The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-06
MIX THE WINNER.
American Aeronaut 4Gaptures the
Gordon Bennett Cup.

Zurich. Oct. 6.-The international
balloon race for, the Gordon Bennett
cup has been won by Edgar w
Mix, the American aeronaut of
Mr.. Mix landed north of Warsaw, in
Russian Poland, at 3 O'Clock Tuesday
morning. He has won with plenty of
time to spare from Alfred Leblanc, the
French pilot, his companion in the ST.
Louis race of 1907, who came down at
Kubin. Hungary, Monday afternoon.
The first news of Mix's landing was
contained in a personal dispatch TO the
associated Press. dated Ostrolenka.
The aeronaut said:
81 landed in the midst of a large
pine tree in the forest of Gutova, west
of Ostolenka and north of Warsaw, at
o'clock Tuesday morning. I encoun-
tered heavy rain. My ballast was
exhausted when I came down. At
present I am in the hands of the po-
lice. but all is going we'll
Il had bad weather Sunday night.
1t was cloudy and rain fell, and / used
half my ballast before morning The
weather was so thick that it was i'm
possible to locate my position except
for one hour south of Prague and a
star observation I took at latitude
51.45.1 and longitude 10.O3.S.''
Through Fog and Rain.
Mix made mis- journey through fog
and binding rain storms which COM
PEELED all the other pilots to descend.
After crossing the Swiss and Austrian
Alps, Captain Messner, one of the
Swiss pilots reported that his clothes
were covered with ice to a thickness
of half an inch. Messner reached an
altitude of $4,000 feet OF the division
of the balloons which were carried more
to the southwark, Leblanc reached the
farthermost point. He descended in
the foothills of the Carpathian noun
tains, being forced to abandon his ball
loon owing to an accident upon land
ing.
Leblanc covered a distance estima-
ted at LOIS kilometers, 63O.31 miles.
Messner's distance was about the same
as LeBlanc's and Colonel Setback, a
Swiss entrant, covered 1876 kilometers.
1850 miles. The others covered lesser
distances.
Erbslah's record of 14os kilometers.
&c miles, made from st. Louis IN
1907, is the longest flight made in an
race, although behind
southern Russia.
1t is impossible to explain why Mix
should have been molested by the Rus
sian police as in anticipation of
was provided at Zurich with a special
Russian passport guaranteed by the
Russian minister to Switzerland to pro-
tect them against annoyance
The American embassy at st. Peters
burg has been advised of Mix's pre-
dlcament and asked to take the mat
ter up at once with the Russian auth
orities.
The distance from Zurich to the point
" here Mix landed has been given as
L10O kiloneters. or 6S3.t miles.
An exact classification of the per-
formances of the contestants will be
until their log books arrive,
but Mr.. Mix is an easy winner
Alfred Leblanc, representing France,
and Captain Messner. representing
Switzerland. each of whom made
slightly more than 800 kilometers, about
496 miles, are named for second place,
but this probably will not be determin-
ed until the official announcement is
made.
Colonel Schaeck, also of Switzerland,
last years winner, is fourth with about
IT'S kilometers, a little more than 4S1
miles; Captain Won Abercrom, repre-
Germany is fifth, and v. De
Beauclair, another Swiss, is sixth.
The distance covered by Mix is vari-
ously estimated from 683 to 931 miles.