Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-30
Aviator DeSCends at Springfield
and Smashes Schedule for
Long Distance Flight
WITH RAILWAY SPECIAL
Thirty. Thousand People Throng
Fair Grounds When Sky Ship
Ends Marvellous Voyage
TAssociated Pressl

| atOr waiter BrooklnS anBnIeQ IN Ilo
state fair grounds here at 4:27 p. n.
today, seven hours and twelve min
utes out of Chicago, after having
sailed his Wright biplane the 1877
miles with two stops. The stops were
at Gilman, seventy-f1ve miles from Chi
cago, at 1880 a. M, and at Mount
Pulaski, 163 miles from the starting
point, at 1920 p. m.
The first stop was for water, oil and
| gasoline; the second for that and be-
cause his engine was hot, due to a
| broken pump.
Brookins broke the American long
| distance Continued flight record and
thereby won the 1000 prize offered by
the Chicago Record-Herald.
Brookins reached the fair grounds
eight minutes before the station was
reached by the Illinois Central fast
special train, making seven hours and
twelve minutes elapsed time from the
start in Chicago
The actual flying rate was five hours
and forty-four minutes, an average
rate OF thirty-three miles an hour.
MACHINE HOVERs IN AIR
Brookins found difficulty in alighting
because of inadequate policing or the
grounds, and the machine lowered in
the air for five minutes later before
he could land.
When the Chicago crowd arrived at
the grounds, nearly half an hour after
the aviator, he said to Chicago
newspaper man who was his passenger
on the day before and who was the
first to reach him:
"Where have YOU been all the time?
got here and have been waiting to
lunch with you as 1 promised. Here
you have kept me waiting half an
hour
Asked about the fight, he said:
"Why, 1t was nothing but staying
up That's all. 1t merely took time
more than usual-and that's about the
only difference from practice flight
| 1 knew l could make 1t.
"It was one of the prettiest flights
| I ever made. The country between
| Chicago and here is delightful. Every
where I was flying low enough-and
| went as low as 800 feet several times
| u could see the people staring up at
me from every acre almost. There
must have been three-fourths of mil
lion looking at me.
"Mv arms are tired, of course, and
It was a strain because had TO
watch all the while; but I am good
for the same thing right now, II neces-
sary."
Wilbur Wrights only comment was:
"As the woman says, I told you
so."
SPEEDS AWAY LIKE PIGEON
The ayiator's successful exhibition
flights here Tuesday and Wednesday
gave him confidence in his machine.
He left the ground without d1ff1culty;
circled to test his machine, and then
shot away like homing pigeon 10
the southwest in the direction OF the
state capital. His last words We're
spoken to Wilbur Wright, the inventor
of the air craft:
"Goodhy, Mr.. Wright, I'll see you IN
Springfield" he said.
Half an hour later the Record-H Herald
special train. crowded with Interested
spectators, started in pursuit OF the
aviator.
Brool1ins passed over Kenslngton,
thirteen miles from Chicago at 1856
and at 9:45 sped over the suburb OF
Harvey, nineteen miles distant. He was
dying about 1000 feet high and at
about the rate of so miles an hour.
The country roads and fields were
dotted everywhere with people Witness
ing the flight.
The village Of Monee, 81 inlles IrUIl r1,
here, was passed at 1910 O'Clock. Inc
aviator was flying steadily at about
40 miles an hour. The special train
was eighteen miles behind him.
The biplane passed over Peotone, 40
miles distant at 1922 and over Mateno'
five miles farther on at 1924. IL was
averaging, unofficially, about 80 miles
an hour. Tucker, 80 miles from chi
cago, was passed at 1912.
TOWN sUsPENDs BUSINESS
Brookins passed over Kankakee at
1858. Business was suspended in the
town as the aeroplane, moving ap-
narently at the rate of so miles an
hour, passed high above the streets
When the aeroplane passed Otto, 60
miles from Chicago, at IL o'clock, 1t
was flying at height of about 1000
feet The special train following
Brookins had not yet sighted the ma
chine, but as the aviator had MAIN
tanned an average speed of about 80
miles an hour since his start, it was
expected he would be overtaken
shortly.
Brookins passed above Mount Pu-
laski, 1863 miles from Chicago and SO
miles from Gilman at 3:19. having
maintained a speed eliminating his
stop of seventy minutes at Gilman of
about SO miles an hour. Hamilton's
record of Sc miles without stop was
beaten by Brookins, therefore, by two
miles in his flight from Gilman to
Mount Pulaski
Brookins descended just beyond
Mount Pulaski. which, is "a miles from
Sprinfield, at 1920 p. m. He resumed his
flight at 3.45 p. H., HdNlnB peSn uOWH
25 milutes. The special train was two
miles in the rear when the race was
renewed.
Brookins arrived at the state fair
grounds at Sprinfield at 4:26 p. m.
Thirty thousand persons crowded the
grounds.
At 8 p. m. BroolSins was met officially
by John Crebs, president of the Fair
association, and the air man turned
over to the official a message penned
by H. H. Kohlsaat of the Chicago
Record Herald, reading:
ITO the President of the State Fair
association: With the compliments of