The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-01-12

Los Angeles. Jan. 1l.-Glenn II. Cur
tiss. the American aviator who was
completely eclipsed by Louis Paulhan
with his spectacular feats on the first
day of the aviation meet yesterday.
today defeated his mercurial French
rival in the race for the honors of the
day. Paulhan again won the plaudits
of the immense throng with daring
and spectacular flights, while the less
thcatric American. reaped more sub
stantial honors, established new
worlds record for speed for aero
planes. carrying a passenger. flying
at the rate of 30 miles an hour with
his manager. NJ. Fancuilli. beside him
on the seat, and set two other less
important records in aviation.
Not to be outdone. Paulhan took
up one of his. mechanici9tns and flew
three miles, but failed to equal the
speed set by Curtiss in his biplane.
The breaking of three records. flights
with passengers, the injury of an
amateur aviator and four aeroplanes
in the air at the same time. breasting
a stiff wind that sported dangerously
with the delicate contrivances of the
tors at Aviation field an exciting
finale to an afternoon that promised
to be rather tame.
Edgar smith. Californian who con-
structed an aeroplane something on
the order of the late Professor Lang.
ley's model. was the victim of the
first serious accident of the meet this
afternoon. Smith was tuning up his
machine for his first attempt at flight
and was struck down by the metal
blades of the propeller. His head was
severely gashed and his left arm
broken.
At the beginning of today's program
the intrepid little Frenchman seemed
at first to have again monopoiized all
the honors of the day. Thrice he
drove one of his big Farman biplanes
around the course in the stiff wind
blowing in from the sea. Then In n
tiny Bleriot manoplane that looked
like a gigantic horsefly he gave the
immense throng in the stands and
boxes the first thrill of the day by re-
peatedly sweeping over the grand
stand and daringly maneuverlng in a !
wind that threatened every moment
10 wreck his craft. The flight of |
in his Bleriot was the first |
flight with a monoplane i'm this /.
Besides even the Curtiss |
blpianes which are themselves mere |
pismies beside the great Farman ma
chine, the monoplane looked puny and |
unable to raise man i'm a calm, much |
less Withstand the assaults of Il Is or
.0-mile wind.
Yet. after an abortiye attempt by /
one of the French aviators. |
Paulhan took il and sped twice around |
he field. although he never rose high |
n than so feet from the ground. Sey-
aral times great sighs of annrehen-
sion. mingled with the cries of /
frightened women. rose from the crowd |
rs the tiny machine. tossed by fierce /
gusts of wind. rolled and careene.l in /
he air. Every moment seemed II be |
'raught with such danger that when I
he flight was safely over and the I
noroplane had landed far across the i,
ield. an immense sigh of relief went /
lp from the vast crowd. Apparently /
secure in his renewed role of star of .
he meeting. Paulhan promptly de-
lighted by the tremendous applause
lis performances evoked, brought out
his Farman and quickly disappeared
rom the view of the spectators far
o the northward. re-appearing 20
seconds later at an altitude over the
rees of a contiguous ranch. and
lew back directly over the grand
tand. Several times Paulhan flew
across lots" or charged direc4ly upon
ne crowded grandstand only to turn
iharpiy when within a few feet of il
md sweep gracefully along before the
thousands of spectators His flight