Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-12
ON OCEAN s EDGE
CURTISS SMASHES
50-MILE RECORD
Covers Ten Laps of Five Miles
Each in One Hour and
Fifteen Minutes
STRIPS HIS MACHINE FOR TRIP
Brookins Makes a Sensational
Flight, Just Skimming Along
the Tops of Breakers
STRIPS HIS MACHINE FOR TRIP
Associated Press1

ATLANTIC CITY, N. j., July IL
Glenn H. Curtiss set an American rec
ord for fifty-mile flight in an aero
plane this afternoon by covering half
hundred measured miles in five-mile
laps along the beach in hour IA min
utes and SO seconds.
Curtiss was in the air 1 hour and 80
minutes and passed 21 minutes and
seconds on the course, minutes and
6 seconds being deducted for the turns
at the ends of the two and one-half-
mile course.
Walter Brookins, who made the
worlds altitude record, and Frank
Coffyn, his rival, flying the Wright
machine, were among those who ex-
tended their congratulations over the
splendid flight.
In the early evening Curtiss set a
new mark for quick climbing by sweep
ing his machine 1900 feet in the air
in minutes and 81 seconds.
CURTISs STARTS
After a wait of hours for a slowing
down of the sharp southerly wind from
the ocean, Curtiss rose in the air at
1922 o'clock this afternoon. After a
short warming up spin he swung back
over the upper mark made by the
range of flags on a boardwalk building
at Massachusetts avenue and started
on his long fight. Because of the cross
winds that still held strong in the
upper air currents, Curtiss never
reached a faster speed than fifty miles
an hour, his average for the race being
about forty miles. The time for each
of the five-mile laps was as follows:
First lap, S:19 AS; second, SOL 2-5;
third, 7:37 Is; fourth, 1888 As; fifth,
1888 Is; sixth, 1888; seventh, 7:27h:
eighth. 1923; ninth, 7:21 $40; tenth,
7:21 1-5.
The course laid out brought Curtiss
and his machine within view of people
from the inlet down to Ventor. Prac-
tically all of Atlantic city was on the
boardwalk or on the beach watching
the flight, and Curtiss was repeatedly
cheered as he swept over the heads of
the crowd and over the big piers.
BROOKINs MAY TRY
At the end of the flight Curtiss de-
clared his engine worked perfectly and
added his belief that the surplus weight
that he was forced to carry in emer-
gency apparatus in case of falling into
the sea and the necessity of running
partly into the wind to keep in the
course held him back at least fifteen
miles an hour. Curtiss' contract ends
tonight, leaving Brookins in possession
of the $4,000 altitude prize won Satur-
day evening when he made a worlds
record of 6175 feet The Wright aviator
has not announced whether he will go
after the fifty-mile prize of $4,000 which
will otherwise go to Curtiss.
Broolxins started up Immediately
after Curtiss landed from his long
flight, and described sharp curves and
turns, ending with his first exhibition
of a triple turn that almost stood his
machine on end.
Broolxins and Coffyn then went up
together, with Brookins driving, get
ting off we'll after a false start caused
by a loose running rail. Later in the
day Coffyn went up alone, giving a
thrilling exhibition of turning and
swooping.
TOPS THE BREAKERS
During his long flight Brookins made
a 1000-foot sweep along the beach just
over the heads of the crowd, ending by
driving his machine over the breakers,
hardly a foot from the surf.
Measurements of Curtiss' flight feat
were taken from the records of the
same Paragraph used to measure the
altitude reached by Brookins Saturday.
The aviator started close to the ocean
pier, and his turns were so sharp and
quick that his entire flight was con-
fined to the space between his start
ing point and the million dollar pier.