Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-28
FARMAN BREAKS
WORLD RECORD
WITH BI-PLANE
ENGLISH AVIATOR SURPRISES
AER0NAUTS
PILOT OF AIR CRAFT STAYS IN
AIR AFTER DARK
Hubert Latham Wins Second and Fifth
Position by Using Two Machines,
but Judges Award Him Only
One Prize
IBy Associated Press.l


~ man, the English aviator, hith-
erto unknown quantity in the aviation
contests in a biplane of his own con-
struction broke the worlds records fol
duration of flight and distance in a
heayier-than-air machine today, and
won the Grand PriX de la Champagne
the endurance testify a remarkable
flight officially recorded as $50 klo-
meters Oils miles) in 3:4:56 20
He actually covered an extra ten
klometers and remained in the air ten
minutes after 1880 o'clock this evening,
the hour that the timekeepers, under
the rules, ceased to keep record OF
the flight.
The other contestants finished in the
order named:
Hubert Latham. in a monoplane No
90, 154 kilometers, 500 meters, time
2.1S:9 3-5; Louis Paulhan in Voisin
biplane, 131 lUilometers; Count De Lam
bert, biplane, 116 kilometers Hubert
Latham, in a monoplane No. IL, III
kilometers; NJ. Tissandier, biplane, III
kilometers; Roger SOmmer btplane, 6l
Bilometers; NJ. De La Grange, mono
plane, so Kilometres NJ BleTiot, mono
plane, 40 kilometers; Glenn H. Curtiss
biplane 30 kilometers; NJ. Lefevre, BIZ
plane, q klometers.
Takes Two Prizes
Although Hubert Latham with diff
ferent machine took second and fifth
positions, the aviation committee held
that he was ineligible for two prizes
and awarded the fifth to NJ. Tissandier
and the sixth to NJ. SOmmer.
Farnam's victory was a complete sur
prise. He had been preparing his ma
chine secretly and had not appeared
on the field until today except for a
few practice flights and had been al
most forgotten. Indeed, after he
started, keeping close to the ground,
while Latham and the others were
soaring in spectacular fashion high in
the air Farman attracted no attention
until he had flown eighty kilOmeters.
Then suddenly the watchers woke up
only to discover he had gone out, car
rying petrol enough for a five hours
flight and equipped with a self-cooling
revolving motor.
Trouble with his ignition plug forced
Latham to descend after he had Gov
cred III kilometers and Tissandier
came down after accomplishing identi-
cally the same distance. The other
aviators had ended their efforts ear
lier, a majority of them in "aeroplane
graveyard" hollow at the lower end
of the field.
Farman Wins
Only Farman continued. Round and
round he went as regularly as clock
work, always hugging the ground, TAX
ing no chances and avoiding any at
tempt at display. Record after record
fell before his methodical fight. Dusk
came: darkness fell, and the tWinkling
lights appeared in the villages on the
distant hills Lanterns were hung on
the towers marking the limits of the
course. The judges no longer could
tell whether the record breaking aero
pianist was flying and the searchliSht
from the grand stand could not pierce
the gloom. A dozen automobiles raced
to strategic points to make sure that
Farman still was in the air.
At 1880 o'clock it was announced the
timing had ended. Ten minutes more
and suddenly out of the darkness a
ghostly thing appeared in front of the
tribune and came to earth on the start
ing line.
Mr.. Farman appeared almost over
como by the long strain he had under
gone. He smiled family as he shook
hands with those about him, but his
face was white and his hands cold
He almost tainted as he was helped
out of his seat Then a score of per
sons brought him in triumph on their
shoulders to the presidential tribune
where NJ. Millerand, minister of public
works. was waiting to receive him.
When the roar of the cheering had
ceased NJ. Millerand, in the name of the
French government, congratulated Mr.
Tarman.
Il do So" said the minister, mot only
for the wonderful achievement you
have accomplished, but as a brave man
and for the example you have set for
Much sympathy is expressed for
Paulhan and Latham, both Of whom
firmly believed they would set new
records today III luck continued 10
pursue the pilots of the Wright ma
chimes.
Attention of World Is Held
The aerial races arouse increased in
terest and excitement throughout
France, as we'll rs in Europe generally.
The published accounts OF the mar
Velous fights in which record after
record has been broken, have grpped
the public attention and thousands Oh
people are nocking hither from all
parts of the continent.
The American contingent Is large
and many Americans travelling i'm other
countries are abandoning their original
plans in order to witness some of the
nerformances of this historic week
Everybody is enthusiastic and the
spectators declare the sight Of the
beautifully-wing airships hylhs
steadily for hours seems like a dream.
The program for today inciudeq the
finals in the Grand PriX de la CAaln-
Dagne. or competition for the greatest
distance covered without taking on
fresh supplies of fuel and oil, which
carries the largest prize Of the meet
ing. The record is now 95.6o miles,
made bv Latham yesterday
The sporting blood of the sky pilots
is up. Louis Paulhan, whose record
fell before Latham's performance OF
Yesterday, declared he did not propose
to allow Latham to carry off the prize
and the Wright managers decided TO
make desperate effort to regain their
lost prestige.
Latham himself announced he would
try to beat his own record.
Oil Feeder Defective
Paulhan, with a tank carrying 80
litres of gasoline, enough to last him
for five hours, went up shortly before
II o'clock, but his oil feeder was not
working well and he aighted for re-
pairs after having travelled couple OF
miles.
Between noon and o'clock the wind
blew at the rate Of five meters see
ond. making flying hazardous, and the
champions waited in the nope the
wind would fall.
Iefevre, one of the Wright pilots, de-
cided not to compete for the endurance
test today, but rather to reserve his
effort for the international cup J"nor-
row.
The Wright managers admit their
machines are slower than the Blerlot