The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-29
NARROW ESCAPE
 OF TOMBSTONE
Aviator Tells of Danger In
 Previous Days Flight
NEARLY EQUALED RECORD
After Johnstone Had Ascended Over 5000 Feet He Found He Had no Gasoline and Was Compelled
 to Come Down

Gasoline and Was Compelled
 to Come Down
 New York, October 2S.-The crow, at Belmont today was all for RalpE Johnstone. From Middle Island village Long Island, 55 miles off the course he brought back new American rec. ord of S471 feet for altitude, the sec ond he has added to his string IT the international aviation meet. But the interest of the aviators was cen tered in the action of the Aero Cut of America, which, after midnight session, chose Hamilton, Drexel and Brookins, early this morning, to defend the Gordon Bennett international speed trophy. Audemars, In a Demoiselle, suf- fered the first accident of the tourna- ment today, but came off with no hurt to himself and only minor damages .tc his machine.
 Just before the passenger carrying cross-country race was started at 1 o'clock this afternoon a mote in the oaling sky was seen far to the south east It was Johnstone, reappearine just where he had vanished in yester- days gale. He clrcled tbe field and settled in front of the judges stand while the crowd waved, cheered and stamped.
 Maj. Samuel Reber of the United states signal corps ran out and graspeo n Ia m ,fx,1.x 4.- stand. including Cortlandt Field Bishop president of the Aero Club of Amer lea, Joined the group. Johnstone non- chalantly communicated them for duty as tent pegs to hold his machine down while he settled himself in his seat and warmed up the engine. When they tucked at the whir of the propellers and let go too soon he called them all back again. For once he had the center of the stage and Hoxsey had to take the background.
 Johnstone's Experience
 Tell you whaG boys" said the hero
 1t was just the mercy Of Providence that saved my neck. When I though, [ was within touching distance of the new worlds record I kind of forgot all about the wind and began to reacf out for more height. Then I suddenl, said to myself; Young man, you better see how much gas you have got It'. the truth-I had just enough to turr over the two propellers. When I kept her nose up the juice ran down to the engine and she coughed. The minute pointed out I lost my fuel and she be- gan to miss.
 Tt was just like shooting the chutes First, I'd take a header, with the power off, and when the wind began to carr, me out of control. I'd point up~ bit get litle headway, run level for a hun dred yards, then dip again. I wasn't much scared till I got down to earth and saw what gale there was. Then I was Frightened. The only spot I could find to land in was a little patch not three times bigger across than the stretch ot my wings from tip to tip. While I was tossing pennies with myself the wind turned me clean around and landed me front end backwards, but that was just what saved me. If I'd come down head first the wind would have picked me up tipped me over and smashed me tc pieces."
 Race Team Selected
 What fiuttered the hangars far more today than new record, or than John stones narrative, was the selection early this morning. by the Aero Club of Amer lea of an American team to defend the Gordon Bennett international speed trophy. It had been intended to make the choice by elimination trials, but windy weather forbade and when the limit named under the International rule foi the entry of team approached, 1t was necessary to substitute an election Ham. ilton. with his 110-horsepower Hamilton ian; Drexel, with a 50-horsepower Bleriot and Brookins, in the new Wright racer were named.
 Curtiss, who brought the cup to this country, thus has no part in defendins 1t, and his new racer remains untried. Il and other dark horses will have chance to show what they can do in the grand speed trials, which carry prizes of $300t for first place and 5000 for second place
 There was some chagrin over this out. come, but on the whole the American aviators acquiesced in the action of the Aero club and took It's decision as g necessity. The American substitutes are Moissant, Mars and Hoxsey
 The French team consists of Latham with 100-horsepower Antoinette: Le. blanc, with 100-horsepower Bleriot, Au- brun, with 50-horsepower Bleriot, and Simon and Barrier, both with 50-horse power Bleriots, for substitutes.
 For Great Britain Graham White. with h IUu-uOTSe power bleTiOls hduley with 50-horse power Bleriot and the team witl Ogilvie, the Wright company of Great Britain and McCardle in Bleriot as the 
 Only One Big Machine
 Against the high-powered monoplanes America has but one machine of equa power, Hamilton's 100-horse power bi- plane, but the new Wright racer has beer clocked in exceptionally fast time, and SC good a judge as Radley thinks 1t ough to retain the cup by virtue of its superior steadiness in banking the curves.
 There was no flight to the statue of Lib. erty today because of too much wind
 Moissant and de Lesseps both tried but neither finished.
 Moissant took up Fred Thompson, the theatrical manager, and left him foul miles away in a cabbage patch. Thomp. son carried a gold elephant for a watcf charm. That elephant was too much fol me- explained Moissant. Count de Les sops took up his brother and landed un- hurt in Garden City. He had engine trouble Audemars, one of the two mer in the world who dares to drive a tiny Demoiselle took his butterfly out In toe strong a wind and was capsized. In at tempting to land from height of not more than 10 feet he struck the eartt with his front wheels, bounced into ths air and ended by turning somersault For a moment the machine stood tail up permost on the tip of its nose, and ther slowly turned over on It's back. As the crowd jumped to it's feet in horror, Aude.