Evening star., 1909-08-29
.CURT|SS' VICTORY
NOT AN EASY ONE
BIeriot's Time in Speed Con-
test Was Only a Few Sec
0ndS Slower.
MADE ONE LAP FASTER
THAN AMERICANS BEST
Clips Off 5 rs Seconds in a Ten
Kilometer Speed Flight.
AMERICANS ARE JUBLANT
Ambassador Hill, Mrs. Roosevelt
and Family Among the First to
Congratulate Winner-The
Day in Detail.

The international cup of avia-
ton, known also as the Gordon
Bennett trophy, was won yester-
day at Rheims by Glenn H. Cur
tiss, the American aviator, in the
fastest aerial journey of twenty
kilometers (12.42 miles) ever ac~
complished by man in an airship.
His time. IS minutes so 3-s Sec
onds. was only S SIS seconds
faster than that made by Bleriot
over the same course. The other
two pilots who represented
France. Latham and Lefebvre,
finished, respectively, in II min
utes 32 seconds and 20 minutes
AZ 3-5 seconds. Cockburn. an
Englishman, ran into a haystack
as he was maneuvering for the
start and did not cross the line.
Several other machines which
were expected to start were not
ready within the time limit.
BETHENY AVIATION FIELD.
RHEIMS, August as.-Todays great race
for the Gordon Bennett trophy lay be-
| tween Bleriot and Curtiss, with Latham
toc SiR ifcil At
previous performances apparently had no
chance. Fortune favored the American.
An accident two days ago to Bleriots
powerful fast machine. with which he
held the lap record. was serious hand
leap. since he had no opportunity to try
out the repaired machine. Curtiss stole
march on his rivals by getting away
early. Finding conditions favorable at
10 o'clock in the morning he decided to
take no chances in the tickle weather.
and after trial trip. in which he made
tre circuit of the course in minutes
% 10 seconds. lowering the worlds
| record nine seconds, he started inme-
diately on his attempt to win the cup.
He handled his machine. which flew
along at speed never before witnessed,
In mastery style. especially at the turns
! which he took on the down grade. The
| first round. measuring 6.21 miles was
made in minutes. 81 20 seconds. some
what slower than the trial time. but the
second round was covered two seconds
| faster. Z minutes J3 1-J seconds, an
other worlds record.
Got His Rivals Ratified"
This remarkable showing on the part
| of the American created CONSERVATION
| in the Bleriot camp. The French favor
lite. whose machine was equipped with a
four-bladed propeller. made a trial. but
could do no better than minutes 81 1-5
seconds for the round. Then. upon the
advice of Santos-Dumont. he substituted
| a -bladed propeller. but this proved
slower still and the French begun to
doubt the ability of their champion.
Bleriot replaced the original propeller
and tinkered with his machine for sew
eral hours. In the meantime Lefebyre
in Wright biplane, but without hope OF
winning, few over the course, but his
time was five minutes slower than that
of Curtiss.
The excitement grew steadily az )
o'clock. which the public understood was
the time limit for starting in this event.
| approached. Bleriot's and Latlams ma
chimes were run out and everybody stood
watch in hand. At 5 o'clock the crowds
concluded that the two French champions
had defaulted and murmur of protest
arose. but a minute later 1t was officially
announced that the wording OF the rule
| had been misunderstood, and that the
rule allowed a start to be made any time
| before $50 o'clock. A few minutes later
Bleriot and Latham crossed the line in
quick succession. Bleriot went by the
tribunes at a terrific pace. and for a mo-
ment the Americans feared Curtiss would
be beaten He finished the round in al
most the identical time of Curtiss' fastest
lap. covering the ten kilometres In
minutes is 80 seconds. but his speed
seemed appreciably to decrease on the
last round and before he reached the
final turn the stop watches showed that
he had lost. The French crowds We're
, Ill rNAta faI nn fO
their countryman, but largely owing 10
the popularity of the Wrights in France
and the general French recognition OF the
wonderful stimulus Americans have given
to the science Of aviation, no foreign vic
tory could have been so popular as that
of an American.
Ran Up the Stars and Stripes.
They Immediately ran up the American
flag on the signal pole on the timekeep-
ers stand in front of the tribunes and
the bands played the Star Spangled
Banner" There was gerat repoicing
among the American spectators.
!. Amba sSador Henry White, accompanied
by Mrs Theodore Roosevelt, Miss Ethel
Roosevelt, Quentin and Archie, had arrived
i'm time to witness the flights by Bler,ot
and Latham from special hox placed at
the disposal of the party.
When the American flag went up Cur
tiss, who had refused to accept congratu-
lauonS untll IL was oIucidiy dHHouhceh
that Bleriot's time was slower than his.
was escorted, or rather dragged. from the
shed to the ambassadors box by several
hundred enthusiastic Americans. Mr..
Whites first words were: II came to see
you win, and you have done it,
The ambassador then told how proud he
was that America had triumphed and
that the blue ribbon of the air would now
be defended by the United States. He
concluded by congratulating Curtiss in the
name of the government and the people of
the United States and then presented Mrs.
White and Mrs. Roosevelt. as well as the
other members OF the party. who added
their congratulations I'm warm terms.
Quentin said: .'It was bully" at which
everybody laughed. Mrs. Roosevelt ex-
pressed regret that the ex-Prestdent was
not there to witness the American victory.
Thousands watched the scene from the
lawn below the stand. The entire party
then visited Curtiss In the shed. where
ho,, srof in he