres
fabcut ss5 miicsD are both named for
second place. but this probably VIII
noe be determined untii the ofhciai
announcement is made.
Gel. Setback also Of switzerland. last
years winner. Is fourth. with about
f7s kilometres "a little over f8l
milcsD Captain Ron AbcrcFOm. re-
presenting Germany IS dfth. V De-
Bcsuclairc. another Swiss. Is sixtt-