The Penn's Grove record., 1909-09-03
GLEN h. CURT|sS
WINS AIR SHIP RACES
American AeropIanist Captures
Two Prizes at Rheims.
UNITED STATES HOLDS THE CUP
Height Prize to Latham-Falman
Wins in Passenger-C Carrying Con-
test-Bleriot Burned When Mon
Oplane Falls and Catches Fire.

6 OOAA"
test-Bleriot Burned When Mon
oplane Falls and Catches Fire.
Bethany Aviation Field, Rheims,
France.-The last day of the aviation
meet saw Glen H. Curtiss, the Ameri-
can, who won the international cup
the day before, the victor also in the
~three-lap speed contest for the Prix
de la Vitesse, while Latham, who was
second in the speed contest, won the
contest for high flying - Prix de
IAltitude-and Farman won the pas
senger-carrying contest - Prix DIES
Passengers. Curtiss missed by a mar
row margin beating Bleriot's single
lap speed record also. BIeriot was
eliminated from the Prix de la Vi
Jesse by an accident to his rudder,
which flung his machine to the
ground, set it afre, and resulted in
painful but not serious burns for the
Channel flyer.
The concluding scenic effect of a
week full of surprises was a twilight
vision of Paulhan's graceful mono
plane, like a great white bird, soaring
above the yellow disk of the harvest
moon, just rising above the distant
hills, and the fleeting golden flyer"
as the Curtiss machine has been
dubbed, making its winning fight.
Thus the United States has the
lions share of the honors of the
meeting. The Prix de la Vitesse of
10000 francs $4,000 is divided into
four prizes, and was distributed to
the four machines making three
rounds of the course, thirty ki1ome-
tiers, at the greatest speed. The first
prize was o by Curtiss quite han
Oily, in spite of a penalization heavier
than that of any of his rivals.
Curtiss won also the second place
in the speed lap contest, which was
over n circuit of ten kilometers, or
6.21 miles, raising his total money
winnings for the meeting to $4,000
francs ($7600), besides the interna-
tional cup. which goes to the Aero
Club of America, inscribed with his
name.
The only serious accident of the
meeting was that which removed Bile
riot, the Americans most dangerous
competitor, from the days three-lap
speed contest. Blerot's escape from
death was a narrow one. He had
passed the first turn in the Prix de la
V1tesse when his rudder suddenly
failed to respond. His monoplane
turned completely over three times,
landing with such force that the pc
troll tank burst, and, catching fire
from the hot motor, enveloped the
machine and pilot in flames. Before
Bleriot could extricate himself he
was burned about the face and hands,
but fortunately not seriously.
With Bleriot out of the contest,
Latham remained Curtiss' only Sc
rious rival. Latham with his mono
plane No. 13 started only four min
utes ahead of the American, who gave
chase. Curtiss o%verhauled him stead
lily, finishing less than 400 meters be-
hind the Frenchman. The time by
laps was: Latham-8.47 3-5, 1898
4-5, 1852 2-5; Curtiss-7.59 As,
1900 2-5, PALS LIS.
The committee first posted Lath-
ANS time, with one-twentieth penali-
cation, as 27.51 rs, giving Curtiss,
in spite of his one-tenth penalty, the
victory, as the others who had taken
part in the event had not approached
the Americans speed. Latham, how
ever, refused to accept defeat, and
brought out No. 20. With this he
few considerably faster, his time be-
ing recorded as 1888, 1903, 25.18
LIS. The time, but not the amount of
penalization, was posted, and there
was excitement among the Americans.
as the penalization, which was only
o~ne-twentieth, would bring the time
to 1858 1-5, sever seconds less (tak-
ing into account the Americans pen.
alty) than that made by Curtiss.
At the time no official information
could be obtained beyond the fact
that the judges were awaiting reports
from the Field Commissioner at $50.
after which no start would be posi-
BILE. Curtiss, therefore, who said he
had been obliged thrice to mufle his
accelerator on the previous fight on
account of pitching, declared his con-
fidence that he could do better in an
other attempt, and decided to try
again. Within two minutes his ma
chine was out and speeding across
the line. He flew higher than he had
ever gone before, keeping the throt-
tie wide open and making each round
at swifter speed than in any of his
previous efforts. The first round he
covered in 7.49 2-5, the watches
showed 1897 As at the end of the
second round, and they were snapped
at 1929 at the finish. With his pen
alization Curtiss' time thus stood at
25.49 rs, and this gave him the race
by almost a minute margin.
Latham won the Prix de latitude.
10000 francs ($2000), for the aero
pianist attaining the highest altitude.
reaching a height of 155 metres
(about 400 feet). Farman was Sec
ond, with 10 metres; Paulhan, third.
with ninety metres, and Rougier.
fourth, with fifty-fve metres.
Farman, mounting in great circles
rose until he was three times as high
as the flag above the tribune. He
moved back and forth over the heads
of the spectators, amid the greatest
enthusiasm. Latham's feat was even
more spectacular, and set the peonle
wild. Rising first to a height of 200
Detained Against Their Will.