Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-10
CURT|SS OPENS
AVIATION WEEK
At Los Angclcs-Night Attack
Upon u. s. Revenue Cutter.

Los Angeles. Cal. Jan 1o.-A fault
less day. dawninS cloudless and bring
ing with 1t n mere zephyr of breeze that
foated, rather than blew. up from the
sea. and over the valley between the
snowcapped mountains. opened the inter-
national aviation meeting at Dominguez
Junction today and Witnessed the first
competitive trials of acroplanes In Amer
lea,
~ catter from the great shelter tent
nearly mile away, where aeroplane
motors were being tested. mot the cars
of thousands who crowded of the Inter
urban cars at the field directly after
breakfast. though the first flights were
not scheduled to be attempted until
o'clock. The noise of these, sounding like
several batteries OF machine guns in ac-
tion, was mingled with the compare
lively gentle whlrr Of the engines OF tho
dlrgibles. which later were to sail and
soar sedately like soft winged but glgan-
tic old owls over the smaller aeroefs
that dash and Dart rise and dive over
the course.
All of the machines were tested early.
Scores of French. British and American
mechanicians brought here by the avia-
tors and diriRible pilots. were busy tun-
ing up the delicate mechanlsmS that
drive the nine blplancs and monoplones
which are entered for the contests and
the big Sigar-Shapcd air craft belonging
to Knabenshue. Beachy and the United
States government
ALL IN READINESS.
And when the main body OF the throng
OF spectators began arriving, shortly be-
fore noon, everything was In readiness.
TWO hours later every face In the field
was lifted toward the Sky as tho big
dlriglblo. the first to start flights.
mounted the currents of ether. and after
q few evolutlons, loated poised over
the starting point, waiting for the small
er more uncertain and therefore dan
l4rT rTVN1st tn Inlr .A n.r
The grand stand with the tiers of
boxes. holds nearly 25,0J0 people. They
we're crowded before the first attempt at
flight was made, Between IL 30 and 70 30
| o'clock three car trains were run
| every two minutes from the city and IL
was estimated that the facilities at hand
| were capable of handling 1900 passen-
gers In 40 minutes
Curtiss' three preliminary flights in the
| biplane belonging to Clifford B Harmon
! of New York, stIrred the crowd TO the
| highest pitch Of expectancy They were
| tho first flights ever made on the coast
| and disslpated any doubt that may have
| fingered that the fragile contrivances or
| rubberiZed silk. canvass and bamboo
could really fly.
CURTISS CONFIDENT.
1t was announced that he would mako
| the first flight today and would be FOL
| lowed probably by Paulhan, and GER
tainly by Charles X. Hamilton OF New
/
| Paulhan brought from France with him,
| Miscarol and Mason. Crutiss said that
| his flights today would have an impor-
tant bearing on his patent controversy
| with the WrightS. and in his opinion
would end the litigation which all but
| prevented the holding OF the aVIauon
| contests here.
IN the arguments of their clever law
yers. the Wrights proved theoretically
10 Judge Hazel IN the federal court OF
New York state that my machines de-
| pond on their vertical rudder to main
| tain equilibrium" said CurtiSs; I Will
| demonstrate by actual flight that they
| are not That VIII end The ttoton 9for
| Injunction, for the Wrights's patents
| hinge on what is called the warpinS sur
face, Their machines have to depend on
| vertical rudderS to help them TO main
| tain their balance. The warping surface
| of the planes give tho machines turn
| ing tendency which the rudder has 10
| overcome. Tho rudders on the Curtiss
, machines have no such function Aero
blons that do not affect the course of
the machines In flight take care OF the
balance and this meet VIII prove what
we say. We are going to take the de-
cisions of the judges before the courts
ATTACK UPON CUTLER.
There is no set program for any day
except Saturday. when the government
dIrIrible In charge of Lieut.. Paul. Beck
OF the signal Corps Will try night at
tack on the revenue cutter Perry In san
Pedro harbor.
Any aviator may go up at any time
between l o'clock In the afternoon and
dark and there Is no doubt that many
are planning surprises
FoI. instance. Curtiss looks pre-
occupied whenever the subject of flights
with q passenger is broached. He points
out the fact that all the Crutss ma
chimes here have no accommodations Tor
a passenger. Yet there Is $1,000 prize
for the longest flight with a passenger
and some of the aviators are certainly
going after that Then there arc prizes
ranging from $3.50 to $500 for speed en-
durance and altitude records. Paulhan
Is certain to try for nt least the height
record and the four big flyers he brought
with him from France look as though
they were built for speed and had an
unusual fuel capacity for sustained
flights.
SECRECY MAINTAINED.
All of the aviators maintain the great
est secrecy regarding their plans. Appar-
entity this is more to keep competitors
In the dark than to mystify tho eager
throngs of spectators.
Thursday, however, Is certain to sec
some records shattered,
Another enthusiast who makes a flight
before the day Is over Is Clifford Har-
mon, the millionaire New York sports
man. whose machine Curtiss tried out In
IN II. a