The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-01-17
WEATHER CONDITIONS coNsPlRE
70 MAKE EVENTS OF DAY
UNSUCCESSFUL.
MARATHON Of THE AIR
Cursiss, Pauihan and Hamilton Face
In Teeth Of Half a Gale, Play Tag
and Fly Under and Around Each
Other-No Accidents Mark Period
Of Reckless Evolutions.

Aviation Camp. Los Angeles. Jan
16.-Thc wind and the rain conspfred
today to test the mett'e OF the arship>
flying on Aviation field. The result
was victory for Glenn II. Curt!ss
and Louis Pauihan. In half u gale oil
wind Curtiss rose to height of more
than 100 feet and there performed as
pretty piece OF aeroplane j"ckeying
as has ever been seen. He described
circlcs/in daring fashion. lifting and
dipping and beating against the wind
and winding up by cutting the letter
So
Paulhan strove to Quito this. going
5l2 feet and circling about like a hawk
over barnyard. But his exhibition
of fancy air-skating lacked something
of the brilliancy shown by the Ameri-
can. Another wonder picture was
painted. Curtisss and Paulhan and
Hamilton. each driving his own ma
chine, swung around in an aerial Mar
athon. At times they raced together
headlcng against the wind. Again they
played tag with each other. They flew
under and over each other and around
each other. guiding their trembling
steers with sure hands.
That there We're no accidents was one
of the marvels of the day. The avia-
tors did not want to fly in the wind.
They know the wind strains the deli
cate silk frames and pulls at the
Fastening with cruel fingers But the
crowd was there and something had
to be done to amuse the throns of
spectators.
Brave the Weather.
A new word has been coined at the
aviation field. 1t is .'aeronutty." The
population of Los Angeles gave an
exhibition of this peculiar form of in
sanity. Through the rain of the morn
ing they went in droves to the field.
standing in mud along the fence line
or holding dripping seats in the grand
stand. They started out in wagonloads
from nearby towns and farms and I'm
automobiles fr"m the city. The mud
stopped many of them and the road
to the grounds was strewn with many
an unhappy band of stranded pill
Srims. BY the time the events were
scheduled to begin. the biggest crowd
of the meet had gathered Even the
nearby hills We're black with specta-
tors.
The rain ceased and the sun peeked
out to see what was going on. The
aviators waited as long as possible but
finally Hamilton awakened the echoes
by rising In short flight to test the
wind. Paulhan was not long in fol-
lowing. He came up with IA rush and
sailed past the grandstand in two
qualifying rounds. He veered and shot
out of the course. back To the grand
stand, 200 feet high. going over the
field again after "A short run. When
he came down he said that he had in
tended to try 10 laps for speed, bu,
found the wind too strong on the west
ward course.
Attempted Flights.
Then curtiss came out in prrlimi-
nary flight. Hamilton and Paulhan
started together I'm nd-bucking !
contest. but We're sent out of the !
course and landed back of the grand |
stand. Paulhan after finding thar his |
machine was standing the strain we'll |
made another for speed. In four rounds |
his best lap was .:3s 3-5. Curtiss' rec |
ord Is 2:l2. Finding he could not win |
in this. Paulhan tried to lower Cur
tiss' starting record. He made it on /
the soft turf in lls.s feet. Curtiss. |
record for this is 9s feet |
Roy Knabenshue and Lincoln
Beachey brought out their iirigibIes.
They went up and struggled hard /
against the wind for half a mile. then
gave it up. whistiing back over the /
srandstand at high rate of speed. |
Charles S. Willard in "A Curtiss ma
chine came out for brief flight. but,
after feeling the force of the wind,
gave up. Curtiss. who had announced /
that he would try for a mile speed |
record also quit. The crowd was sent
home.
Pauihan's Attempt.
Pauihan. the irrepressible. was not /
content. As the crowds were filing out
he appeared on the horizon with two /
passengers behind him. difficult and
dangerous feat in such a wind. The
passengers were his mechanicians.
After a short run with them he took
up Clifford B. Harmon. the New York
baloonist. who Is ambitious to wear
the badge of aviator on his coatsleeve.
The greatest interest eenters in Paul
hans scheduled attemp; 20 win the
Michelin cup for long distance flight
tomorrow. II the weather permits he
will start early. II will be necessary
for him TO go over the new triangular
course more than So times to beat the
record held by Henry Farman OF l4i
miles. Pauihan thinks il will be as
great joke to take this prize from