The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1910-11-01
GREAT SPEED
CONTEST
GRAHAM WHITE Wins AVIATION
CUP. SPEED MORE THAN A
MILE A MINUTE
ACCIDENTS ON COURSE

New York, Oct. 31.-Claude Gra-
hame-WThite, flying for the Royal
Aero Club of the United Kingdom,
lifted tire Gordon Bennett interna
tional saeedt rophy from the custody
of Am erica in the fastest time eve"
covered for the full distance of 100
kilometers (62.14 miles) around D.
kilometer course. His average speed
was a fraction better than 81 miles
an hour and his fastest lap was z
minutes 55.77 seconds, but the captain
of the French team, Alfred lie Blanc,
FLYING in a similar machine, a 100
horse lower Bleriot monOplane, was
making each lap on an average OF 70
seconds faster than Grahame-Whlte|
and would have won the cup if he had
not met with a disastrous accident IN
his last lap, when he had the race
seemingly we'll in hand.
His first lap was new worlds re-
cord in itself for five kilometers-2
minutes 1888 seconds, but he subse-
quently exceeded it with a lap done
in minutes 4432 seconds.
LIE Blanc was running before the
wind under full power at an estimated
speed of 80 miles an hour when the
feed-pipe from his gasoline tank to
his motto" loosened under the inces-
SAINT jarring of the engine and he sud-
denly found himself with nothing but
momentum to carry him
LIE Blanc was helpless and pacl-
stricken.
The tried to lift his planes SO that
the last few drops of gasoline might
filte. dow11 into the engine and lend
him strength enough to make land
Ing. His steerage way was gone and
when puff of wind caught him he
drifred sideways, still driving at tre-
mendous speed and crushed foremost
iuto a telegraph pole The pole was
fourteen inches thick, but he broke it
in three pieces as if it had been. a
toothpick The chassis and steel SHE'D
toothpick. The chassis and steel shield
which encloses the motor were COM
pleteiy c1umb1ed, but the solid steel
of the motor iself withstood the
shock. Had LIE Blanc hit the pole in
any other manner it is difficult to see
how he could have possibly escaped
death.
His accident was accepted on every
hand with greatest regret. Grahame-
White, the winner, admitted that LIE
Blanc would have won the race and
would have established a worlds re-
cord even better than his own except
for his mishap. Charles K. Hamilton,
of the American team, was enthusl-
astic: LIE Blanc is the best track
driver in the world he said. ''The
way he took those turns was a mar
vel Grahame-White would never
have been in it except for LIE Blanc's
accident and no American machine
had a chance with him. l am going
to throw my machine into the SCRAP
heap and buy a B1eriot before l leave
this track The biplane is out oi
date and we might as we'll admit it
Hamilton will challenge for the cur
next year. The Wright brothers vii
also build a new racer and go aftel
it. John b Moisant will be a thirc
challenger. eye bet," he said, I'm
going after it. If 1 don't bring i
back some other American will
In addition to LIE B1anc's accident
the day was marred by a serious mis-
hape to Walter Brookins, of the
Wright team, who had taken up tht
new -'baby'' Wright racer for the frs
time Brookins was just coming
around the turn into the home
stretch for trial circle, preparation!
to entering the Gordon Bennett race
when of his cylinders ceased fir
ing. With only half power he trfet
first to sustain himself by mounting
them decided 1t was wiser TO lane
and plunged to the ground.
With only half power he tried frs
to sustain himself by mounting, thel
decided it was easier to land am
plunged to the earth. In the stric
sense of the word, he did not fall; h
dived And it could almost be sai'
he made perfect landing; thatis tn
angle at which he hit the earth from
height of fifty feet was almos
normal But driven by the wind an
4 his engine he came hurfng throug
the air at such tremendous speed tina
when he touched the earth his from
wheels and forward frame collapse
under him. The machine stuck it
aose into the dirst, slowly reared tai
upward and finally collapsed, to sid
hndermost, with thud. Brookin
WAS thrown from his seat in tn
Amersault
IA great cloud of yellow dust an
fragments of torn turf went showerin
iy4o the air from the impact
se&med impossible that anything aliv
ccAId step out of that vortex, bl
when the cloud cleared Brookins wa
seA staggering about, his arms tiga
Iy nlased about his stomach.
While he was STAGGERING for pc
haps twenty paces,l IN ambulanc
ushed out to pick HIM up and hu