The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-27
FOR $4,000 PRIZE
Big Event of the Day at Belmont
Aviation Field
Is Flight to the Statue of Lib
erty and Return.
LIKE FLOCK OF BIRDS.
Twelve Men Whirling Through
the Air at One Time.
Yesterdays Contests Were Ex-
tended into he Night.

Belmont Park, Oct. 27.-Early pros
poets today We're not bright for the
starting of the elimination races for
the American team in the Gordon Ben
nett cup race, the big event of the in
ternatlonal aviation meet here. Short
ly atter a. m. the wind was blowing
at the rate of about 35 miles an hour
out of the southwest and increasing.
There was hope that the disposition of
the air currents would prove kinder
before the morning was we'll advanced,
however, and preparations were early
begun among the American entrants
elimination have until $50 D. m. to
finish. The trials are over the five
kilometer course which must be COW
cred twenty times.
When the starting gun was fired for
the elimination race in the Gordon
Bennett contest none of the aviators
cared to go aIoft. The wind was too
strong.
The aviation committee issued a
bulletin stating that it had revoked it's
former rule regarding the Liberty
statue flight which provided that
aviators must qualify by an hours
flight at this meet for the event. The
new ruling allowed any aviator to
make the flight.
Claude Grahame- White made a for
NAL protest to the aviation commit
tee, stating he had risked his machine
to qualify and thought it unfair that
those who had not qualified should be
allowed in the contest. No action has
been taken on this protest.
A large searchlight has been installed
on the judges stand to be used TO
guide aviators who are up for altitude
after dark
The foreign camp was hardly less
active than the American this fore
noon, the airmen preparing variously
for the flight to the Statue of Liberty
and return for the prize of $4,000
offered by Thomas Fortune Ryan and
for the altitude and other competitions
of the day.
Radley, the English aviator. Drexel.
McCurdy and Moisant were expected
to make the liberty flight set for the
hours between PAS and $3.50 p. m.
The big 100 horsepower Antoinette
of Hubert Latham arrived here early
this morning and will be assem- bled for
the big international race on Saturday.
Air Full of Bird Men.
When dusk began to settle on the
aviation field last night there were
twelve aeroplanes in the air at once,
and when night shut down two of
them were still lost in the black void
above. There was no moon and it was
by the almost imperceptible glow of
the stars that these two, HoxSey and
Johnstone, were first sighted, winging
their way back to earth. Both alight-
ed safely in midfeld within a few mo-
ments of each other.
ST don't know how high I was" said
Johnstone, but if I wasn't higher up
than Hoxsey I'll never trust a baro-
graph again. I stayed up there till I
saw him start down and then stayed
up some more to make sure twice.
Johnstone was shivering, for though
there had been no frost above the
Clouds he said he found the upper airs
even colder than they had been the
previous day when a binding snow
storm drove him down from a plucky
attempt for a new worlds altitude
record.
But Johnstone was mistaken. His
Paragraph registered only 5,763 feet
against 6,173 for Hoxsey.
Five starters were announced in a
cross-country race to captive bal
loon ten miles east of the course and
return, and four started Latham in
a 5O-horsepOwer Antoinette, was the
first to cross the line, and he fled
down the wind like dart. Aubrun fol-
lowed him and then came Drexel and
Leblanc, captain of the French team
both in Bleriots. This was the first
appearance of Leblanc, 'scho
of the air" Both AuDrun and Ora
ham-White are his pupils His air
manship seemed splendid as he shot
low before the grandstand on ar even
keel. straight for the mark but Scholar
Aubrun beat the master and, for that
matter. the other contenders. Au-