Omaha daily bee., 1910-10-31
AVIlTORS DASH OVER BAY
Three Renowned Experts Make Race
to Statue Of Liberty.
MOIsANT HAS FASTEST TINE
EnEltshmRn aud FrenChmRn Fly In
EHcitinR Race Three Thousand
Feet Above water aud
Roofs % city.

NEW YORK, oct 8O-Three ayiators
rev from Belmont park, Long Island, this
! afternoon. Ciruled the Statue of Liberty
in aeroplanes swept back through the
upper air without mishap and alghted
chilled but eNutant
John B. Moisant flying for America,
| covered the estimated 36-mile course i'm
$685. Grahame-White Of England was
second in 3j:I3O and Count DeLesseps
Of France was third in 41:5625
None. however. wins the $4,000 prize for
the flight offered by Thomas f. Ryan. as
the rules prescribe that the contestants
may start any time between 2:45 D. m.
/ and $3.50 p. m" any day OF the interna-
tional aviation meet. Under this interpre-
tation Mosant. although he protested
must await the result of any possible
flights tomorrow. He is at liberty to
/ better his time OF today as are Grahame-
/ White and DeLesseps.
/ 1t was reported late tonight that the
aviation committee had decided to sustain
Moisants protest on the ground that the
meet officially closed today and that flights
tomorrow therefore could consist only Of
the deferred flights Of last Sunday and
whatever special events the committee
might be able to arrange.
Hardly had the bomb announcing the
Q A7helN"h' vi lalbtllN IEnl eADlOueu IN
midair when up from the field scurried
DeLesseps in his 5O-horsepower Bleriot
| Gracefully he arose, with the motor dron-
/ ing perfect attunement. circled across the
starting line and, though to make sure
that his machine was shipshape for the
| flight flew about the course and then
pointed its prov upward and west and
went sailing majestically over the grand
stand.
EngIishman is OFF.
GrahameWhite, in less than a minute.
was i'm the air in Bleriot Of 5O-horse-
power, with no preliminary skirmishing,
once past the starting pylon, the English
man was off on his journey and, figura-
! lively speaking, at the heels OF DeLes-
seps. Grahame- Whites machine appeared
to be the faster of the two.
Passing the grandstand at an elevation
of about 1000 feet both aviators scudded
above the railroad tracks, which took them
over Jamaica Plain and across the town
Of Jamaica, where they we're sailing at an
elevation Of about 5000 feet, with the Eng
hshman still chasing the F'renChman, half
mile astern. on over Jamaica. stll fol-
lowing the railroad as a guide for their
flight, De Lesseps and Grahame- White held
their course into Brooklyn. The aviators
kept up their express train speed despite |
the biting cold.
Grahame-White was still gaining on De |
Lesseps, but the Frenchman was first out |
across New York bay and around the statue |
about 1000 feet above the big black ba-
loon that had showed him the course. The |
crowds along the Brooklyn water front on |
Governors island and along the Battery !
shouted and waved handkerchiefs
Rounds Miss Liberty.
Then Grahame-white sent the nose OF
his Bleriot around above the head Of Miss /
Liberty and started back along the same
course he had Travelled. De Lesseps still .
had slight lead, but with the wind at his
back, Grahame-White put on full speed
and began eating down his rivals ad-
vantage. Midway over Brooklyn the avia-
tors were on even terms. each at an alu-
tude OF between 1000 and 1900 feet but
reaching the outskirts OF the city, Grahame-
White forged ahead and set sail in earn
est with Belmont park as his objective
point
De Lesseps kept directly in the English
mans wake, and now and then could be
seen working his controls in an endeavor
to get greater speed from his machine,
which was fast falling behind.
Both men continued to fly above the
railroad track. 1t seemed as II they feared
~ AySS IL bNANlAb GUNNER VI steel Tails.
Passing back over jamaica, Grahame-
White had a lead OF about two miles.
Descends from Height.
Arriving at the aviation field the Eng
hshman started his descent from a height
Of about 1900 feet. He came down in a
graceful swoop over the tops of the great
trees with the nose of his machine pointed
downward at an angle OF forty-five de-
gress.
Like Grahame- White had done De Les
seps came down from a level Of 1000 feet
Meanwhile Moisant was tuning up his
newly bought Bleriot preparatory to maxi
ing a start At first its motors did not
sing true, but finally they became attuned
and he was off over the grandstand. Fifty
miles an hour was the speed the spectators
reckoned he was making against the cold
wind, which was blowing about ten miles
an hour. He crossed Brooklyn at an alt-
tide OF 1000 feet To those who had seen
Grahame-White and the Frenchman il did
not appear that Moisant's machine was
as steady as theirs. Now and then IT
seemed to dip or swing from one side to
the other
MOisant's Dash.
II Moisant was having trouble he did
not show it, for he kept winging ahead
with never let up in speed. Reaching
the East river Mosant swept across to
the New York shore and passed almost
above the battery. Then describing a
pretty half circle he dashed out across the
bRy and around. the statue.
Above the massive ngSre he seemed to
stop momentarily. then shot ahead for the
return to the aerodrome. Like the two
rivals who had preceded him, Mosant
also had the wind at his back and sped
across Brooklyn az a mile a minute clip
once he devisted from his outward course
and followed the elevated railroad struc-
ture. but, finding himself going wrong. he
turned again toward the tracks Of the
Long Island railroad and followed them
back 10 Belmont park,
Molssnt did not ny at the high attitudes
Of Grahame-W White and De L.esseps Prob
ably 200 feet was his average. but often
he was below that Certainly he was not I