The San Francisco call., 1910-01-13
Throngs Watch Aviator

bE this time there was just one
thing in ali the universe for the crowd
the man and his air conquering ma
chine rapidly becoming a speck in the
gathering twilight. It seemed as
though this must be something new
even TO the eternal hills and the world s
old sea-
At the estimated height Of 1900 feet
A PauIhan described a great circle, as if
Y N-aelLug the currents. BY this time he
kss q mile and half from the camp.
By the time that word had spread that
he had beaten. the worlds record. and
the crowd was reused TO frenzy, he was
stiu climbing. He had taken Jacob s
ladder Of dreams TO the threshold of
the stars.
Two thousand feet and still climbing.
sense Of distance almost lost from the
earth. No one would have been sur
prised if the man and his little wings
had been swallowed up in the void.
At o'clock the machine became
palmer. Psulhan began to descend. He
came down easily in front of the grand
stand after being in the air nearly 81
minutes. AS he leaped from his ma
chine, cheeks glowing and eyes flash
ing. he was grabbed by his friends and
carried 10 the edge of the grandstand.
where he barred his head to the thunder
of cheers that came in his honor.
Exciting Scene Presented
The balloon New York, piloted by
clifford B. Harmon of New York, had
been in the ofing all day. It landed
in the center Of the field triumphantly.
From its basket Nine. Louise Paulhan
had watched her husband in his Far
man biplane circling dangerously From
behind the grandstand the dirigible.
driven by Lincoln Beachey, had risen
over the field and gone after the bal
loon as tug after a tow in a rough
sea Paulhan was trying out his BIZ
plane for the big qualifying tests.
The third day Of the meet-San Diego
day-was perfect. The flags in the
srsndstand hung limp. The field basked
IN the warm sun. The crowds poslred
The figure Of $4,000. The boxes were
gay with color. The stand was one
warm mass Of men and women. Down
the fence line, guarded by the 500 dep
uty sherifs, the crowd surged for A
mile to the gates.
stretched out before the eyes OF these
wondering people was a plateau dotted
with the newest designs in aircra r.
Near one Of the lower fences Paulhan
ad hidden from the other aviators and
was tinkering with a new engine.
There was much French chatter and
scampering about In the blue bowl of
the sky balloons were hanging.
-.A -A-DA -A-l-E Io-ccf-u Win no move
ment from the aviators' tents. Toward
noon Miscarol, in a Bleirot monoplane.
Hcu down the far end Of the course. and
Wletted the appetite Of the crowd
which had grown by this time to tre-
mendOus proportions.
Prepares for Flight
Paulhan. whose name was on the
lips Of the mob. had been straining 10
get away ia the air all morning. and
shortly after noon he began prepa "a
tiOns in earnest. His new engine tested
TO his satisfaction, he called his
mechanicians and took his seat A
cranking Of the propeller was followed
at last by an answering whirr. A cy-
clone generated in the rear that lifted
The hair Of the four men bending at the
tail
Paulhan waved his hand gayIy at a
group Of Frenchmen, whistled to his
little dog. lifted bis arms as though he
were about to fiy without any aid but
his own daring spirit, and the skids
left the ground.
After this first flight Paulhan hardly
gave his engine time to cool before he
tried another hight-this time with
AIssson as passenger. Apparently the
fight was as easy as the first, but he
did not rise as high.
At . O'Clock things began to hs ppen
The balloons and the dirigibles driven
bv Knabenshue and Beachey crowded
over the course. Two Curtiss machines
were drs gged TO the white marked
starting place in front Of the judges
stand. The maneuvering over and
above the balloons and dirigibles lifted
fhe crowd to a wild spirit Of shouting
A nd waving. A band played swinging
WALTZ music and the official starters
and markers took their places. The
cowboy sheriffs were busy chasing pho
tOgrsp pliers away from the line of start
Then the silent Curtiss issued from
his tent and the megaphone announced