The San Francisco call., 1910-01-25
Rises Easily in Hall Gale With
Daring Frenchman in
the Saddle
PAULHAN WINS NEW
LAURELS AT TANFORAN
AviatOr's Mastery of the Air
Is Demonstrated Before
Awed Crowds
TO SEEK NEW RECORDS
If WEATHER PERMITS
By ARTHUR L. PRICE

BY ARTHUR L. PRICE
r TIGH across the face of a pink
II sunset cloud. far beyond the
u tall, dark line of eucalyptus
which edge the Tanforan grounds,
there sped yesterday afternoon the
silhouette of a fimsy, droning frame
work Louis Paulhan, the Frenchman,
in Farnham biplane, had conquered
Ithe upper air currents of the San
Francisco peninsula. He had made of
them avenues for his airship to travel
Wins Hazardous Victory
But it was the most hazardous vic
tory that Paulhan had ever wrested
from the bufeting cross currents of
the upper air. Edwin Cleary, his man
ager, declared that yesterdays flight
was the most dangerous feat of avia-
ton ever attempted
Paulhan himself said that at times
he was absolutely subservient to the
wind and that all the time he was up
or his last flight he was feeling the
wind. striving in vain to ind levels not
fraught with danger
But in spite of the imps of the cross
currents the brave little Frenchman
flew for eight minutes. going eight
miles-6O miles an hour-and rose to
an altitude of 700 feet. skirtinE the
range of hills to the west of Tanforan.
and at times passing out of sight of
the thousands at the aviation field.
Smallest Aviation Field
Paulhan made his brave flight be-
cause he would not disappOint San
Francisco again. He had made eight
short flights during the afternoon
with some fine thrills in them. with
| careening wings and startling dips
| along the course over the narrow field
Tanforan is the smallest field on which
aviation has ever been successfully
accomplished.
In the far north end of the course
his machine had halted after a high
! flight over the heads of the crowd in
front of the grandstand. He stood
around for a while wistfuIIy. gazing
! intentIy at the wires of his machine
| Earlier in the afternoon Edwin Cleary.
his manager, had attempted to per-
| suade him not to risk his life in too
dangerous trials.
why, il is suicidal, declared Cleary.
But Paulhan merely nodded his head
and played with his rough coated little
dog and gazed wistfuIIy at the wires
which held his delicate machine taut
4
with wisp of a mustache. He was
dressed in an iron gray knickerboeker
suit, with bulgy trousers Of the polo
players cut. AS he walked around his
machine he smoked gold tipped cigar
cites and shared his case with Mason,
his chief assistant.
Deputy's Mad GallOp
A deputy sheriff ganoped wildly from
the machine toward the grandstand
and the situation seemed critical. so
swift was the course of the horse.
Later the deputy galloped back as
wildly. He had brought bottle Of
beer for the mechanicians-
At 5:1s Paulhan vaulted into the seat
of his biplane. Mason erouched be-
hind the gasoline engine and started to
revolve the seven cylinders and their
inseparable companion. the long wood
| en- propeller. There was gust OF blue
vapor from the cylinders. The mech
anicians hung tightly to the tail of the
Farman, so that it would not start too
soon
Mason. having started the engine
lodged off to one side. The propellers
I famed the air into tremendous draft
Paulhan released his hands from the
levers and spread them as a signal.
The machine started on it's light BIZ
cycle wheels. and the TAIL which hal
rested on a skid. was lifted in the air by
the speed. Two mechanicians splashed
through the boggy field with the ma
chine and the wheels ehurned up
| lively spray as it ran over the poots.
Then Paulhan tipped the ascending
plane
Aeroplane Leaves Ground
With bound the 40 foot white
framework left the ground. climbing
about is per cent grade on the air
| levels. 1t went higher and sped faster.
the busy gasoline engine humming to
use the trite aeropIane expression. like
great cricket. 1t rose far above the
field, then turned at height of more
than 100 feet and scared back toward
the grsndstand.
1t was seen that this trip was to be
batter than a round trip. Paulhan ksSk