The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1910-11-04
ENGLISHMAN SCARS 62 MILES,
AVERAGING BETTER THAN
81 MILES AN HOUR.
AERIAL SPEED CHAMPION
lie Blanc Would Have Won Had He
Not Hit PoIe.-Has Narrow Escape
From Death, but Makes World
Record.

nancy Mite, nylng Tor the Royal Aero
club of the United Kingdom, lifted
the Gordon Bennett international
speed trophy from the custody OF
America in the fastest time ever GOV.
cred for the full distance, 62.14 miles.
around a five-kilometer course. His
average speed was a fraction better
than 81 miles an hour. The captain
Of the French team, Alfred lie Blanc,
flying in a similar machine, I06-horse-
power Bleriot monoplane, was making
each lap on an average of 20 seconds
faster than Grahame-White and would
with a disastrous accident in his last
lap, when he had the race seemingly
well in nand.
lie Blanc was running with the wind
under full power at ar estimated speed
of 80 miles an heur when the feed
pipe from his gasoline tank to his mo-
tor loosened under the incessant jar.
ring Of the engine and he suddenly
found himself with nothing but mo-
mentum to carry him.
~ 'S'CS' aPh TSiSs
He tried to lift his planes so that
the last few drops of gasoline might
filter down into the engine and lend
him strength enough to make a land
ing. His steerage way was gone and
when a puff of wind caught him he
drifted sideways, still driving at ire
mendous speed and crashed head fore
most into a Telegraph pole.
The pole was II inches thick, but
he broke it in three pieces as if it
had been a toothpick. The first frag-
ment was sliced clean off IL feet up
the stump. The third and topmost
fragment fell over backwards and
smashed down on the fragile planes.
The chassis and steel shield which en-
closed the motor were completely
crumpled, but the solid steel of the
motor itself withstood the shock. Had
lie Blanc hit the pole in any other
manner it is difficult to see how he
could possibly have escaped death.
In addition to lie Blanc's accident,
the day was marred by a serious mis-
hap to Walter Brookins Of the Wright
team, who had taken up the new "ba-
by" Wright racer for the first time.
The machine was comparatively un-
tried and in previous flights Orville
Wright always guided it.
Broekins Has Accident.
Brookins was just coming around
A. 49, 49, ~ L~--A Ao1-I -. -
trial circle, preparatory to entering
into the Gordon Bennett race when
four of his eight cylinders ceased fir
ing. With only half power he tried
first to sustain himself by mounting,
then decided it was wiser to land and
plunged to earth. In the strict sense
of the word, he did not fall, but dived.
The machine struck it's nose into the
dirt, slowly reared the tail upward and
finally collapsed, topside undermost.
with a thud. Brookins was thrown
from his seat in the somersault. 1t
was later announced that though he
had been painfully injured in the groin
and severely bruised. there were no
bones broken and his life was not in
danger
Summaries:
Gordon Bennett international speed
race, distance 100 kilometers. GAIA
miles-Won by Grahame-White. 100
horsepower Bleriot. Time-1 hour, /
minute. 4.74 seconds; second, J. B.
Moisant, 50-horsepower Bleriot, / hour,
81 minutes, 44.85 seconds: third Ogil
vie, Wright. 2 hours, s minutes. 1853
seconds; fourth, Latham. Antoinette,
5 hours, As minutes, 33.41 seconds,
]. A. Drexel did not finish.
Standing of the prize winners: Gra-
hame-White, first in Gordon Bennett,
81 1000; previous winnings, s1.70O; to-
tai to date, 5000.
Hoxsey, first in special altitude.
$500; first in second special altitude,
$500. Total winnings, $1,000; previ-
Gus winnings, $3,s75. Total to date.
1855.
Latham (Antoinette, previous win
nings. $1,750.
Johnston (Wright), second In first
special altitude, $3.50; second in Sec
ond special altitude. $3.50; total win
nings. $500; previous winnings, SLIPS;
total to date, $1,525.
Moiasrt. previous winnings 81 200.
Drexel,, previous winnings. $500.
De Lesseps, previous winnings. 500.
Radey. previous winnings. $500.
Auburn, previous winnings. $500.
Brookins. previous winnings. $3.50.
Mars, previous winnings, 800.
McCurdy, previous winnings. $50.
Willard. previous Winnings. $50.
crippen's Lawyers VIII Appeal.
London. England.-Counsel for Or.