The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-26
Latham Breaks Worlds Record
for Time and Distance.
Covers 95.O1 Miles in 2 Hours,
Is Minutes, 9 Seconds.
A FLOCK OF FLYERS.
The Air About Rheims Is Full
of AerOplaneS.
A Dozen Machines Circling
About at One Time.

Betheny Aviation Field, Rheims,
Aug 26-The fifth day of aviation
week has been characterized by the
breaking of all previous records for
distance covered in an aeroplane of
either the biplane or monoplane type,
as well as the breaking of the record
for length of time in the air in a
monoplane. by Hubuurt Latham, the
French aviator. Latham remained
in the air for hours IS minutes
9 3-5 seconds and covered distance
of 154 kilometers, S75 meters. 50
miles and 1896 feet.
The previous record for both time
and distance in a biplane was made
yesterday by Paulhan, another French
man, who covered 1873 kilometers 676
meters, S3.O7 miles, in hours, So
minutes, "a seconds. The previous
record for sustained flight in mono
plane was 1 hour, minutes. 81 sec
onds. made by Latham himself on
June of this year
Previous to the performances of
yesterday and today, the official record
for both time and distance in an
aeroplane was held by the Wright
brothers, who have done 73 miles in
2 hours, 20 minutes, 20 Is seconds.
The unofficial time record made by
Roger Sommer was hours. 27 min
utes. Is seconds. Sommer used BIZ
plane.
Latham is competing for the grand
PriX de La Champagne, the first
prize of which is 10000 Counting
his flight of this morning, Latham has
flown today more than IA miles.
Rides Through Storm.
He came down after he had covered
about 153 kilometers. or 95.01 miles. The
fNV- 4 &c. i
by Paulhan, yesterday Latham start
ed on his sec nd effort today, shortly
after o'clock. The breeze when he
got away was less than three metres a
clouds on the horizon. and during the
aviator's fourth lap, sharp squau of
wind and rain broke over the aero
drome-- The spectators did not believe
it possible for Latham to ride out the
storm, but to their delight, he only
mounted the higher, and took his ma
chine over the triOunes at a height of
800 feet.
His time for the first round was 8
minutes % As seconds; the second
round is minutes 81 Is seconds; the
third. q minutes Al seconds; the fourth
36 minutes Is 3-5 seconds: the fifth. Al
minutes 4S seconds; the sixth. 53 min
Ltes so As seconds; the seventh, l hour
s minutes seconds. and the eighth
hour IL minutes 20 3-5 seconds.
His Fastest Time.
The eighth lap was covered in min
utes 20 So seconds. the fastest time
Latham had yet made. His time at the
completion of the ninth lap was 1 hour
19 minutes Sc 2-5 seconds. In this COM
petition Latham is using his celebrated
No. 79." He made his fight this
morning with his No. Is. During the
tenth round the wind dropped to five
1'-eters a second. Latham was the only
man flying over the field. He compile
ted his tenth round, giving him a total
of 100 kilometres or 81 10 miles as steady
as a liner in L hour 2S minutes II sec
cndS after his start curing the 11th
round the wind was blowing between
three and five metres a second His
time at the end of the 11th round was
/ hour &c minutes IS seconds and at
the end of the 18th. L hour 45 minutes
80 seconds.
Americans are rejoicing at Latham's
splendid showing, as the Antoinette
motor. used by the Frenchman to
drive his monoplane. is the invention
of an American named Joseph Adams
During Latham's fifth and sixth
laps the official signals indicated
wind blowing at the rate of ten metres
breathIessly watched the frail machine
battling against the heavy gusts. The
wings of the monoplane often f1uttered
IKE those or bird caught in a heavy
StoIIl' pul the machine maintained it's
STEADY progress. Latham smiled and
waved his hand in response to the en-
thusiastic cheering as he passed over
the tribunes.
worlds record for sustained flight in
a monoplane, one hour and seven min
uteS. made by himself last June.
Inc excitement was intense as
round His time was one hour. "a
minutes, % seconds. The wind was
blowing at the rate of seven metres
second. The fourteenth round was
completed at the end of two hours
three minutes and ten seconds and the
fifteenth in two hours 13 minutes.
nine seconds.
Flyers Were Out Early.
Betheny Aviation Field. Rheims,
Aug; 26--The fifth day of aviation
week was ushered in with ideal
weather conditions. The light air
and overcast sky brought the 1vers
out early and before noon, a dozen
plain.
The programme today included the
continuation of the trials for the
Grand Prix De La Champagne. the
endurance test; the lap event. the
speed event, a race between iirigibie
palIoons and a landing competition
for spherical balloons
Latnam, in monoplane, was the
!lrsI III aviator to get away in an effort |
70 peat Paulhan's endurance record
or yesterday. hours 5S minutes and
4 seconds Latham started fying at
a great height. N. Sommer. Cock
DuTn' Bunau-Varilla, De La Grange
anu = nllally Glenn H. Curtiss, the |
american contestant, followed
Latham into the air.
Curtlsss purpose was to improve
ms record in the speed lap contest
prizes in the endurance contest. He
accomplished three rounds in an i'm
presslVe manner, but his speed was
disappointing. His total time was 2s