The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-30
CIJRTISS WINS
FRESH LAURELS
American Takes Another
Prize.
BLERl0T IS BADLY BURNED
Aefoplane Turns Turtle and Petrol
Explodes. 4
Week Of Records in Aviation Come to
Close at Rheims---Americsn
Aeronaut wins $1,000


Paulhan's graceful monoplane. like q
great white bird soaring above the
plain. 80 high that II seemed to rise
above the yellow harvest moon Just
rising above the distant hills, and the
heeting golden nier,' as the Curtiss
machine has been dubbed, smashing
another worlds record In the Prix de
La Vitesse, were the closing glo-ies
OF aviation week.
The victory Of Glenn H curtiss, the
sole American representative In the
contests, coming on the heels OF his
great victory In the international cup
yesterday, gives the United States the
lions share Of the honors OF the meet
ing.
The Prix de La vitesse of 10000
francs $4,000 divided into four PRICES
was distributed to the four machines
making three rounds of the course
thirty kilometerg, at the greatest
speed. the FIRST prize being won by
Curtiss quite handily. notwithstand-
ing his penalization.
curtiss only missed winning the Lar
speed contest from Bleriot by q small
margin. He captured second place In
that event. which was over the full
circuit Of ten kilometers or s 81 miles
raising his total money winning for
the international cup. which goes to
the Aeropiane Club Of America. In
scribed with his name.
Blerfet Meets Accident.
AS In yesterdays cup contest an ac-
cident-the only serious one OF the
meeting-removed Bleriot. the Ameri-
cans most dangerous competitor. from
today's three-lap speed contest.
Blsriot's escape from death was q
narrow one. He had passed the first
turn In the Prix>de La Vitesse when
the rudder suddenly failed to respond
The machine turned completely ovei
three times, landing with such force
that the petrol tank burst, and, catch.
ing IRE from the motor, enveloped this
machine and pilot In flames. Before
Bieriot could extricate himself. he wal
burned about the face and hands, but
fngtnnatelx, not seriously y z
With BleFiof cut Of the contest
Latham remained Curtfsses only serf'
Gus rival. The race was Intensely ex-
citing Latham, with No. 1s, started
only four minutes ahead Of the Amer
lean, who gave chase. Curtiss over
hauled him In every kilometef. finish
ing less than 400 meters behind the
Frenchman. Latham's time waf
26:a2 2-6, and Custias's time, 29:15 l-5
The COMMITTEES first posted LAtham's
time with one-twentfeth penalization al
27:6I 2-5, giving Custiss the victory
Latham. however. refused to accept
defeat and brought out No. 90. With
this he few considerably faster, his
time being recorded 25:1S les. The
time, but not the amount of penaliza-
ton. was posted.
Curtiss Tries Again.
Curtiss declared his confidence to dc
better In another attempt and decided
to try again. within two minutes his
machine was out and speeding across
the line. He few higher than he had
ever gone before, keeping the throttle
wide open and making each round al
swifter sped than In any OF his pre-
yious EFFORTS. The time was 1888.
with his penalization. Curtiss's time
stood at 26;49 2-5, and this gave him
the race by almost minute margin.
But when he learned that the second
round had been traversed in 7:4S LIS
less than one second from Bleriot's lag
record. ne made another effort. but