New-York tribune., 1910-08-22
WIND CHECKS Of z KINDS
One for AViat0rs and Other for
$4,000 Spectators.
SHEEPSHEAD FLIGHTS OFF
The Talkative Megaphone Man
and Clifford B. Harmon Prin-
cipal Figures at Track.

Owing TO yesterdays wind. che deScIiI-
ton OF the fights that were going 70 be
made at the Sheepshead Bay racetrack
VIII be indefinitely postponed
There were two or three straightaway
fights. but they were brief and low
But FOR the wind at least two dozen
events doubtless would have been flown or
by the haIr-dozeu Curtiss aviators. The
programme was specific on this point. and
the raegaphone man, although zoo hopeful.
was pellucidly clear.
Az the wind did not wane with the az
ternoou. the events of the day were chtefiy
four. follows:
Event No Flying machines on vieW
under roof TO those having paid 81 each.
Event No 2-FTyirg machines tsame) re-
moved from under roof to the open fed
and to the racetrack, where they were
cranked up and those near the latter got
dusty
Event No. 3-Straightaway fight by Mars
CUrtiss and Ely. one at time; longest
flight. 80 seconds: highest altitude. % feet
Event No. LWi1d check announcement
by the uegaphone man. whose name Is
Phil Perkins and he did clever work, oy
the way
Perkins vas baIIyhoo man for a snake
and alligator show at Joplin. No. when
BUD Mars ran into his vocal blast one
night and induced him 70 so into the
neutrality-suspicious. business "a the official
hush artist for the Curtiss troupe
When the spectators need Information az
TO the velocity Of the wind and probabfh-
ties Of the weather 20 take their minds
away from raising a riot Perkins quiets
them by recommending the wind check TO
one and all, adding a few statistical re-
marks az 20 some of the things wind
could do to a Curtiss aviator
Mar. Tries for Short Start.
About this time (s:45 o'clock Mars said
something about trying FOR favorable men
ton in the short start race. perhaps a
record
Several or7cia1s OF the Aero Club and
others OF the National Council acted as
tiTneSeepers.
Mars left the ground in : G-5 seconds
When IL came to measuring the distance
travelled no two Of the two classes OF Off
cals could agree on the spot from which
Mars had started. Several of the spec
tators offered to help find II, but that only
confused matters and made more work for
the policemen, who were pretty tired keep
ing spectators from seeing more than vas
good for them
Mars went UP later in something Ike
seconds. but a number of persons hao Iel'
the grounds and did not see him do IL
About ten thousand persons had iert ano
perhaps five thousand still refused 70 DC
viDdchecked
There was another event 4 wireless
instrument was placed on CurtlsS ma
chine as IL rested in the track Another
wireless outfit was stationed or the roor
Of the grandstand, and Major Samuel Rc-
her from Governors Island. made tests
that we're said to be interesting and satls-
factory TO the experts at both ends
Perkins told the crowd about the ex-
reri,ne,+s in a general way through his
megaphone, but the spectators seemed
only partly interested. having paid their
money 10 see beautiful flying machines IN
/ the twilight, not 10 hear part OF lecture
bv a man they could not help but feel
was only partly informed. and prejudiced
possibly.
Tie aviators felt badly 10 disappoint
such a large, well hammered crowd, and
vet they said that they did not know how
they could do otherwise
Mrs. Mars was sorry about the wind.
too She said It was the first day she had
worn big hat 10 the racetrack and she
! had not known a moments peace 1t was
an awfully loose hat, and really big, and
Mrs. Mars did not want II to scoop its
capacity of wind and she weighing only
ninety-three pounds.
Harmon Was There.
Clifford 3. Harmon. the foremost Au1er1-
can amateur aviator, wflo few across Long
Island Sound on Saturday evening and
missed stone wall by only one hundred
feet IN landing. was in the inner field with
I Mrs. Harmon
He said he supposed the wind a the race
track yesterday was blowing at the rate Of
! fifteen miles an hour; not so strong, he