The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-10-31
AMERICAN FLYER
WINNER Of
BIG PRIZE
$4,000 Event at Belmont Park
Goes TO MOisant
CIRCLED LIBERTY STATUE
Beat Grahame-Whit and De Lesseps
over Thirty-eight Mile
Course
New York, Oct. 31.-The committee
has decided that Moissant is the
winner of the $4,000 prize.

has decided that Moissant is the
winner of the $4,000 prize
New York, Oct. 31.-Three ayiators
flew from Belmont Park, l.. l., yester-
day afternoca, cirelcd tho statue Of
Liberty In an aeroplane, swept back
through the upper air without mis-
hap and alighted, chilled but eXultant.
John B. Moisant, flying for America,
covered the estimated Sc miles course
in "a minutes, 1854 seconds; Ora
hame-White of England was second
in 35.21.30, and Count de Lessons of
France was third in 41.56.25. None,
however, wins the $4,000 prize for
the fight, offered by Thomas F. Ryan
for the rules prescribe that the con
testants can start any time between
245 D. N. and $3.50 p. M any day of
the international aviation meet. I'm
der this Interpretation Moisant, al
though he protested must await the
result Of any possible fights today.
He is at liberty to better his time of
yesterday as is Grahame-White and
De Lesseps.
Hardly had the bomb announcing
the statue of Liberty flight exploded
in mid-air when up from the field
scurred De Lesseps in his 80 horse
power Bleriot Gracefully he rose
with the motor q oning perfect at
tunement, circled across the starting
line and as though 10 make sure that
his machine was IN shipshape for the
flight of &c miles across heath, mead
ow and town and bay, flew about the
course and then pointed its prov up
ward and west and went sailing ma
jestically over the grand stand. Moth
ingsdaunted by the jump, the French,
man had got on him, Grahame-White
in less than a minute was In the air,
in a Bleriot of 100 horse power.
Passing the grand stand at an elev-
ation OF about 1000 feet both ayators
headed above the raj road track
which took them over Jamaica Plain
and across the town of Jamaica, Here
they were sailing ae an elevation OF
about 5000 feet with the Englishman
still chasing the Frenchman, half q
mile astern. On over Jamaica still
following the railroad as guide for
their fight, De Lesseps and Grahame-
White held their course into Brook
Ign. The aviators never falterCd but
kept up their express train speed des-
pite the biting cold.
Grahame-White was still gaining on
De Lesseps but the Frenchman was
first out across the bay and around
the statue about 1000 feet above the
big black ba loon that had Swallowed
him TO the course. The crowds along
the Brooklyn waterfront on Cover
nors Island and along the Battery
shouted and waved hands and hand
kerchiefs. Then Grahame-White sent
the nose of his Bleriot around above
the head Of Miss Liberty and started
back the same course as he had trav
eled.
De Lesseps still had a slight lead
but with the wind at his back Ora.
hame-White put on full speed and be
gan. easing down his rivals advan
tage Midway over Brooklyn the av
iators were on even terms each at an
altitude Of between 1000 and 5000
feet, but reaching the outskirts of the
city GrahameWhite forged ahead
and set sail in earnest with Belmont
Park as his objective point De Les
seps kept directly in the English
mans wake and now and then coud
be seen working his controls in an
endeavor to get greater speed from
his machine, which was fast fallinl
behind. Both men were high above
the railroad tracks. It seemed n.
though they feared to lose It's guidinl
gimmer Of steel rails
Arriving at the aviation field, IN,
~, l..
from a height Of about 5000 feet III
came down in graceful swoop owe
the tops of the great trees with th
nose Of his machine pointed down
ward at an angle of 10 degrees. II,
was going lightning fast and thu
crowds held their breath In the fea
that the Englishman might lose con
troll of the monopune and be dashe
with II to earth But Grahame. Whit
still was cool and collected, for n
quickly brought the machine on al
even keel again, aud then, soarn
gracefully downward passed over N
finish line while the cheers of IN
thousands inside and outside the ael
rang in his ears
While the crowds were gathere
about the Englishman showerIny cor
gratulatons upon him. out Of the bin
distance came the Frenchman. A
eyes were focused upon him. LAX
Grahame-Whlte had been. he wa
5000 feet up and coming down m,
the wind. He also described beal
uiul curve, flew over the grand stan
with scarcely any dlmuntlon of spee
thence out over the course. each mn
ment coming lower and lower. Iii
ally he settled near his hangar wit
not even so much ms n Jar. He n
coivod cheers as hearty as tho,
which had uroafgf Crah,,,.. ttft.tt.