The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-27
LATHAM MAKES
AIRSH|P RECORD
FOR DISTANCE
French Aviator Covers 95.SS
Miles in Face of Storm at
a High Altitude
Two Inventors Meet With Mis-
haps, Which Increase the
Chances of Curtiss

q ET II ENY AVIATION FIELD,
RHEIMS Aug. 26-Hubert Latham. the
French aviator. today took a glorious
revenge for the hard luck he expert
enced in his recent attempts to cross
tie English channel. and his indie
fatigable, but hitherto unsuccessful,
Efforts TO accomplish A notable achieve
ment during the present meeting, by
stablisiIing new worlds airship rec
ord for distance. ia kiIometers $50
meters. or 95.SS miles.
Latham covered Is laps. or $50 kill
oIneters. in hours Is minutes and 9 sec
7nds. and the fun distance in hours
Is minutes and 9 3-5 seconds, which
also are worlds records the fight be-
p ing al the rate OF about eS1k kilometers
an hour as compared with 53Is made
hy Wright at Lemans. and fraction
under 50 made by Paulhan yesterday.
LIKE a FLYING DRAGON
Nothing could have exceeded the
, beauty and impressiveness of the pro
ionged flight. In grace of lines no
other aeroplane here compares with
Tilted planes from the long skinlike
body give II q resemblance. when close.
10 winged canoe. and while sailing
p high up in the air it looks from the
( distance like mammoth dragon.
For an hour with huttering wings.
ike living thing, IL fought its way
against the storm Of rain and wind at
an average height of $50 feet. mount
.ing higher as the wind rose, until dur
Ing the worst OF the storm it was up
fully 500 feet The contention of the
advocates of the biplane that the mon
oplsne would be unable to live in a
strong breeze has been amply refuted.
Latham earlier in the day with No.
-. another seroplane of the same type,
MADE 4 flight Of more than 20 Kill
ometers and after he had finished, Count
p de Lambert covered 116 kilometers
t72.73 miles) in commanding fashion.
The flights therefore in a single day
totslled more than 210 miles.
RLERIOT-S MACHINE DAMAGED
Glenn H. Curtiss had two practice
spins. but although his machine be-
haved splendidly its speed was disap-
pointing. An accident which Bleriot
suffered about dusk may improve Cur
. Mss chances for the international cup.
While trying TO alight in front of the
tribune with passenger aboard his
machine BIeriOt crashed into fence,
the wings and propeller being broken.
He narrowly missed killing several Of
the spectators. Whether or not the
motor was injured has not been def
nitely determined. If so, Curtiss' most
dangerous rival has been put at a dis
advantage, as BleriOt intended TO use
= the wrecked machine in the interna-
tional event. although he qualified with
> another.
. LANDS AMONG LUNCHERS
Rougier. also while giving an exhi-
h+tion. landed among a crowd lunching
in the grass and slightly injured two
b. women and q man.
Bleriot insisted his accident was not
due to recklessness. with which he was
% charged by the crowd. He said a
squadron Of dragons was moving
= across the field and crowded toward
= the fence. compelling him to choose be-
tween landing among the horses or in
. the barrier.
Todays contests altered the classifi-
cation for the prix de Champagne. the
. figures now standing: Latham, 1541s
kilometers: Paulhan. 131: De Lambert,
.'Ils: Latham, 20; Curtiss. 80; Lefevre. 81.
Latham's two records were made
!. with different machines.