The San Francisco call., 1909-08-21

RHEIMS. Aug. 2O-Aeroplanes-h
ing in straight lines, making wide
turns or wheeling abruptly, travelling
slow and fast and low and high-ol-
fered a striking spectacle to $1,000 per-
sons on the field of Bethany today.
TWO slight accidents occurred. M.
Dumanst, driving an Antoinette ma
chine. came to the ground sideways
and broke one of the runners OF his
aeroplanes, and NJ Goffroy in an Es-
nault -Petrie monoplane, had accom-
plished a flight of kilometer when
the machine struck hedge. demolish-
ing it's propeller.
This was the second practice day be-
fore the commencement of the prize
flights of aviation week. and many OF
the aviators took advantage OF the
beautiful weather to try out thelr
craft.
Glenn II. Curtiss, the American, was
given an ovation after a flight of seven
minutes Although the motor OF his
machine was a bit erratic, the biplane
sped %straight without swaying Cur
tiss said that he was ready for the
races.
MAKES SPECTACULAR FLIGHT
Hubert Latham was applauded also
for a spectacular flight of 10 minutes
NJ Bleriot, driving a small 40 horse
power monoplane, made series OF
maneuvers, during which he Demon
strated his masterful hand at aviation
M. Sommer. who recently, though un-
officially, beat Wilbur Wrights record
for duration of flight, speeded across
the plateau during the afternoon and
was lost to sight in the haze. 1t was
thought by spectators that he had de-
scended. but he suddenly reappeared
When he landed he announced that ne
had been to the village of Vinney. Dur
ing the evening there was some wind,
but Count Lambert and NJ. LefeVre,
both plotting Wright biplanes, braVed
the breeze and simultaneously made
evolutions which demonstrated the ease
and facility with which machines OF
the Wright model may be sailed. Lee
feyre was particularly skillful in hand
ling his craft. Once he wheeled alb
ruptly over the heads of the spectators.
DENIES wRIGHTvs CHARGE
Curtiss was not greatly surprised
when informed that the Wright
brothers had brought suit against the
Aeronautic society of New York. aieg-
ing that the Curtiss machine infringed
certain. OF lnSiI pdbChNSs 1iS S"AN -
had known for some time that some-
thing of this nature was contemplated,
but he failed to see how 1t would re-
suit in anything but lot of litigation.
There is nothing to support the
charge of infringement" Curtiss said.
The best answer to this is the fact
known to everybody that we made pub
lie flights In America long before the
Wrights did. This shows that there
could not have been an iplitation of
their machine by US.
The aviators We're amused tonight
over an offer received by Augustus
Post. secretary of the Aero Club Of
America, from q Frenchman weighing
ESQ pounds, who says he will give S1O0
to each and every aeroplanist who will
take him with them in their flights.
Gilmore Flies Model
CoLFAx, Aug. 20.-Lyman Gilmore,
a California inventor, who has been
working secretly on an aeroplane for
several years, made two successful
flights with his model Sunday after
noon at Cape Horn, according to sew
eral Colfax people, who declare they
were present. On the first attempt
the model aeroplane travelled about
1000 feet and back to the starting
point at an average speed of 40 miles
an hour The machine at one time
was about $50 feet above the ground
The second fight was 600 feet and
was made at a height of about so feet
Those who witnessed the flights de-
clare the machine was handled per-
fectly and that at no time did there