New-York tribune., 1909-08-24
CURTISS GETS RECORD
SHIFT FLIGHT OYER THE
RHEIMS COURSE.
NJ. Paulham CoUers Thuty-fre Miles
IN Endurance Tcst-Many
Machinfs an dir.

Rheims. Aug. 23.-Clenn TT. Curtiss. the Amer
lcan aeronaut, and NJ Paulham. representing
France. divided the honors of the second DAY of
Aviation Week. The former. in a fight just be-
fore dusk. lowered the speed record for the
course. which measures six and one-ffth miles
to \ minutes and - % seconds The latter
made two flights of 491z and 56 kilometres.
respectively in the endurance test for the Prix
de Ia Champagne. GA kometre is about five
eighths of a miIe1
Mr.. Curtiss's trip began just as the time limit
for the start of the Prix de la Champagne was
expiring. Amid the enthusiasm of the French
spectators VI. Bleriot only a few minutes before
mad clipped sixteen seconds off NJ. Lefebvre's
record made yesterday. with his powerful So
horsepower monopane. Suddenly. at an end of
the field. a cry went up: The American is
starting" Cortlandt Field Bishop. president of
the Aero Club of America. in the crowd
which surrounded MIR. Curtiss's machine
with preliminary along the ground of
one hundred yards the machine rose lightly and
shot by the tribunes at height of sixty feet
IL was going at high rate of speed. Mr.. Cur
tss made the last turn under the mistaken i'm
preston that the finish line was closer. He de-
scended so close to earth that many thought he
touched il. but. percevng his error he mounted
quickly and easily, crossing the line high in the
air An instant later the signal was hoisted
that he had made a record
Mr Curtiss said that he had not pushed his
machine 10 the limit OF it's speed adding that
the most interesting incident of his flight was
the view he had Of his fallen rivals strewn
around the course
II Is the intention of the American aeronaut 10
aN ant the international event for the James Cor
don Bennett Cup Saturday. for which he is
the favorite. after which he will try for the Prix
dc la EiteqSa ami NJ -.
ed Sunday
TESTS FOR PRIX DE LA CHAMPAGNE.
NJ. Paulham alone made record in the en-
dufance test 10 day but NM Lefebvre Sommer
his-Pesa. Bleriot. de la Grange Lambert
Cockburn Bunau-V Varilla. Gobron, Latham, Tis-
sander and Farman qualified with flights vary
ing from 200 metres 10 % kilometres. the ma
jority contenting themselves with covering suf-
ficient distance 10 get within the limit. During
NJ Paulhams long flight chance races took place
between him and NM. Bleriot and Lefebvre the
two latter outspeeding the high flying Paulham.
Bleriot appeared while PauIham was completing
his fourth round. and with his so horsepower
monoplane swiftly Overhauled and passed under
the biplane. leaving it far behind
Two monoplanes having been put OUT OF COM
mission by a slight accident in landing NJ.
Latham succeeded in making his best flight with
Until Saturday. when the international event
viii be decided. the flying is likely 10 be less
interesting than during the first two days. but
enthusiasm over aviation week shows no sign
OF abatement. The policing of the course by
French soldiers and mounted dragons causes
general satisfaction. SQuadrons of dragons in
side the field often compelled TO escape on
the galop from some low-fying machine
Among the hundreds OF Americans here are
Mr.. and Mrs. George Could Mrs. W X Wander
bilt jr. Mr. and Mrs Nat c. Goodwin. William
II Crane and Mr.. and Mrs. Louis Kittridse OF
Cleveland.
GREAT CROWDS ON THE PLAIN.
Blue skies and glorious sunshine with only a
trace Of wind. made ideal conditions for this the
second day OF aviation week at Rheims At
tracted by the sensational performances OF yes
terday when six aeroplanes were seen AT the
same time winging their flight in huge circles
over the plain Of Bethany. thousands OF spec
tators came down the early trains from Paris.
and when the dirigbe balloon Colonel Renard
appeared over the field at 10 o'clock. having
come from Meaux. the tribunes and fences lin
ing the field were black with people. The
Renard. which is the first Of the dlrigible bal
looms to arrive carried out series of evolutions
above the plain.
Hubert Latham has been chosen as the third
the international cup. the big event OF the week.
which will he held next Saturday. The others
arc NM Rleriot and Lefebvre. This decision
was reached by the judges this morning after
careful consideration OF the elimination contests
held Yesterday NM Tissander. Paulham and
Sommer are alternates To Latham.
The Grand Prix de la Champagne carries
prizes amounting 10 S2OG0. the first prize be-
inc StOOn0 eThe money will he given to the six
aeroplanes travelling the greatest distance with
out touching the ground or replenishing their
supplies of fuel and oil. Strict watch is to be
kept that no aviator touches the ground
comes within a certain specified distance
thereof.
Mr. Bishop received definite assurances from
Jacdues Verne that he would send a small dir-
gibie balloon. the Zodiac. to appear at the Hud-
Fulton celebration in New York next
month The Zodiac will compete in the for
dirigbIes to be held here
THE SUIT OF THE wRIGHTS.
Mr. Curtiss expressed great surprise to-day Mt
the decision of the Wright brothers 10 sue him
personally. He insists that the Wrights never
have specified completely wherein he has in
fringed upon their patents Mr.. Bishop says
that the Wright claim for a basic patent is
not good and that MIR. Curtiss does not employ
the warpng wing principle, which is a distinc-
tive feature of the Wright machine.
Partisans of Mr. Curtiss show considerable
bitterness against the Wrights for bringing this
suit at the moment when Mr.. Curtiss is the sole
representative of the United States in a foreign
flying contest. especially they declined to
enter this contest themselves. and the Wright
aeropianes here are classed as French machines
Ii is understood that the Wright brothers al
ways have insisted that most of the foreign
types of flying machines were infringements on
hrIf nj ffIrfha CrFfse