Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-10-26
THE BIROMEN
Soar Among Storm Clouds
at Belmont Park.
tombstone, in Wright Climber,
Reaches 1903 Feet.
Latham, Grahame- White and Others
Perform Difficult Stunts.

New York, oct. 25.--The American
altitude record that j. Armstrong
Drexel so proudly brought down out
Of the clouds yesterday afternoon IN
his Bieriot monoplane, was snatched
from his grasp today by Ralph Johns
tone in a headless Wright climber.
DrexeI reached 1105. but tombstone
topped him today by 1873 feet with
new mark of 1903 feet. He came down
chilled to the bone and his goggles
trimmed with frost. For half an hour
he had battlcd with snow storm
above the clouds. seeking still higher
levels. The undemonstrative Wilbur
Wright danced with joy when he gnac-
ed at the Paragraph. Its better than
2O0O METERS he cried and began to
prance again. He knew then that the
fourth day of the international avia-
ton meet at Belmont Park. Long Isl
land, had brought him his share of
honors.
Hubert Latham. in an Atoionette
monoplane frightened the crowd when
he began to do aerial fip-faps under
the edge of a nasty looking storm
cloud. half mile up in the air. He
|
steep, rushing swoop. The edges of
tree brushed his descent, and pune
tured one of his wing surfaces. but he
landed with only minor injuries to his
machine and none to himself, in a po-
tato patch Later he flew back to the
field,
When the meet began. with the
hourly competition for distance that
regularly opens the days program. the
banging of the bomb found Grahame-
White, punctual as ever. out for his
daily promenade around the track.
| Latham was his only competitor. and
when engine trouble forced Grahame-
Whites Farman biplane off the field,
| it looked as if Latham in his flying
| fish Antionette would have the event
to himself But White was not to be
caught mapping. He saw that the
scantiest score whatsoever would
| bring him second place, and, late in
the hour. tinkered up his collicky en-
CINE to last two rounds and took down
the easiest 500 of the tournament
Hoxsey and Jonstone both went ur
for altitude tombstone had entered
for distance, but just before he left
the ground Wilbur Wright instructed
him to go after altitude. In the haste
Of the moment they both forgot that
he was without a Paragraph the in
strument which records height, and
when he came down from the uppei
| levels, he had nothing to show for his
effort, and was unpiaced.
The Count De Lesseps pointed up.
ward much later than the two Wright
pupils. but caught them both and
soaring above them. brought down the
prize for the first hour
The second hourly distance event
was pursuit race. Grahame- White
tried his Farman again. found it IN
reliable. took it off the field for re.
pairs and during his absence saw the
lead he gained by his watchful prompt.
ness steadily cut down by speediel
rivals who had started later. The is,
sue of the race hung in doubt to thu
very last round and even then thu
final score belied the apparent results
Hopeless of getting his Farman int
running order again, White took ou
his fast Bleriot monoplane, the frs
/ time it has been seen here in com
petition. He gained steadily on Nc
Curdy in a Curtiss biplane, but tn
latter finished first with a lap to tn
good. 1t turned out, however, tina
McCurdy had fouled two pylons il
Continued on Page Three.)