The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1909-07-09
BALLOON RACES AT FAIR
The Spokane Interstate Fair Offers $500
Prize-FNe to Start.

StrobePs airship made hit with the
visitors at the Spokane Interstate Fair
last year. It was only Just and fair
conclusion. The aeronaut made good.
The airship made ascensions every
afternoon at the fair grounds and voy-
aged into Spokane and returned, which
the fair management had not promised
to the public.
But the opportunity for demonsra-
ton of the possibilities Of aeronautics
was gladly seized upon by the fair
management, which has appropriated
$500 for airship contests. For two
hour and a half every afternoon there
will be ascensions and contests for
duration of fight between not less than
five airships. And there may be
cranky airships in the contest. The
best designers Of steam yacts turn out
promised world beaters that prove to be
cranky" Il is not with the expec-
tation that any airship entered in the
contests at the fair grounds will prove
cranky" that the fair management Of
fers the awards that cover, besides a
purse Of $3.50 for the victorious airship,
daily, 500 is to be divided equally
between the unsuccessful airships.
Amongst exhibitors Of a new branch of
invention, the palm may go only to
one, but others have been TO expense
and trouble, and the fair management
desires that no contestant may lose
money.
The airship races, in one sense, are
vaudeville attractions. 1t is their spec
tacular nature that appeals to the
crowds, and vaudeville is what the
modern fairs OF class, here and in the
east, are furnishing along with their
exhibitions OF industries and their
horse races that are not less valuable.
But the airship contests have, also, a
deeper purpose. What fair manage
ment offers-as in Spokane next Sep
tember-as an attraction to the think
ing and unthinking alike, may be to
our children an ordinary sight.
But there will be fun in the contests
that open September 30. No air-skim-
ming ship is barred by the race rules.
Hot air or gas, or the aeroplane; all are
admissible. Count Zeppelin and the
Wright brothers are not barred. There
are race rules that may be obtained
upon application to Secretary Robert
H. Cosgrove of the Spokane Inter state
fair.
Succinctly, the rules are: That air
ships to the number of at least five
shall contest each afternoon of the
week, September 20 to Is, for an en-
tire purse of $500. For the best as
cension each day $50 will be given,
ascension to be between and 4:30I
p. M, and 800 will be divided
equally between all other contestants.
For the longest flight for any form Of
'heavier-than-air machine $500 will
be given, and $500 more for the long
est flight for any form of dirigible
balloon" Entries to close August IS.
Contestants may obtain fuller partic-
ulars and may sign binding race
agreement by application to Secretary
Cosgrove. There are enough con-
testants secured already to insure good
races, but the fair management desires
more if they can be obtained, in or
without the Inland Empire.
These races will take place daily,
while the harness and running races
are pulled of on the track and while
the best purely vaudeville program
seen in the Inland Empire may be
viewed from the grandstand. The
Spokane Interstate Fair offers these
things simply to increase the average
daily attendance of last year Of $4,000.