Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-21
Hamilton Makes a Worlds
Record While Flirting
with Grim Death
SHAFT IS BROKEN
Paulhan Takes Laurels for
Endurance and Height;
CurtisS Speed King
BY SHIRLEY A. OLYMPUS

NTHILE the shadows of night
w were falling rapidly across
" the green fields of Rancho
San Pedro, four aeroplanes,
which had been matching their
speed and power in the air, came
softly to the earth; 10000 spec
tators who had gathered on the
historic Dominguez property
wended their way down the
sawdust path to steam and cleo
trio trains; the midway was
closed for the last time; the
barkers put away their mega
phones and wares and the av1-
ators went to town. The tlrst
international aviation meet ever
held in the United States was at
an end.
AS a fitting final picture to the
wonderful scenes painted in the
sky by the daring aviators who
have made history in Los Ange-
les during the last ten days, a pa
rade, the most novel and unique
ever seen in the world, passed III
review before the huge grand
stand, where 176,466 spectators
have viewed the wonders of the
twentieth century. 1t was "a
pageant of progress in propui-
| sion and it showed the various
modes of locomotion from walk
ing to flying. There were men
on foot, On horseback, in an OK
cart. on bicycles, motorcycles, IN
autos, in a carriage and in aero
planes. The world has never
seen such parade before.
Two Final Features
For the final day were reserved Two
other features which seem to sum UP
the entire meet, from first to last o1'e
of the features was the test of speed
and endurance as exemplifed by Glenn
H Curtiss and Louis Paulhan' 1l'o
other was the element of danger eNeil-
niified bv Charles X. Hamilton, VINO
Shook hands with death when the pro-
heller shaft of his engine broke IN ma
air and he came quickly, though not
forcibly, to the ground.
Curtiss. the speed maker of the Worlu'
has taken all the prizes for fast tilllo
with his. Curtiss biplane. Paulllan mas
won the endurance, helght ana croSs-
country flights with his Farman ol-
nIane. 1t has been since the first DAY
| the meet began a contest between the
| C,l1rtiss and Farman machines. one IS
the thoroughbred quarter morse OF the
air: the other the slow, sure-footed'
| Ioad-pulling draft horse, no less -
thoroughbred. Curtiss raced through
space against Paulhan' ana won IL IL
speed, but Paulhan remained in the
air longer and so took the medal for
endurance.
Goodness Prevented Injury
| 1t was cool, calm Judgment, combined
with perfect aviation, that saved Hair
| ilton's life He had been for cross
country jaunt of fifteen miles in ms
! Curtiss biplane when he met with his
first serious accident. AS he came
RAPIDLY into view of the spectators, 25O
feet in the air and nearly half mile
| from the judges stand, his engine was
| heard to stop suddenly and the pro-
heller blade came to standstill with
| Jerk. For three-eighths of mile ha
glided downward, falling in that DIS
| tance $50 feet. AS he struck the sort,
barley-sown earth it was without even
a lar. Hundreds rushed to him to see
what was the matter. Laconically ana
without trace of his narrowing ex-
nerience showing in face or figure he
said. "Ny shaft broke and had to get
to the earth without killing myself, so
! I lust glided." 1t was the most daring
bit of aviation ever seen in the world.
Few if any in the vast crowd realized
that Hamilton had come closer to death
than ever before in his life. Had he
- h. xrrnp
which balances life and death for the
man in the aviator's seat of an aero
plane he would now be a shapeiess
mass on an undertakers slab. Instead
of that, however, he now holds worlds
record in the same manner.
Record Will Stand
Hamilton's glide proves most conc1u-
sively that the man who rides on the
wings of the wind faces death all thes
time, but he may avoid a clutch with
the grim reaper if he will but keep his
presence of mind and control his ma
| chine. There have been other glides,
forced and voluntary, but Hamilton's
record will remain untouched for many
day.
1t was late nearly o'clock. before
the first event, which proved the most
unique, took place. Down near the
hangers a band began to play, and q
| peculiar parade was formed. The band
wended it's way to the west around the
Judges stand and then turning, passed
| in review before the grand stand. Be
hind the band were scouts on foot and
fifty cowboys on horseback. Then fol-
lowed Ezra Meeker in his Oregon trail
ox-team wagon. Behind him rode more
vaqueros 1t was the station wagon of
the Dominguez family which showed
the next step in locomotive progress.
Two boys on bicycles and two with
motorcycles gave ocular evidence of
how large a step was taken from the
carriage to the seat of the 'popgun'
vehicles. Behind the motorcycles rode
Mrs. Dick Ferris and party of friends
in an automobile. AS the parade halted
for moment big spherical balloon
bumped against the auto nrst and then
against the moses of two racing diri-
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