Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1909-09-02
GLENN cURTiss wilma INTERIM
TioNAL cur or AVIATION
At RHEIMS.
BEATS OTHER AyIATORS
Flies 12.4z Miles In IS Minutes, 90 20
sscsnds, Record TIms.-Mrs. Moose
welt and Ambassador Whiss
Among the spsctators.

Bethany Aviation Field, Rheims
The international cup Of. aviation
known also a. the James Gord0n
Bennett trophy, was wen BY Glenn
In. Curtiss, the American aviator
IN the fastest aerial journey o. ~
kilometers (12.42 miles) ever acccmp
lished by man. His time. Is minutes
50 3-5 seconds. was made only 80
seconds faster than that made BY BE.
riot over the same course. The other
two pilsts who represented France
Latham and Lefevre. finished respec.
lively In IL minutes 81 seconds, ana
20 minutes ~ IS seconds.
Cockhurn, m Englishman, ran into
haystack % he was maneuvering Tor
the start, and did net CROSS the line.
Several ether machines. which were
expected to start. were net ready with
In the time limit.
The race lay between Bleriot and
Curtiss, with Latham - . possible
outsider. Lefevre On previous per-
formances apparently had no chance.
Fortune favored the American. An
accident two days age to Bleriot's fast
machine was 4 serious handicap, since
he had no opportunity to try out the
repaired machine.
Curtiss stole q march on his rivals
by getting away early. Finding cendi-
lions favorable ct 10 o'clock in the
morning he decided to take no
chances In the tickle weather. and
after . trial trip. in which he made
the circuit Of the course In I minutes,
IS 1-5 seconds, lowering the worlds
record 8 seconds, he started imme-
diately on his attempt to win the cup.
still startIes Frencnmsn.
He handled his machine. which new
along at speed never before wit
messed. in mastery style, especially at
the turns which he took on the down
grade. The first round, measuring
6.21 miles, was made in I minutes 81
2-6 seconds, somewhat slower than the
trial time, but the second round was
covered two seconds faster. Z minutes
So 1-5 seconds. another worlds rec
ord.
This remarkable showing on the
part OF the American created conster-
nation IN the Bleriot camp. The
French favorite. whose machine Was
equipped with fcur-bladed propeller,
made q trial. but could do NO better
than minutes So Is seconds, fer
the round. Then upon the advice OF
Santos umont, he substituted two
bladed propeller, but this proved slow
or still, and the French began to
doubt the ability Of their champion.
A few minutes later Dleriot and
Latham crossed the line In quick sue
cession. Bleriot went BY the tri-
Dunes ct Z terrific pace and for
the Americans feared Curtiss
would Be beaten. He finished the
round IN almost the identical time Of
Cslrtiss, fast lap, covering the ten
kilometers III minutes s. 3-5 sec-,
onds, but his speed seemed appre-
ciably to decrease on the last round,
md before No reached the final turn
The stop watches showed that he had
lost. The French crowds were great
" disappointed at the failure at their
but largely owing to the
popularity u tho Wrights IN France
Ind TIE general French recognition OF
TIE wonderful stimulus Americans
have given 60 the science of aviation.
40 FOREIGN victory could have been
= pnnulnr ~ that " An Anariran