The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-30
YES, IT Will DO.
hicagO-Springf1eld Trip Proves
Reliability Of AerOplane.
Wilbur Wright Satisfied With
Result of Trip.
SAFE LANDING MADE.
BrOOkins Steps in Fair Grounds
in Early Evening.
Broken Pump Forces a Second
Stop on Way.

Springfield, Ill, Sept. 30.-Aviator
Walter Brookins alighted gracefully in
the fair grounds here at App p. m, sew
en- hours and II minutes out of Chi
cago, after having sailed his Wright
biplane the 1929 miles with two stops.
The stops were at Gilman, Ill, so miles
from Chicago, at 1870 a. m, and at
Mount Pulaski, Ill, 1856 miles from Chi
cago, at 1920 p. m. The first stop. was
for water, oil and gasoline; the second
for that, and because his pump had
broken and the engine became hot.
Brookins in his long sail broke the
American long distance continued
flight record. and thereby won the &c.,
5000 prize offered by the Chicago Rec
ord-Herald, which conducted the at
tempt.
In both places where the airman
alighted farmers, tradesmen and resi-
dents rushed from their fields, shops
and homes and fed headlong to see
what an aeroplane looked like at short
range.
AS Bookings swept up out of the
held at Mount Pulaski one of the
smaller rubber tired wheels on which
he rolls in making Roadway before aris-
Ing, struck hammock and was wrench
ed off. Brookins, not knowing of the
accident, rose to a height of 1000 feet.
and heading for Springfield. swirled
away from sight, leaving the Illinois
Central aeroplane special train far be-
hind.
This was the second engine the avia-
tor had left behind in a fair race. En-
gineer W. F. Burt, who made the first
attempt to defeat the airman, had to
give up the attempt at Clinton, Ill.
Brookins reached the fair grounds
eight minutes before the station was
reached by the Illinois Central fast
special train. He made the dip to alight
at 4:2I p m, making Z hours "a min
utes elapsed time from the start in
Chicago. The actual flying time was
5 hours A minues for the 1921 miles
an average flying rate of 80 miles per
hour.
Brookins found some difficulty in
alighting because of the inadequate
police provision at the fair grounds.
and, although he arrived over the
grounds at 4:22, it was five minutes
before he could land.
The crowd surged about him threat
ening to crush the curious bird ma
chine, till he had to make a personal
appeal to get the throng away.
When the Chicago crowd arrived at
the grounds nearly half an hour after
the aviator. he said to the Chicago
newspaperman who was his passenger
on the day before, who was the first
TO reach him:
"Where have you been all the time
~
lunch with you as 1 promised. Here
you have kept me waiting half an
hour
Asked about the flight. he said:
why, it was nothing only staying
up, that's all. 1t merely took time
more than usual-and that's about the
only difference from a practice flight
knew 1 could make it.
1T was one of the prettiest flights
I ever made. The country between
Chicago and here is delightful. Ev-
erywhere I was flying low enough
and I went as low as 800 feet several
tfmes-I could see the people staring
up at me from every acre, almost
There must have been three-fOurths
of a million looking up at me.
MY arms are tired, of course, an6
II was a strain because 1 had to watch
al the while; but I am good for the
same thing right now if necessary
Wilbur Wright's only comment was
"As the woman says, told you So
Wright Was Confident.
Later after the aeroplane had beer
stored away, Mr.. Wright added to hi:
ferse remark. He said:
ssThere was never time when
felt he would not make it. OF course
felt this way; There was strong
-yind and right in his face for most Of
the way, so that he had to use Sc
much more gasoline and oil that he
had to stop.
ssrt sc oy,IVy the broken punnp. how.