Arizona republican., 1910-01-15
AVIATION FIELD EVENTS
The Day Was Chiefly Dis tinguished For the Things Which Failed of Accom- plishment- Engines in All Cases Went Wrong.

Los Angeles. Cal, Jan. IA gray sky this time and hawk-eyed young American climbing up and up to snatch from France the green laurels for the highest in the world' in a bi- plane, while women were praying silently and the men were holding back gulps.
 This was what was above the great cluster of 10000 faces at aviation field late this afternoon when Charles K. Hamilton started out to wrest the alti- tude record for his country from Louis Paulhan, who won it on "Wednesday with a height of 4,165 feet.
 That Hamilton did not win it is be- cause he was brave enough, perhaps. to turn back from the night world above to those tormented faces again and come down from height of 500 feet. saying: My engine was not quite right. l will try 1t again.
 Paulhan careened wildly-it looked around the course while this was going on He was trying to make a speed record of the course for one lap. the only thing he has not been able to obtain at this meet. He failed in more ways than one. Not only did be fall below Glenn H. Curtiss' time. but in trying to describe too brief circle. and his machine tilted and struck the ground. breaking one of the plane tips.
 Earlier in the afternoon. Paulhan. ignoring the judges. sailed clear of the grandstand and went on a fifteen- mile cross-country journey to the har- bor of San Pedro. This was his most spectacular feat of tbe day and ex- cited tremendous countryside enthusi- asm. Before he retired for the day. PauIhan took cortland Field Bishop. president of the Aero Club of America. as passenger for q two-lap journey around the course.
 One of the most important events of the day was the attempt of Lieu tenant Paul w. Beck. of the United States army signal corps. to drop bag of ammunition into a measured space from a 25c-foot height in Curtiss bi-plane. This experiment was made at the request of Captain Samuel Bottoms of the coast artillery. The idea was to find out whether in time of war it would be possible for an airship to drop a bomb into the gunpits of the coast. destroying men and guns Curtiss took Beck up to make the test, but the effort was a partial failure because of engine trou- ble. and it will be made again It is one of a series of army experiments on the program
 Two dirigibles engaged in a race. for the first time. over prescribed or ficial course, Knabenshue defeating Beachey A Bleriot mono-plane. pilot ed by Paulhan. made its first appear ance of the meet. completing one cir cult of the field.-
 Glenn H. Curtiss. in an official speed trial for one lap, broke the record, set- ting the figures at 2:12 flat.
 Charles F. Willard made perfect score of 100 points in the contest for starting from marked square Charle K Hamilton, in a Curtiss' ma chine, won the slow speed contest for one lap. Time, 3:36 2-5.
 Roy Knabenshue. in a big racing dirigible. broke his own speed record for one lap Of the measured course. Time. 5:1O 2-5. Louis Paulhan failed in an attempt to lower Hamilton's slow speed record
 Paulhan again carried a passenger. Mason. He made two fast circuits of the field.