Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-22

BELMONT PARK. N. Y. October o.
The opening day of the International avi-
alton meet at Belmont Park dawned
clear and cold. but clouded up later, and
during the morning the rain fell heavily
The weatherman's outlook was pessimis-
tic. promising heavy showers.
Thirty aviators and about forty aero
what promises to be the most importan MT
aeronautic event ever held anywhere in
the world. The number of spectators, be-
cause Of the foul weather was small.
At noon the rain was falling heavily.
and officers of the committee on avia-
ton held a conference in the clubhouse
to discuss the adviSa bility OF postpOning
the opening of the meet.
Inasmuch as the aviators share in the
division of profits. they do not care to
fly to empty benches. Allen Ryan. in
charge OF the meet. said the program
would go through as announced. rain,
hail or shine
Shriver Has Bad Fall.
During the morning the wind hauled
into the northeast. Tod Shriver in a Dietz
biplane started to make short flight in
the lace OI d ten-HllIe Wluu
He rose to a height of 100 feet and flew
to the grandstand, then swerved and flew
eastward into the eye Of the wind.
When directly over the spot where
Radley and Moisant were wrecked,
known as dead mans turn, the wind sud
denly struck the light biplane and made
it dip and list badly to the right Shriv-
er pulled the aeroloons, but the machine
would not right.
ho
plane righted. The strain caused some
thing to give away and the machine
plunged to the ground.
Shriver was buried beneath the wreck
From the stand it looked as though he
was killed. He rose, however, cut on
the nose. cheek and eyelid.
He suffered no serious injuries. how
ever. The biplane and engine were de-
molished. After having his wounds dress
ed Shriver was taken home.
Splendid Aviation Field.
The setting at Belmont Park. l.. l., for
what for today and the eight succeeding
days will be an International battle for
the supremacy of the air was not disap-
pointing.
green field of cropped grass set in
saucer trimmed St the horizon with faint
piuc HiIlS, DouHucO pS tHc idlilildI ONd
of the Belmont race track, and marked at
the turns with tall red and white pylons,
a huge steel grandstand, painted to tone
with the landscape, gay with the flags of
all nations and banked to the roof with
tier on tier of close-ranged benches; be-
side it the white, colonial facade of the
Westchester Racing Associations club
house; opposite it the broken outline of
he h-v,
planes OF three nations are housed: to
the east low clump of trees, and near
them the trim brown tents of the United
States Signal COrps-such was the picture
that greeted the eye of the observer at
daybreak.
Three Nations Competing.
America France and Great Britain are
10 be competitors. Neither Curtiss nor
the Wright brothers. the best known
American aviators, are entered in per-
son. They are represented, however, by
Hoxsey. Johnstone and Brookins, for the
Wrights, and McCurdy. Ely Mars and
Willard. for Curtiss.
Curtss won the James Gordon Bennett
international aviation cup last year, but
he declined to defend 1t in person this
year. Instead both he and the Wriehts
have built special racing machines, not
yet seen IN public.
With these they hope to retain the cup
for America. They will meet formida BILE
opposition in the latest 1OO-horsepowe
BleriOts brought here by the French team
Hamilton has new 11O-horsepower hi
plane Ii has never been tired out to the
limit. and even it's owner does not know
just what 1t will do under pressure He
believes ii very fast.
John B. MCisant smashed his Bleriot
racer last Monday, but is busy rebuilding z
Il. j. Armstrong DrexeI will also nv a
Beriot for tho Americans.
French and English Aviators.
France sends Leon Morano who now
holds all speed records, from one kilo-
meter up to seventythree miles; Hubert
Latham. with his beautiful. erratic,
dragon-hy Antoinette monoplanes: AL
fred Leblanc, the champion cross-coun-
try flyer: Emil Aubrun. his pupil; Count
Jacquez de Lesseps the second aviator to
cross the English channel. and such les
ser celebrities Barrier. Garros Au-
demars and Simon. some OF whom fly the
tiny "Demoiseles." the cumming BIRDS
among aerOplanes.
England sends Claude Grahame-White
who took first honors at Boston at the
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