Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-24
CURTISS MAKES
RECORD FLIGHT
IN AEROPLANE
AMERICAN AVIATOR LOWERS
TIME AT RHEIMS
PAULHAM ALSO WINS HoNoRs
FOR HIGH ALTITUDE
United States Representative Becomes
FaVorite In Contest for Bennett
Cup, Which VIII Be Raced
Next Saturday
[By Associated Press, ]

u HELMS, Aug. 23.-Glenn H. Curtiss,
X the American aviator, and M.
Az Paulham, representing France,
divided honors of the second day of
aviation week, the former in a thrilling
| flight just before dusk in which he
lowered the speed record for the course,
which measures 6 1-5 miles, to 5 min
utes 35 2-5 seconds; the latter making
| two impressive high altitude flights of
491a and 56 kilometers respectively in
the enduronce test for the Prix de la
| Champagne.
Curtiss' performance began just as
the time limit for the start of the Prix
| de la Champagne, when the American
| enthusiasts had abandoned hope of see
| ing their representative take the field.
Bleriot only a few minutes before had
! clipped 16 seconds off Lefevre's record.
Suddenly at the end of the field a cry
went up, "The American is starting"
All eyes were strained to that partic-
ular point where Courtlandt Field
Bishop, president of the Aero club Of
America, and a crowd of other admir-
ers surrounded Curtlss.
With a preliminary run along the
| ground of 100 yards, the machine rose
| lightly and shot by the tribunes at
height of 60 feet. 1t was going at a
terrific pace, with the wing level as
plane, Curtiss made the last turn un-
| DER IIle DllSIdkGIl iii III O0SlclA AAioh ShiS
finish line was closer. He descended so
close to earth that many thought he
touched, but perceiving his error, ne
mounted quickly, crossing the line ma
iestically An instant later the signal
announced he had made record
SAYS He Did Not Go to Limit
Curtiss said he had not pushed his
machine to its limit, adding that the
most interesting incident of his flight
was the view he got of his fallen rivals
strewn around the course.
The American aviator now intends TO
await patiently the international event
for the James Gordon Bennett cup
Saturday, for which he is again the
| favorite, after which he will try for the
Prix de la Vitesse. the final for when
will be contested Saturday.
Paulham also made record III the
! endurance test today, but Lefevre,
Sommer. Sanchis-Pesa. Bleriot, De la
Grange, Lambert, Cockburn, Bunau-
Varilla Gobren Latham, TissHrdier
and Farman qualified with iilghts
varying from 200 meters to % kllone-
| ters the majority contenting then-
selves with covering sufhelent distance
to get within the limit.
During Paulham's long fight chance
races took place between him ana Bic
riot and Lefevre, the two latter out
speeding the high flying Paulhalh.-
Pleriot appeared while Paulham was
completing his fourth round WIN ms ms
eight horsepower monoplane, sWlltiy
oyerhauled and passed under the bl-
plane. leaving it far behind.
Sunshine and only a trace OF Wlnu
made conditions ideal for the contests
today
Thousands Watch Flights
Attracted by the sensational per-
formances of Yesterday, when six aero
nlanes were seen at the same time
winding their fight in huge circles
over the plain of Bethany, thousands OF
snectators came in the early trains
from Paris, and when the dlTlglole
balloon Colonel Renard appeared over
the field at 10 o'clock, having come
from Meaux, the fences lninG the
field already We're black WIN peoPie;
rThe Renard which is the first of the
dirieihIes to arrive. carried out series
of impressive evolutions.
Hubert Latham has been chosen as
the third aviator to represent france
In the contest for the international
c,n the big event of the week, Wh1ch
viii he run off next Saturday. The
others are MN. Bleriot and LeieVre'
This decision was reached pg the
Judges this morning after carelul con-
sideration of the elimination contests
held yesterday.
Tissandier. Paulham and Sommer
are alternates to Latham. T1ssandler'
who uses a Wright biplane, thus Iar
holds the speed record. only one olner
Wright machine, that operated by
Schreck, remains to compete IN thls
event. , 80
The daring performances yesterday Oh
Lefevre have made him eXtrellely pup
ular. but Bleriot and Latham still re-
60 of the crowd.
Zodiac to Come to America
Cortland f. Bishop, representing the
Aero Club of. America, today received
definite assurances from Jacques Verne
that he would send small, portaple'
dirigible balloon the Zodiac TO appear
at the Hudson Fulton celebration IN
New York next month. The Zodiac
will compete in the race for diriglbles
to be held here.
The events scheduled for today were
the Grand PriX de la Champagne ana
the City of Rheims and contlhuatlons
in the Prix du Tour de Piste and the
Prix des Aeronauts.
The first event carries prizes amount
ing to $4,000, the first being $lo'0oO.
me money will be given to the six
aaron1anes which travel the greatest
Gistance without touching the ground
or replenishing their supply of fuel
and OIL
I, No aviator can come within GER
tain specified distance of the ground
This event, consequently is test OF
endurance
Most of the sky pilots elected to
postpone their efforts until toward
evening. During the morning and early
afternoon a few unofficial tests were
held.
Glen Fl. Curtiss was out early and
made satisfactory trial flight of two
kilometers.
Bleriot, with his eigh..- horsepower
machine, astonished his competitors
with the speed he developed. He
travelled so swiftly that Curtiss' con-
fidence in his ability to capture the in
ternationaI cup was somewhat shaken
Surprised at Wrights' Suit
Curtiss today expressed great sur
prise at the decision of the Wright
brothers to sue him. He insisted the
Continued on Page Two.