The San Francisco call., 1910-01-14
KNIGHTS OF AIR
THRILL CROWDS
AT GREAT MEET
Mercurial Frenchman Attracts
Attention of Vast ThrOng
by Daring Feat
May Attempt Flight From Los
Angeles to San Diego
in Airship

Los ANGELES. Jan. 13.-Every one
I'm Los Angeles tonight wants 10 go ar
in an sirship-not quite perhaps to the
AIartian canals, but Just low over a
soft turf course on sunny day. 1t is
lair TO say that If the science develops
as fast as ii did today on aviation field
Lere the craze VIII be almost as COM
mon as golf
Louis PauIhan Of France did not do
anything so wonderful today as seek
ing pathway to paradise, but he took
mo two passengers. circled the field
with them several times and cut cross
lots i'm what was considered an attempt
to slow down Glenn II. Curtiss. who was
dying the regular course at the same
time for 10 lap speed record. The
passengers We're landed safely and TO-
900 women breathed sighs Of relief
ATRSHTPS 4 SPORTING FACTOR
Flights with one passenger became
an ordinary event No speed or alti-
tude or endurance records Were broken,
but the days trials demonstrated the
possibility of the airship as d COM
faerciaL and at least a sporting factor.
lr may be true that within a few years
The idle rich may escape the hot sum
mers by taking an airship to the north
pole.
Curtiss manager, J. :. Fancuilli, pro-
Tested against Paulhan's getting in the
way Of the Curtiss machine during the
9" lap trial and a contest may develop.
Curtiss attempted TO make a record for
This. but failed. His total time was
D minutes - - seconds. Later Paul
ham tried TO beat this. but failed by
five seconds.
The events on the aviation field were
eofpsed late in the afternoon by a
strange sight in the sky. of over the
ocean bright starlike apparition ap-
reared. Thirty thousand necks stretched
lack and 10000 faces looked in wonder
at the Leavenly visitor.
Was II Halley's comet or q new air.
snip from Mars come TO mock2 All
along the fence lire and through the
Villages 70 Los Angeles and on the
street corners OF the city awed crowds
stood
LOOKS LIKE An AIRSHIP
ITS an airship." said man on a
soap box 7 can see the smoke from
tae engine and see the propellers
move~
on tie neid the real ships were NOV
e with the regularity almost Of an
express train. Tt seemed as safe ar
driving the old mare TO town over
quiet country road.
Picture white track marked on A
green neld. A platform station. A
woman I'm "a sealskin jacket. her yellow
hair bound close in an automobile cap.
waiting impariently- II Is time for the
San Francisco limited.
Around~ the corner Of the field the
noise Of an engine is heard. With
dip and rush OF air q winged car of
silk side planes stops at the platform.
The driver touches his cap, and stands
aside while the woman climbs into the
seat beside him.
we arc late remarks the driver
a wave of the hand, a shove on the
lever and the 6iplsne rises i'm the air.
CHER and faster. disappearing in the
direction of the city.
SCENE BECOMES COMMON
This was the scene many times dur
ing the afternoon meet
only the difference Of a circular
course and bank Of humanity cheer
ing wildly as though a great thing
svas happening.
Tie fourth day of the meet bore
few features until the passenger car
rEing flights Of the late afternoon.
Curtiss made a qualifying flight TO
keep his time from being penaIized.
willard won prize in a Curtiss ma
chine for starting and landing within
tlc limits of d 20 foot square. Ham
It0n made a circuit in 4 Curtiss ma
chine. The Gin-Dosch entry from Bal
timore made a short fight. but had to
retire until repairs could be made TO
the propeller. The Kasson monoplane
a focal machine. burned its framework
The Bleriot monoplsne hoped lamely
around the field. but did not appear to
have power enough 10 rise far.
To see these things an immense
throug made q holiday. Gay parasols
and toy balloons dotted the crowded
.srandstand- The clouds OF the early
morning faded away into the noun
rains. All combined to give the sky
pilots a great opportunity
LATHAM-S RECORD LOWERED
cortland j. Bishop. president of the
Aero Club Of America, received a ca
biegram from the international aero
society in Paris during the afternoon.
saying that Hubert Latham's record
for altitude was 3,444 feet, made jan
uary Z, in France The judges con-
nrmed Paulhan's record Of 4.1s6 feet.
Hamilton during the day made
flight with his rudder wheel tied to
show that the Curtiss machine could
be operated without the Wright pat
enfs
clifford p. Harmon OF New York an
noumced that he would start during the
second week in February from San An
tonic. Tex. in his balloon New York
TO attempt TO break the worlds dis
+ance record The record now is 1000
miles Harmon also viii try to lift
the Bahm cup, now held by A. Holland
Forbes. with 693 miles. He is assured
81 q sufficient quantity of gas in Texas.
MACHINE SEEMED ALIVE
IN discussing his world beating
fight Paulhan said
NY machine seemed to have soul
7 believe 7 could have gone to sleep
and my good machine would have car
ried me for hours and hours gently and
securely.
j suppose now that ] have beaten
Latham he viii hurry his machine out