Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-10-01

LONG DISTANCE CONTINUED
FLIGHT RECORD BROKEN IN
CRoss-coUNTRY RUN FROM
CHICAGO TO SPRINGFIELD.

Springfield. ILL.,, Sept. 30.--Aviator
Walter Brookins alighted gracefully II
the fair grounds here at 4:27 p. m.
yesterday afternoon, hours ~ min
utes out OF Chicago, after havlns
sailed his Wright biplane the 1919
miles with two stops. They were az
Gilman, III, 80 miles from Chicago,
at 1880 a. M. and at Mount Pulaski,
Ill, 1856 miles from Chicago, at 800 p.
m. The first stop was for water, oil and
gasoline; the second for that ana pc
cause his pump had broken and the
engine become hot.
Brookins in his long sail broke the
American long distance continued
flight record and thereby won the $lo'-
900 prize offered by the Chicago Rec
ord Herald, which conducted the at-
tempt.
In both places where the man allght-
ed. throngs gathered to stare at the
man that flew through the air. Farm.
ers. tradesmen and residents rushed
from their fields, shops and homes ana
fled headlong to see what the aero
plane looked like at short range.
Lost Wheel at Mount Pulaski.
AS Brookins swept up out of the field
at Mount Pulaski, one of the small rub
ber-tired wheels on which he rolls III
making headway before arising. struck
q hummock and was wrenched on.
Brookins, not knowing of the accident,
rose to a height Of 1000 feet and head
ing for Springfield, swirled away, leav-
ing the Illinois Central special aero
plane train far behind.
Mt 4 -
ator had left far behind in fair race.
Engineer w #. Burt, who made the
first attempt to defeat the air man.
had to give up the attempt at Clinton,
. n j Brcakins reached the fair grounds
eight minutes before the station was
reached by the Illinois Central fast
special train. He made the dip to alight
at 4:27 b. M, making hours IL min
utes elapsed time from the start in Chi
cago. The actual flying time was five
hours A minutes for the 1925 miles
an average rate Of thirty-three miles
per hour.
Brookins found some difficuity in
alighting because OF the inadequate
police provisions at the fair grounds,
and although he arrived over the
grounds at 4:22 1t was five minutes
later before he could land.
His Machine Endangered.
The crowd surged about him, threat
ening to crush the curious bird ma.
chine till he had to make a personal
appeal to get the crowd back.
When the Chicago crowd arrived at
the ground, nearly half an hour after
the aviator, he said to the young Chi
cago newspaper man who was his pas
senger on the day before:
"Where have you been all the time? I?
i got here and have been waiting to
lunch with you as promised. Here you
have kept me waiting half an hour"
Asked about the fight, he said
"Why. it was nothing; only staying
up, that's all. 1t merely took time
more THAI usual-and that's about the
only difference from practice flight
/ knew could make 1t.
"It was one of the prettiest flights
ever made. The country between here
and Chicago is delightful. Everywhere
/ was flying low enoughand | went
as low as 300 feet several times-l
could see the people staring up at me
from every acre almost. There must
have been three-fourths Of million
looking up at me.
''My arms are tired. Of course, and II
was strain because had to watch all
the while, but am good for the same
thing right now, If necessary"