The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-08-27
FLYING RECORD IS
LOWERED BY CURTIS
At RHEIMS, FRANCE
AMERICAN AVIATOR TOOK THE
RIBBONS FROM HIS FOREIGN
COMPETITORS.
BLERIOT HAD DONE SPLEEDIDLY
Says That He Had Not Pushed His
Machine to The Limit-Touehed
The Earth Through Mistake, And
Then Rose Again.

RHEIMS, France, Aug. 24.-Glen
H. Curtiss, the American aviator, an
Paulham, representing France, divide
the honOrs Of the second day of avii
ton week, the former with a thrill
ing fight just before dusk in whic
he lowered the speed record for tn
course, which measures six and one
fifth miles, to s minutes 35 2-5 seconds
the latter making two impressive higl
tltitude flights of ffty-nine and hal
kilometers respectively in the endur
ance test for the Prix de la Cham
payne
Curtiss' performance began just al
the time limit for the start of the Pri1
de la Champagne was expiring, when
the American enthusiasts had aban.
doned hope of seeing their representa-
tive takS the field. Amid the I'M
bounded jubilation of the French spec
tators Bleriot, only few minutes be-
fore, had clipped sixteen seconds off
Lefebre's record made Sunday with
his powerful eighty-horse power mono
plane. Suddenly at one end Of the
field cry went up: THE American
is starting" All eyes were strained
to that particular point, where Cort-
landt Field Bishop, President of the
Aero Club of America, and a crowd of
other admirers surrounded Curtiss.
With a preliminary run along the
ground of 100 yards the machine rose
lightly and shot by the tribunes at
height of sixty feet. 1t was going at
a terrific pace with the wings level
as plane. Curtiss made the last
turn under the mistaken impression
that the finish line was closer. He
descended so close to earth that many
thought he touched, but, perceiving
his error, he mounted quickly and
easily, crossing the line majestically
An instant later the signal was hoisted
that he had made a record. 4
Curtiss said he had not pushed his
machine to the limit of its speed and
laughingly declined to say more, ad-
ding that the most interesting incident l
of his fight was the view he got OF
his fallen rivals strewn around the I
course. II
Paulham also made a record In the t
endurance test, bur Lefebre, Sommer, t
Sanchis-Pesa, Eleriot, De La Grange, /
Lambert, Cockburn, Bunau-Verilla, S
Gobron, Latham, Tissandier and Far +
man qualified with flights varying from s
200 meters to twenty-five milometers, o
the majority contenting themselves e
with covering sufficient distance TO Il
get within the limit. 81
During Paulham's long flight chance e.
'aces took place between him and Il
3leriot and Lefebre, the two latter 81
the high-fying Paulham. 81
3leriot appeared while Paulham was hi
his fourth round and with tn
lis eighty-horse power monoplane, 81
Witty overhauled and passed under be
he biplane, leaving it far behind. tn
Two monoplanes having been put CO
ut of commission by slight acct la
ent in landing, Latham succeeded in Al
laking his best fight with an untried ST
lachine with an aluminium propeller la
Until Saturday, when the international tn
vent will be decided, the flying 10 as
kelly to be less interesting than dur tr;
lg the first two days, but popular ma
5 well as scientific and expert On
lusiasm over aviation week shows no act
gn of abatement. The policing of brt
lie course by French soldiers and the
ounted dragons is the subject of
eneral satisfaction. Squadrons Of ret
'agoons inside the field are often Ma
to escape on the gallop def
ON some lowering machine. thr
Among the hundreds of Americans VIII
re are Mr.. and Mrs. Gould, Mrs. w. tiol
Vanderbilt, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Nat l
,odwin and William H. Crane. Me
va p