The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-23
MAKES A RECORD.
Curtiss Flies 6 1-5 Miles in Lit.
tie Over 8 Minutes.
Thousands Are Out to See the
Airship Races.
DIRIGIBLE ARRIVES.
BE ARRIVES.
The ReRard Sails Into the Field
From Meaux.
Second Day at Rheims Opens
Under Favorable Conditions.

Rheims, Aug. 2s.-GIenn IT. Cur
tiss. the American aviator. made a
record here today. He covered one
lap, a distance OF 1-5 miles. in
minutes 50 3-5 seconds. This is the
official time.
Sunshine and only a trace of wind
made ideal conditions for this. the
second day OF aviation week at
Rheims.
Attracted by the sensational per-
formances of yesterday when six aero
planes were seen at the same time
winging their flight in huge circles
over the plain of Betheny. thousands
or spectators came down on the early
| trains from Paris and when the dir
] igible balloon, Colonel Renard, ap-
peared over the field at 10 o'clock. hav-
! ing come from Meaux, the fences lin
| ing the field already were black with
people The Renard. which is the first
of the dirigible balloons to arrive
carried out series of impressive evo-
lutions.
Hubert Latham has been chosen as
the third aviator to represent France
in the contest for the international cup
the big event of the week, which Will
be run off next Saturday. The others
are NJ. Bleriot and Lefebvre. This de-
cision was reached by the judges this
morning after careful consideration OF
the elimination contests held yester-
day. Tissandier. Paul Ham and Som
mer are alternates to Latham. Tissan-
dler VINO uses Wright biplane, thus
far holds the speed record. Only one
other Wright machine. that operated
by Schreck, remains TO compete in this
event.
The daring performances YESTERDAY. OF
Lefebvre have made him extremely
popular. but Bleriot and Latham still
remain the favorites of the crowd.
Cortland F. Bishop. representing the
Aero club of America to-day
definite assurances from Jacques Verne
that he would send A small portable
dirigible balloon. the Zodiac. to appear
at the Hudson Fulton celebration in
New York. next month. The Zodiac
will compete in the race for dirigibles
to be held here.
Today's Events.
Fl4e events scheduled for today
were the grand prix de La Cham
pagne and of the city of Rheims, and
combinations in the Prix Du Tur De
, Piste and the Prix Des Aeroauts. The
first event carries prizes amounting
to $4,000 the first being $4,000. The
money will be given to the six aero
planes travelling the greatest distance g.
without touching the ground or re-
plenishing their supplies of fuel and
oil.
No aviator can come within GER
tain specified distance of the ground
This event consequently is a test OF
endurance. Most of the sky pilots
elected to postpone their efforts un-
til toward evening" During the morn
ing and early afternoon hours a few
unofficial test flights were made.
Glenn H. Curtiss has decided to take
part in the Prix De La Champagne.
but he will cover only one round for
the lap and speed decisions. He
out early and made satisfactory
trial flight of two kilometers.
Bleriot, with his s0-horse power
machine. astonished his competitors
with the speed he developed. He
travelled so swiftly that Curtisss con-
fidence in his ability to capture the
international cup has been somewhat
shaken. This event Is the principal
feature of the meeting.
Curtiss Is Surprised.
Mr.. Curtiss today expressed. great
surprise at the decision of the Wright
brothers to sue him personally. He
insisted that the Wrights never have
specified completely wherein he has
infringed upon their patents. Court
land F. Bishop of the Harring- CurtisS
company maintains that the wrights'
claim for a basic patent is not good
and that Mr.. Curtiss does not employ
the warping wing. which is a disttnc-
The partisans of Mr. Curtiss are mani
festino considerable bitterness against
the Wrights for bringing the suit at
the moment when Mr.. Curtiss is the
States in flying contest. especially az
they declined to enter this contest
themselves and the Wright aeroplanes
here are classed as French machines.
It is understood that the Wright
brothers always have insisted that
most of the foreign types of flying ma
chimes were infringements upon their
patents, but they purposely refrain
from bringing suit until aviation week
should have demonstrated the SUI
periority of their machines. Such suits
will then be brought
Up to O'Clock this afternoon Paul
Ham was the only man to make real
effort for the Prix DE LaChampagne-
He covered 49500 metres in one hour
and three minutes. Several other men,
including Lefebvre, who intend TO COM
pete later in the week simply crossed