Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-09-08

| Boston, Sept. 7.-Over land and sea.
| Claude Grahame- White of England
sailed out to Boston light and return
late today in his Blerot Dragon Fly
to the plaudits of 10000 people, the
| first competitor for the Globes $4,000
prize. the Blue Ribbon event of the
| Harvard-BOston Aero Meet at Allan
| tic. The course was one of 80 miles.
| being straightaway drive of lit
| tie over seven miles to the light. in
the outer harbor. which was repeated,
| then number of turns on the course
| t. make the total mileage The Eng
| lishman made a mark of 40 minutes.
| l 3-5 seconds, which, if it is not bet
| tered before the meet closes next Tues
! day night. will give him the big money
! Of the meet.
The most spectacular feature of the day
was a race to the heavens competed in
| by Grahame- White and Walter Brookns,
| The latter. in Wright bplane. had just
started from the field on flight for alti-
| tude when the Englishman finished his
over water flight. Grahame- White, keen
| to maintain his supremacy in every event.
| at once took up spiral chase in his
| Bleriot monoplane Then began such a
contest as has seldom been witnessed in
the world. Monoplane against biplane,
the flight to the heavens continued, the
little wasp-like machine winging higher
than it's more bulky competitor, and af
ter about Is or Is minutes the English
man, from a height of 3440 feet, swooped
to earth. He had assembled more than 800
feet higher than Brookins. who was up
nearly twice as long. Brookins reached
| height of only 267O feet. Earlier in the
day Ralph tombstone, another Wright
aviator, in a biplane of aluminium con-
struction had made an ascent of 2S79
feet, giving him second place to Ora
hame- White in the altitude event.
1t was the first clear day of the
meet and while the wind blew a stiff
II to IA miles from the northwest
through most of the day, il gradual
ly softened to an easy eight miles to-
ward sunset.
The stands were packed with peo-
pie and the enthusiasm was unbound
ed as event after event was run off.
y in all, and many notables were pres
ert. Principal among the guests were
Russian Ambassador Baron Rosen and
party which also included Commander
d. S. Vassilieff, imperial Russian naval
attacne at Washington. Gen. Nelson a.
Miles, and President A. Lawrence
Lowell of Harvard University.
Next to the flight to the Boston light
interest centered during the afternoon
on the lofty flights of tombstone and
Brookins of the Wright camp and
White of England, who went out af-
ter altitude marks. Ralph Johnson was
~ 1T - TOW 1yI f1,x,
blue above and it was but a few min
utes before his wide circles mad sent
him several thousand feet into the air.
The rays of the low lying sun struck
the bars and planes of his new alum
mum machine and the crowd broke
into applause as the silver chariot sail
ed in and out among the clouds so far
above the earth.
In striking contrast below, A. v.
Roe of England was again trying to
| lift his unique triplane from the turf,
but as in previous trials. it seemed ap-
parent that too little power was de-
veloped The aviator made short flights
the length of the straightaway. demon
strating that the machine was prac
| ticable and worthy but no attempt
was made to go around the course or
out over the water.
Glenn H. Curtiss came out in his
| new flyer in the meantime and did
three circuits of the l y mile course in
| 6 minutes. 293- seconds. White at
| the same time took up his trial for the
| day in the accuracy test and only sue
ceeded in landing 1852 feet and 6 inches
from given point it being the first
! rly in White nSp6 his
Farman biplane little later. he
| brought out his Bleriot monoplane and
whipped around the course in a speed
event. doing the trick in minutes.
IS 3-5 seconds, which was IA 35 sec
onds slower than his test time for the
event made Monday
The three laps of the course were
but a warming up for the Bleriot be-
| fore starting out for the Boston light
| trip, however. Another lap was made
and then White, at an elevation of APP
proximately 1000 feet. headed his great
bird toward the sea. He cleared
Sauantum headlands by fully 500 feet
and soon dropped below the sight of
those on the field far out over the har-
bo His departure had been wig
wagged by sailors stationed in the
grand stand to fleet of torpedo boat
destroyers scattered over the harbor.
Immediately the Stringham, McDon-
ough and Bailey took UP the chase and
under also the watchful eyes of the
Point Alterton life savers Grahame-
White sped on toward the beacon of
the sea sailors. There was no race,
for the contest was too unequal
| White turned the light in something
LIKE 10 minutes after leaving the
aviation field. In half that time he
was seen approaching again, a mere
speck, somewhat higher in the heavens
than on his outward trip. He came
over the field 1900 feet in the air, cir
cled the plain fair below and was off
again for second trip to the light be-