The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-27

and many Americans travelling in
other countries are abandoning their
original plans in order to witness some
of the performances of this historic
week. Everybody is enthusiastic and
the spectators declare the sight of the
beautifully winged afrships flying
steadily for hours seems like a dream.
The program for today includes the
finals in the grand Prix De La Cham
payne, or competition for the greatest
distance covered without taking on
carries the largest prize of the meet
ing. The record is now 95.SS miles,
made by Latham yesterday in hours,
18 minutes, 3 3-5 seconds, and the con-
test today promises to be exciting
The sporting blood of the sky pilots
is up. Louis Paulhan, whose record
fell before Latham's performance of
yesterday declared today he did not
propose to allow Latham to carry off
the prize and the Wright managers
have decided to make a desperate ef-
fort to regain their lost prestige Lat
ham himself has announced he will try
to beat his own record.
Paulhan with 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 alighted for re-
pairs after having Travelled couple of
miles.
The contest tomorrow for the interna-
tional cup known otherwise as the
Gordon Bennett trophy, to go to the
aviator who covers two laps, or 12.42
miles, in the shortest time, is regarded
as the principal event of aviation week.
Both the Wright and the English ma
any chance, and the contest conse-
quently lies among Bleriot, Curtiss and
Latham.
Bleriot's big machine is being fitted
up with new wings and propellers and
the pilot announces he will try out his
aeroplane this afternoon Both Bleriot
and his engineer. aCree that the motor
was not damaged yesterday when the
the tribunes
Cortlandt F. Bishop. president of thu
Aero Club of America, and Roger Wal
lace, president of the Aero Club of
Great Britain, had a conference this
morning on the decision of the commit
tee to allow BleriOt to allow machine |
in the race for the international cup
other than that with which he qualified |
cerned the French flyers only, and if
the other contestants were satisfied the
foreigners had no reason to protest.
Glenn H CurtisS this morning fled a |
formal protest against his penalizatior. |
of one-tenth of his time in the contest
for the Prix De La Vitesse, on the
ground that he was distinctly informed |
no penalty would be inflicted if he did !
ever, to accept a penalization of one |
twentieth for his failure of Tuesday as |
most of his competitors received sirnf- |
lar handicaps.
While making his second start |
Paulhan had an accident, apparently |
due to his attempt to launch his ma |
chine into the air before it had ac- |
quired sufficient speed. The b1plane |
left the ground in response to the |
horizontal rudder, but 1t encountered |
a strong puff on the beam. heeled |
over and was forced back to the |
earth. The planes on the left side |
up like cardboard. Paul |
han explained that the real cause of |
his mishap was a detour he made to |
avoid De LAGRANGE, who was coming |
toward him. He said he expected to |
be able to make another, start later /
in the day