The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-31
MOissant for America Makes Best Time By Nearly
 a Minute
FLY FROM BELMONT PARK
 10 STATUE OF LIBERTY
None Win Prize Because They Did Not Start at Night Time-Moissant Broke His Machine and Did
 Not Start With Others

New York, October 90-Three aviators flew from Belmont Park, L. l., this after noon, crcled the statue of liberty In an aeroprane, swept back through the upper air without mishap and alighted chilled but exultant. S John B. Moissant, flying for America, Y covered the estimated 3s-mile course in 34 minutes 3s4 seconds; Grahame- White of England second In 35.31 30 and Count de Lesseps of France was third in A:56.25.
 None however, wins the $10.000 prize for the flight offered by Thomas F. Ryan, as the rules prescribe that the "con- testants can start any time between 2:45 p. m. and S:3o D. m any day of the in ternational aviation meet.''
 Under this interpretation Moissant. al-. though he protested must await the re suits of any possible flights tomorrow. He is at liberty to better his time of today as are Grahame White and De Lesseps.
 Moissant used 50-horsepower Blerioi, purchased from the French team today for slo.0o0 He had previously smashed his own monoplane. He did not start un- l.. Grahame-White had finished. De Lesseps a started at 3:0S and White less than a minute later. The written rules prescribed that no contestant should start after 3:30 D. m., but they were not enfor ced today.
 Hardly had the bomb announcing the statue of liberty flight exploded in mid air when up from the field scurried De Lesseps in his 50-horsepower Bleriot.
 Gracefully he rose with the motor dron- ing perfect attunement, circled across the starting line and as though to make sure Dthat his machine was shipshape for the flight of 36 miles, he flew about the course and then pointed it's prov upward and veet and weeE se,ing rnajesttcclly over. the grandstai1d.
 Nothing daunted by the jump the Frenchman had got on him Grahame- White in less than a minute was in the aid in a Blerot of50-horsepower. of There was no preliminary skirmishing on his part. Once past the starting pylon the English man was off on his journey and hgura- lively speaking, at the heels of De Les ,seps. GrahameWhite's machine appeared to be the faster of the two.
 Passing the grandstand at an eleva- ton of about 1000 feet both aviators headed above the railroad tracks which took them over Jamaica Plains and across the town of Jamaica. Here they were sailing at an elevation of about 5000 feet with the Englishman still chasing the Frenchman half a mile astern. Every vantage point was filled with awe-inspired spectators; automobiles clogged the thor oushfares and the motornen stopped their cars In order that they and their pas E sengers might witness the duel in the air.
 The sky was cloudless and the two flying monoplanes silhouetted against the blue sky made a beautiful picture. So far up were they that the whirring of the motors was scarcely audible.
 To-, nfk,a afi railroad as a guide for their flight, De Iesseps and Grahame-Whi held their course into Brooklyn. The aviators never (Naltered but kept up their express train speed despite the biting cold.
 Graharne- White was still gaining on de Iesseps but the Frenchman was first out across New York bay and around the statue, about 1000 feet above the big black balloon that had shown him the course. The crowds along the Brooklyn water front on Governors islnad and along the Battery shouted and waved hands and handkerchiefs.
 Then Grahame-White sent the nose or his Bleriot around above the head of Miss Liberty and started back along the same course he had travelled.
 De I,esseps still had a slight lead. but with the wind at his back, Grahame- White put on full speed and began eat ing down his rivals advantage. Mid
  even terms each at an altitude of be- tween 200o and 5000 feet but reaching the outskirts of the city Grahame-W White forged ahead and settled down in earn est with Belmont park as his objec- tive point.
 lishman's wake. and now and then could be seen working his controls II an en- deavor to get greater speed from his ma chine, which was fast falling behind
 Both men were high above the rail- road track It seemed as though they feared to lose it's guiding g1imrner of steel rails As on the outward journey the same scenes were enacted by. the great f<crowds below, except that 1t seemed that thousands more spectators had gathered to witness the flight Passing back over Jamaica, Grahame- White had lead of about two miles. s
 Arriving at the aviation field the Eng iishman airman started his descent from a height of about 2000 feet. He came down in a graceful swoop over the tops of the great trees with the nose of his machine pointed downward at an angle of 40 degrees. .4e was going lightning fast and the crowds held their breath in the fear that the Englishman might lose control of his machine and be dashed with it to earth.
 But Graham White was cool. for he quickly brought the machine on an even keel again. and then. soaring gracefully downward passed over the finish line, the cheers of thousands inside and out side the field ringing in his ears. sfs' While the crowds were gathered about the Englshman showering congratula- Ia tions upon him, out of the blue. distance came the Frenchman All eyes were forcused on him. Like Grahame- White had been, he was 5000 feet up and coming down like the wind. He also described beautiful curve downward. flew over the grandstand with scarcely any diunu- tion In speed. thence out over the course; each moment coming lower and lower. Finally he settled near his hanger with not even so much as jar. He received cheers as hearty as those which had greeted Grnhame-White. Meanwhile Moissant was tuning up his Acwly bought Bleriot preparatory to 4laking start At first its motors did ~ ~->-~-, ---~->rf-r f---~-- 6CONTHNUEu ON pA0H o.l