The San Francisco call., 1910-09-30
Birdman Flies IS7 Miles From
Chicago TO Springfield in
z Hours IL Minutes
i~He Beats Fast Illinois Central
Special Train in Spite of
Making Two Stops
Host for Night Calls Upon Police
to 0ueII Crowd So Aviator
Can Sleep

NPRINGFIELD. ILL.,, Sept. %
Aviator Walter Broolins alight-
- ed in the fair grounds here at
AZ p. m today. hours and L min
utes out of Chicago, after having
sailed his Wright biplane the l&
miles with two stops. He was at
Gilman. H., 3 miles from Chicago, at
l1:50 a m and at Mount Pulaski,
Ill., I65 miles from Chicago. at $50
r. m. The first stop was for water,
oil and gasoline; the second for that
and because his pump had broken and
. the: engine became hot.
Wins $4,000 Prize
BrooBins in his long sail broke the
Aenrican long distance continuous
fight record, and thereby won the
Asio.O00 prize offered by the Chicag go
Record Herald, which conducted the
a.gJt.
Brookihs reached the fair grounds
eight minutes before the station was
reached by the Illinois Central fast
special train. He made the dip to
alight at 4s27 p. m. making hours
and j ? minutes elapsed time from the
start IN Chicago. The actual flying
time was hours "A minutes. an aver
age flying rate of Ss miles an hour.
Crowd Delays Landing
.-: Brookins found difficulty in alighting
Because. Of inadequate policing OF the
grounds. and although he arrived over
the grounds at 4.22 ii was FIVE minutes
later before he could land.
The crowd surged about him, threat
cning to crush the curious bird ma
chine. TIL he had to make a personal
appeal to get the throng back.
asked about the flight. he said:
Why. it was nothing only staying
up. that's all. It merely took time
more than usual-and that's about the
Only difference from a practice flight.
knew could make it.
1T was one of the prettiest flights I
ever made. The country between Chi
cage and here is delightful. Every
where 7 was flying low enough-and I
vent as low as 900 feet several times
IL could see the people staring up at
Nsne from every acre almost. There
must have been 100000 looking at me.
81 Told YOU" Says Wright
Ny arms are tired. of course. and it
was strain. because I had to watch
all the while. but 1 am good for the
same thing right now, if necessary"
Wilbur Wrights only comment was:
LAS the. woman says. I told you so. 80
At 8 p. III. Brookins was met officially
by~sIohn c. Crebs. president of the fair
association. and the air man turned
over to the official message penned
by H. H Kohlsaat Of the Chicago Rec
ord-Herald, reading:
TO the President Of the State Fair
Association:
'sNIth the compliments of H H.
Kohlsaat. via the first air line from
Chicago TO Springfield"
Brookins announced that he would
make exhibition flights tomorrow aft
ernoon at the fair grounds, when a
squadron Of cavalry will keep back the
crowds.
Saturday afternoon he will race Bar
ney. .Oldheld for mile. eldheld driving
his 200 horsepower automobile
The aviator tonight is the guest of
Crebs. who requested a squad of police
TO, keep the crowds far enough from
ne house so Brookins could sleep.
Wright tonight added to his terse
remark He said:
There was never a time when ]
felt he would not make it. There was
strong wind right in his face for
most Of the way, so that he had to use
50 much more gasoline and oil that he
had to stop.
TT was only the broken pump, how
ever. heating UP his engine. that made
il necessary for him to alight at Mount
Pulaski. otherwise he would have gone
the whole distance to Springfield from
Gilman.
Fhe Farther the Faster
The machine viii 90 for any dis
tance: the only difference between this
and practice fight is that the oper-
ator has 10 werk longer. He few bet
ter the. farther he. went because he
had used up more gasoline and was
lighter"
only water, oil and gasoline stood
between 'Brookins and continuous,
sustained flight between Chicago and
Springfield he said that when his
arms tired he set the steering appa-
ratus with his knees and rested and
fn this way was prepared to travel
almost any distance.
In the race with the special flyer on
the Illinois Central. which had right
of way over everything, the Brook