The Washington herald., 1910-10-23

New York Oct 22-Rain and fog driven
by ten 10 twelve mile wind and mud
ths. was ankle deep kept the attendance
down 10 1000 when the international
aviation tournament opened at Belmont
Park this afternoon. Weather or no
weather, at the crack OF the gun at 1870
o'clock this AFTERNOON biplanes and mono
planes began to slosh upward through
the fog
Ii was an American day. Claude Gra-
hame-White, the English aviator, was out
early and often during the first two
thirds or the afternoon. and flew his
Farman with commendabIe persistency
against the storm throughout a great
part OF the afternoon, winning the hourly
distance event of the first hour of the
meet. Count de Lesseps made a short
flight I'm his Bleriot and all but lost his
way. The mist and rain hid him from
the spectators during his second turn OF
the shorter course, whereupon he de-
scended
Meet Officially Opened.
J. Armstrong Drexel was the first to
cross the starting line after the meet
had officially opened. although Mr.. Gra-
hame-White at the moment was IN the
air making a fight between the appear
ance Of Mr.. Drexel and the earlier flights
OF Capt Thomas Baldwin. p. o. Parme-
lee. OF the Wright camp. and Tod
ShriVer. whose forenoon ascent was made
less thar three weeks after Shriver broke
his leg by fall AT Wilmington. Del.
Ehrfxr haH fo hfe
Curtiss type machine on erutches. when
he took his seat in the forenoon 10 make
a tryout flight He had gone only the
length OF the field when the young gale
caught his planes while they were tilted
for turn and slammed him fifty feet to
the ground
The fall totally wrecked the aeroplane
and didn't help Shriver's broken leg fny.
Also broken bolt tore the flesh of his
hip badly, and his face and body were
cut and bruised. The hospital service on
the field gave him first aid and then he
was removed 10 the Nassau Hospital at
Mineola, where he announced that he
would have new machine all ready in
his hangar by Monday.
Makes CrOss-eOuntry Flight.
John B. Molssant. the Chicagoan who
best daily prize OF tsrday. when, as a
lone entrant. he made a cross country
flight into the mist He tipped away
from the crowd east by south in q
straight line about twelve miles at a
guess from the field where he swung
around and returned without alighting
until the center OF the field was beneath
his Bleriot again. He was lost In the
low hanging rain clouds for about forty
minutes and was forty-five minutes in
the air altogether. Altogether his work
throughout the day caught the crowd,
and they generously applauded his efforts.
Inasmuch as Wilbur Wrights reticence
IS proverbial there was one bit of avia-
ton news that didn't fly across field 20
the grandstands, but which caused a
stir among the few airmen that heard il.
Perhaps It will interest you 20 know, "
observed Mr.. Wright late in the after
noon. that just before I came out to the
field / received cable telling me that all
our suits for infringement Of patent
rights have been decided in our favor in
the German courts. The suits in other
European countries and America still are
pending"
This may have accounted for the 10y
about the Wright hangers and the readi-
ness OF HOXsey, who won the altitude
prize OF the day, Johnstone. and Parmeles
TO course about in the rainstorm. The
other fiers out in the afternoon also were
Americans, Ely and McCurdy OF the
Curtiss camp.
official Results Announced.
After the judges had conferred with the
timekeepers and the pylon observers
they gave out the following as the official
result OF the first days meet:
First hourly distaRce-Won by Grahams- White.
twenty laps. Time, 57:t4 Is Secund piace-Alois-
SAINT; eighteen laps corrected 10 fourteen because Of
fauling u PyloEst Time. a:u 35 Third place
DFexel; ten lsrs. Time 1871 A&
Second hourly distance-W0n by Grahanle- White
twenty LAPS. Time. 59e3 IS Second piace-Niois-
SAINT; fifteen LAPS tcUuected 10 fourteen because OF
fouug Of Iylonsl. Time, f952 95
Cfoss cUuntry-Wn b. MoisSsnt; twenty miles.
Time. S9.il So No c0mpetitOrs
Daily total isolation Of duration -Grahsme- White.
hours Moissant. la2:l0 S5 Drexel 0:l9al 50;
HoXs1y. O8525
First hourly altitude-Won by Hoxsey, 742 feet
secund place. Ely iOl feet
seCCDd hourly altitude-Won by Hexsev ga faet
second place, De Le=sers s2s feet third place.
DleHel 5l9 feet, fourth place Ely 96 feet
The distribution of prize money on the
winnings OF places In the various events
totaled thus: Grahame- White. $50. AIois.
SAINT, $500; DreXel, sl50; Hoxsey, 500. Elv.