The Washington herald., 1910-10-26

New York, Oct. 25.-Ralph
Johnstone, this afternoon at the in
ternational aviation tournament at
Belmont Park, climbed until a
snowstorm, at an altitude of 1903
feet, compelled him TO coast back
TO earth, but his climb was entirely
satisfactory to young Mr.. John
stone, in that it established a new
American altitude record.
On the previous day J. Arm
strong Drexel had taken the Ameri-
can altitude record of 6,175 feet
away from the Wright machines.
but it IS back again.
Had il not been for a rain
storm on high, Mr.. Hoxsey might
have remained in the sky longer than
he did and may have flown higher
than the 5,796 feet he reached, but
when the rainstorm came along he
took running jump above it, as he
had just had his clothes pressed.
FINDS MORE RAIN.
And above this rainstorm was stin an
other, and 50 while he was loadng in
circles up around a mile or more without
an umbrella in sight one stormy day
after another came alQng--In the middle
q Il all the altitude hour caasS 10 an
end and Hoxsey came hack -, -aers his
valet awated
But Johnstone mere took mean ac-
vantage OF his friends and aviation
schoolmate. Johnstone kept going right
up For a long time the grand stands
lost sight Of him as miles away 10 the
Southeast ne circled about. Then he
came down, looked toward where his
paragraph dhe instrument which meas
ures the height attained) should have
been. and suddenly remembered that rs
had forgotten to attach a paragraph 70
ais machine. =
That was the time that the Wright
camp received JohnstOne with so much
pleasure. When Wilbur Wright learned
of the lack Of a paragraph, and the cor
sequeat futility Of the flight. he conversed
gently but earnestly with his pupil for
few moments. and as a punishment Mr..
Johnstone was told that just for that he
must 90 right out and break the Ameri-
can record before dinner.
OutdistnnceS All Others.
Passing in front of Hoxsey, Mr. John
stone climbed into his machine. Greasy
looking clouds now were rolling in from
the Jersey factories. where clouds and
rain are made, but the wind was lessen
ing d bit as Johnstone started toward
them. As he climbed the big Antoinette
that Latham flies for France started
aloft also That Johnstone had start
on the climbers below him, and in very
little while he had all the sky.
The spatter OF rain that hit upJuTned
faces between $3.50 and 4 o'clock as the
crowd looked up, and southeast toward
the Johnstone speck. got TO Johnstone
before IL drove the crowd 70 cover At
first it was just a fine drizzle up where
he sailed. hardly thick enough to conceal
him entirely from the watchers below
But as he got up toward his record work
the rain changed to wet snow.
Numbed and Blinded.
Then the snow began TO freeze in
a crust up the google glasses and he
had TO watch for a steady moment 10
pull them of BY this time the wind
and cold and sleety snow almost a
mile and half above the earth had
left him blinded and numb, and the
storm was not helping his engines.
The engines still were working. but
Johnstone's muscles were approaching
the quitting hour
AS he started finally toward the
earth he slid into weather that blOtted
him entirely from view. Ever and
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