The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-07-10

Atlantic City, N. J., July 9.-Walter Brookins, driving a Wright biplane reac ched an altitude calculated at 5000 feet over the ocean this evening and broke all existing worlds records for aeroplane altitude. The exact official figures now being worked out by en- gineers who took observations for trl- angulations will be given out later. The paragraph altitude recording in strument carried on the machine lowed an altitude of 6,100 feet. off cials using an altitude gauge on the ground gave the height as 56So feet and
 it is believed that the final official figures will show an altitude some where between the two.
 By this feat today Brookins wins the S5o00 prize offered by the At lantic City Aero club for breaking g the worlds record, unless higher al- titude is reached here before the end of the present meet.
 Brookins spent exactly 1 hour ? minutes, 35.15 seconds in the air, ac- cording to the official timing of Chair man Henry M. Nicely and Recorder Au- gustus Post of the contest committee of the national council of the Aero Club of America About 57 minutes of this time was used in the circling ascent, the rush of over a mile to the ground consuming less than seven minutes. ..s ser.s .- i
 Fear that Brookins at his highest point had not crossed the line of vie of charge of securing his height by tri- angulation startled officials and spec tators until 1t was discovered that the failure to secure record of his cross ing the imaginary line on which his record will be based, was on two swings at much lower altitude than at the final highest point.
 Brookins, after waiting all day for the brisk southerly wind to die out, made a spin of little more than 15 minutes, reaching an altitude of 1900 feet. His final start was made at sos o'clock with the weather absolutely clear and much of the wind gone iil lower attitudes. News that Brookins was attempting to break the altitude record reach ed the hotels and city peo- pie and 1t is calculated that nearly 100000 people watched the flight and cheered Brookins when he descended at i'll p. m.
 Men and women in the great throng threw up hats and handkerchiefs and the police had trouble keeping back the crowd until Brookins made his escape from the machine to his dressing room on the pier.
 Miss Eva Coffinn, sister of Frank Cof- finn. Brookins fellow aviator, pushed a bunch of roses into his hands which he waved to the cheering crowd as he mounted to the deck of the pier
 Brookins declined to receive callers and rested for 10 minutes before he left for his hotel in an automobile. He again went into seclusion after stating that he found the air currents steady at his highest altitude and that he turned to- ward to the earth when his aneroid barometers showed an altitude of more than 600o feet.
 | The official figures of the height really reached in the record breaking flight will be based upon the findings of City En- gineer Rightmire and former City En- gineer Hackney, who were still working on their calculations at midnight.
 Glenn Curtiss made several short flights while Brookins was preparing to ascend for his final trial, but descended without attempting any altitude flight or speed record ever the 50-mile course which ht
 expects to cover tomorrow.
 | Managers of the meet have communi
 cated with the Wright brothers for per
 mission for Brookins to fly tomorrow ant
 hope to have early morning flights, de
 spite the known objection of the Wrights
 Any flights tomorrow will be made befor'
 and after the bathing hours, to allow the visitors to use the. big stretch O
 beach which Is cleared during the flights