The San Francisco call., 1910-01-18
BIG MACHINES
JOIN IN DIZZY
AIR MARATHON
PauIhan, Hamilton and Curtiss
WhirI Around Aviation Field
at Great Speed
Leak in Fuel Tank Forces the
Frenchman TO Descend After
Two Hour Flight

Los ANGELES, Jan. 17.-If you were
placed in the center of a whopping big
merry go round-above you and around
you a canvas panorama of plain and
river and mountain. all painted in the
vivid blues and green's and white of
the peripatetic artist-airships buzz
ing round you instead of the ancient
hobby horse and the wobbly swan
then you would realize the sight at the
aviation field today. AS Paulhan and
Hamilton and Curtiss rode round and
round it was enough to make one dizzy
10 watch them.
CHAPTERS IN NEW SCIENCE
In their circling, however. these chill
dren Of the air were writing chapters
in = new science. Paulhan kept il up
for nearly two hours-1 hour IS min
utes and p 2-5 seconds. to be exact
covering IN that time 75 $40 miles.
Had he kept up the speed for two
Fours more he would have beaten
Henry Farman's Nichelin cup time for
LA miles, a feat which the Frenchman n
promises to do tomorrow. Paulhan
descended on account of leak in his
fuel tank
Hamilton came down after his elev-
enth lap of the mile and a half course.
He was called from the air by one Of
his mechanicians who discovered that
2 part Of the machine was out of place.
Had Hamilton continued his flight an
accident of some kind undoubtedly
would have occurred to him.
In their air Marathon the biplanes
passed under and over each other many
times without mishap. Paulhap kept
the high course-200 feet-while Ham
ilton rode lower.
BEATS HIS OWN RECORD
Curtiss went out to beat his own
record for 10 laps round the course.
He succeeded in doing this. His time
was % minutes and 4 3-5 seconds. His
fastest lap was made in 2:l5. Paulhan
tried 10 beat Curtiss in this 10 lap race,
but his time was registered as 25-O5 1-5.
1t was a day Of clearest atmosphere,
and great crowds came out as usual to
see the "droming. Curtiss was the
first TO get into the air. After a short
d ght to test the wind, which had sunk
20 "a slight breeze. he took Lieutenant
Paul ". Beck. United States army sig
nal corps. as d passenger and made a
short low flight. Then he took up
Frank Johnson Of San Francisco. At
, o'clock Curtiss made his daily one lap
speed trial. timing 2-1S As. Ten min
utes later Paulhan came up over the
judges stand and motioned that he
was on an endurance test From that
time on during the greater part OF the
afternoon his white planes and singing
engine formed such a sight that the
crowd failed TO look from sheer monot-
ouy. Half an hour later Hamilton
joined him. remaining close to the
ground. Hamilton's first lap was made
A.
p~oXimately during the entire IL laps.
After Hamilton's fourth lap Paulhan
caught up with him, then pointed the
nose Of his plane TO the sky and leaped
over the yellow machine as a grey
hound leaps fence.
DIRIGIBLES MAKE FLIGHTS
The fat. wosfnlike dirigibles were
lugged out by soldiers and soon were
twisting round the safe middle of the
course. Lincoln Beachey made one lap
in 5;34 after the air had been cleared
Of the racers.
The Gill-Dosch machine. a Baltimore
entry. which has met with a series of
trihing accidents that has kept ii off
the course was brought out. 1t made
TWO feeble attempts TO start, but could
not rise. Later in the afternoon new
start was made. The machine hoped
along for few yards, rose to a five
foot height and then settled down with
p bump that broke the wheel carriage.
Mason nd Curtiss came out and few
4 dusk. Willard made a qualifying lap.
'Ifrord B. Harmon Of New York, an en-
thusisstic amateur. made short fight
alone in his new CUrtiss machine.
AERIAL RACE PLANNED
President CortIsndt +. Bishop of the
Aero club Of America received q cable
gram during the afternoon announcing
that both Germany and France had
sent challenges for a balloon fight for
duration and altitude during 1910.
Trance also announced that an attempt
would be made 10 lift the Gordon Ben
nett cup, won by Curtiss at Rheims for
speed. Curtiss covered 1912 miles in
3 minutes 50 3-5 seconds. Each coun-
try win enter three balloons There
are il countries in the federation to be
heard from. Bishop will leave for New
York at the end OF this meet and the
time and place for the contests will be
announced there.
BALLOON LANDS SAFELY
After drifting for some time over the
ocean beyond Redondo beach. the bal
loon Dick Ferris, carrying J. c. Mars
Of Oakland, fits pilot. and two women
ssengers-Mrs. Seidl Lawrence of
Los Angeles and Mrs. J. c. Mars-wss
at a spot between this city and Re
dondo The balloon ascended at 2:3o
o'clock and after it had risen to a
height Of 1000 feet was carried rapidly
sesward by 4 strong current. Then the
balloon was brought lower a landward
current was encountered and the land
ing successfully made.
Denver May Get Big Meet
DENVER. Jan. 17.-cortlandt f.
Bishop. president Of the Aero Club of
America viii be in Denver Wednesday
10 make a thorough study Of the condi-
tions here for international balloon
races. according to local aeronauts He
fcIegraphed Gordon L. Wands, secretary
of the Colorado aero club, to that ef-
feet this afternoon. DR.. r. L. Bartlett,
president Of the Denver chamber OF
commerce, and other men are attempt
ing to make arrangements for an in
tcrnational aero meet in this city.
Sacramento Wants Aviators
[Speoiol Dispatch 10 The Call
SACRAMENTO. Jan. IA Sacra-
mento commissioner has gone TO Los
Angeles for the purpose Of securing
the ayiators who are flying there to
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