The Washington herald., 1910-10-30

-.
coat or cap every time he shows on the
field for a strictly amateur exhibition.
But, then. he's flyer. and. they say.
the only amateur aviator III the United |
States. Friends OF Mr. Harmon admit :
this, but it's among the spectators that |
one naturally expects 10 ind the arbiter |
eegantiae so far as dress Is concerned /
for aviation meets.
Freak Costumes Seen.
There are plenty OF freak costumes TO
be seen. and as the sport or business
progresses more than freakish styles will |
probably prevail. II may be that the
attention OF the public has been so con
sistently concentrated on the flying ma
chimes themselves that no note has been
made OF the innovation In dress And
what may be regarded as outlandish. |
unusual freakish will be adopted as |
purely conventional or tolerated in the |
interests of aviation.
There appears 10 be a fortune waiting /
for the genius who can construct a neat !
serviceable check rein for the use and |
comfort OF spectators at these flying |
seances. There's a big demand for Just |
such contrivance. What's needed badly |
IS strong strap which can pull the head /
back 10 any given angle and hold fast in !
fastened 10 a belt worn around the waist |
This is merely one OF many suggestions, |
for II has been noted that men and wom- /
en- who are keeping tabs on the altitude !
flights carelessly or unconsciously allow /
their necks TO straighten out at moments |
and their cOuntenances line up at right |
angles with Queens County This distrac- |
ton from the heavens can be obviated by /
the invention and use Of check rein, |
which has worked me on horses. as seen |
In Central Park, and keeps their heads up /
II would be better all around to foster t
this idea and pay not so much attention /
10 garments which ought or ought not 20 /
be worn under any or no circumstances. !
Human Nature I'm Evidence.
The competitors In the tournament have |
been here together long enough for the /
layman and the rank outsider TO get a 1
line on their moods and idiosyncrasies |
while the flyers are aloft. but it's over the |
field and around those hangers that hu- |
man nature shows itself Report has II ,
that the rivalry between the English +
speaking and French aviators is intense I
and bitter in some respects
The Frenchmen. no doubt. are out 10 |
clean up al the tournament. and there
isn't anybody IN this town who will not I
superiority and winsthe fortunes put I'D !
in prize money. But there was a grin }
when the clever Gauls said that they
were going to make a try to cop out also /
cup which II is understood an amateur |
aviator has put up. but not as an induce |
ment for speed flyers
There's a lot OF veXation about the /
French quarters for the man who doesn't |
speak French. BY this time the boys who |
belong on this side OF the Atlantic have !
got their hooks on the slang OF the |
man from London. AT first it did seem |
as If one had a better chance with dear /
old Paris
Prominent over there around the han /
gars are the two big inventors and flyers /
Wilbur Wright and Glenn Curtlss. Wright 4
likes 70 squat down on the grass and 1
watch his machines at work lie talks +,
Oftener these days than was his won't on |
former visits TO New York or points out /
side Dayton, and he has a great smile. /
that springs from the ill-cOucealed con-
fdence that he's get everything beat In /
Nthe airship line.
II doesn't take long 10 get acquainted I
with those flying machines. and one soon I
picks out from the sky a Bleriot, an An /
toinette a Curtiss. a Farnam. or a |
Wright just as unerringly as Flam- |
Latham Gets Mardi Gras Vote.
While all the machines that are entered /
in the events come n for praise, II seems /
that Latham and his Antoinette got the
Mardi Gras vote. This craft is about as I
graceful and beautiful sky thing az any
that has lowered over this part OF the I
earth. The women folk admires It's lines I
and apparently indolent style Of travelling /
while the men were struck with the speed /
and ease with which Latham guided II
around the big course in the distance /
trials.
There's a code for the air and regula- |
lions have been prescribed for a contest
ant who desires 10 overtake another |
He must not pass below another contest |
ant who is not at least $50 feet above the 1
ground. When the rule was promulgated /
Capt Baldwin let il be understood that
he wasn't going 10 fly high, and that II /
anybody wanted to pass below him that /
body would have to take the subway
Which is ridiculous on its very face /
How can an aiTship travel along In a /
subway? Grahame-W hite's objection or /
point is well taken
AS the big automobiles whizzed back
TO the city, the roadway was lined with 1
cars that had blown new tires were /
in process Of adjustment and the wait |
was long and tedious II made the day /
Of the aeroplane look all the brighter |
although night had settled IN the auto |
and countryside.
BrOOIIins Makes Runaway of 1t. /
The surprise of the hourly distance /
flights has been the way Brookins. in a 4
machine driven by four-cylinder Wright /
motor of the old type and capable of only 1
about 80 horsepower indicated, Jumped /
away from a flock OF Bleriots Of 80 horse /
power, and the Antoinette, which is /
equipped with A. horsepower Antonette /
engine and driven by Latham. the dean /
Of Frances aviators. The official score |
shows that Brookins. who was flying a 4
Wright climber, which is smaller than /
their cross country machines, but larger /
than the new Wright racer and only half |
as powerful, made twelve laps with his |
low power engine in about 2I5 minutes. /
whereas it took Latham's monoplane |
36 minutes % and a fraction seconds to 1
circle seventeen laps
During Brookins first swirl of the field /
in his altitude climber he tipped by /
Grahame-White's so horsepower Bleriot /
50 fast that at the end of the first lap /
there was Il strip OF sky about 200 yards /
long between the tail of the Wright BIZ |
plane and the nose of the Bleriot mono /
plane. The fans. who had seen Glenn |
Curtiss al Boston remove almost a quar- |
ter of the middle section Of his lower |
main plane in his newest and fastest |
Curtiss machine about six weeks ago and /
then fail in his efforts 10 outspeed this |
same Grahame- White Bleriots monoplane !
which the smaller Wright biplane ran /
away from the other day, at first thought |
that something must be wrong with the !
French machine. which was built for |
speed alone.
And II that Wright roadster can run |
away from Bleriots and Antoinettes." was |