The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-08-11
lie BLANC IS LEADING
RACE THROUGH AIR
Attains Average Speed of
Over Sixty Miles an
Hour.
TRIP IS THROUGH
A BINDING STORM
Army Officers Are Dashed to
Earth, and Have Mar
row Escapes.

aIEZIERES. France. aug. TL-With
al average speed Of more than sixty
miles an hour. Aviator lie Blanc today
few from Nancy 10 Mezieres, leading the
Geld Of cross-c0untrv flyers for the
third GAYS run in the six-day program,
in which $4,000 IN prizes are 10 be
awarded
The direct distance between Nancy
and Mszieres is 101 miles. but lie Blanc
raced with q storm most of the way,
and was driven far out Of his course
He left Nancy Al $50 this morning.
and arrived at Nezieres at 80 In the
two hours and i've minutes that he was
sIoft- Le Blanc estimates that ne trav-
eIed at least I'D miles
The storm was encountered before
reaching Arnavelle- II swept down
from the East and forced Lindpainter.
one Of the contestants, TO sIight. lie
Blanc and Auburn. however. drove their
machines ahead Of the storm. escaping
the center OF II but getting badly
mixed up in the edges
Fights Way Through Storm
The wind tore my map away" lie
Blanc said. "a few minutes after We
started At first We encountered a
heavy fog. but the rising storm soon
hardest I have ever experienced Ere
ouentIy 1 had actually TO circle the
storm. which greatly increased the dis
lance We should have gone from Toul
TO Mezieres in a straight lire. but the
storm forced a ziEzaE course at times.
and again a circular route After losing
nv map. I picked my way by the River
1feuse and the towns Of MoUZon and
Douzy-7
A crowd Of $4,000 greeted lie Blanc on
his arrival here. and the enthusiasm
vas the greatest that has vet marked
the race. lie Blanc was carried 10 his
hotel on the shoulders OF frenzied
admirers.
Auburn, who was seeond to lie Blanc
IN the fight from Froyes to Nancy,
reached Mezieres at 9.27. the second TO
arrive lie BIauc's official time for the
three stages % the race, from Issy 10
TToyes- TrOyes to Nancy. and Nancy 70
Mezieres, 2S5 miles, Is hours and -
minutes. This distance. however, Is as
the crow flies, and lie Blanc has ac-
tuaIIy gone much farther than this The
three remaining stages OF the race are
70 Douai, eighty-seven miles; thence 10
Aniens, fOrty-uine miles. and back to
Paris, seventy miles.
Auburn Loses Map
Auburn was forced by the storm to
descend at Chalons. sixty miles from
AcziCres- He also lost his map After
e few minutes stop at ChaIons, army
officers supplied him with other maps
and he continued 20 this city without
further mishap-
The others who started from Nancy
were Lieutenant Fequant. in a Farman
bipIane; Lieutenant Zimmerman, and
lie Gagnieux-
Zimmerman was accompanied by
Lieutenant VulIierme- At St Michael
the storm drove them 10 the ground.
The planes or their aeropIanes We're
split by the wind, and i Is considered
remarkable that they were not dashed
To death
LindpaIBter gave up the lap, as his
bipiane was IN bad shape after lis bat
tie with the storm. lie C5aEnfeux had
trouble with his motor al the start and
after Il had baked twice he began over
hauling it he expected TO complete the
trip this afternoon
Lieutenauts Zimmerman and NulIier-
me. who were forced by the gale 10
aIiEht at St Michael. later ascended
and reached Mezieres at 1855 Lieuten-
ant Feuuant. in Farman biplane,
rea ched Verdun, midway between Nan
cy and MeZieTeS al $50