New-York tribune., 1910-06-01
PRIZES FOR FLIGHTS TO
ST. LOUIS AND CHICAGO
Curtiss's Triumph inspires Offers
of $4,000 and $4,000
for Greater Efforts.
CONDITIONS NOT MADE YET
Experts in Aerial Navigation
Will Study Routes To Be Flown
by Aviators-"Will Be
Won" Says Curtiss.

two big prizes for aerOplane flights, one
of $4,000 for a trip between this city
and st. Louis, and the other, of $4,000.
for an aerial voyage between this city
and Chicago.
The prize for the Chicago fight was
offered by The New York Times in
conjunction with The Chicago Evening
Post; the st. Louis prize was an
nounced by Mayor Gaynor at dinner in
honor of Glenn II. Curtiss in these
words:
Mr.. CurtiSss memorable flight has
demonstrated the possibilities of inter-
city communication by aeroplane. To
further encourage aviators, to inspire the
brave and heroic pioneers in air travel
| to still greater feats. The World and
The st. Louis Post-Dispatch' now offer
a prize of 100000 for the first successful
aeroplane flight between New York and
st. Louis. The conditions governing this
fight will be announced shortly. after d
conference with aerouautic experts
After prolonged applause the Mayor
added:
while this prize is positively offered,
] am advised that it is subject to an in
crease
Asked if he would try for the prize, Mr..
Curtiss said he did not know, but added:
Il think the prize will be won, however
Although conditions for the Chicago
flight are not settled, it is probable that
ten days will be allowed for the flight,
and that it will be stipulated to take
place before October 81.
1t was a notable gathering of scien-
fists, inventors and men of affairs.
Among the fifty guests present were
fourteen who in some contrivance at
some time had travelled in the air, three
as passengers in aeroplanes. The avi-
ators, besides Mr.. Curtis, were Charles
n Hamilton, Captain Thomas S. Bald
win and Clifford B. Harmon.
Balloon Experts on Hand
The balloonists were A. Leo Stevens.
A. r. Hawley and Augustus Post, and
those who have been passengers were
Byron r. Newton, Jerome Fanciulli and
Stanley Y. Beach. Israel Ludlow was
injured by a fall from glider of his
own construction in FLORIDA and Joseph
seymour anu ttldItCS Ahdilis bCNh
have taken trips in heavier -than-air
machines. William ]. Hammer and
James NJ. Beck have journeyed over
Paris in balloons.
The address of James NJ. Beck, former
Assistant Attorney General of the
United States, would almost persuade
blind man to become an aeronaut. En-
tirely unlocked for by the guests and
delivered, Mr. Beck said, without pre-
paration, it was so POLITICALLY charged
with the possibilities for the future that
the master achievement presents that
cigars were permitted to go out, eyes
became moist without their owners eX-
actIy knowing why, and Mr.. Curtiss
might easily have been fatally stricken
with happiness at the power of the
speakers eulogy. Mr.. Beck was not at
the speakers table, but was unexpect-
edly called on to toast the Mayor. He
did that also to an appetizing brown.
At the speakers table, with the Mayor
and Mr.. Curtiss, were Hudson Maxim
president of the AeronauticaI Society;
Samuel FL. Valentine, acting president of
the Aero Club of America; Brigadier
General Walter c. Howe temporarily
commanding the Department of the
East; Colonel John Jacob Astor, Don c.
Seitz, Adolph S. Ochs. and C. J. Ed
wards, of the Aero Club
- Cheers Greet Mr.. curtiss.
Mr.. Curtiss, introduced by the Mayor,
was greeted by a cheering, standing
audience. Telling of his preparations
for the trip from Albany to New York
he said:
/ tried to prepare myself for every
possible contingency; every bolt and nut
on the machine was fitted with spring
washers and cotter pins, reinforced with
coat of shelIac TO keep it from wearing
loose. All the turn buckles were fas-
tened with tape and the surfaces gone
over carefully and reinforced; but there
is one thing which l entirely overlooked,
and that was the possibility of being
called on to speak.
There is one thing that came to my
mind during the flight which might be
worth mentioning here. and that is the
difficulty of finding suitable landing
places for the flying machine in or neal
the great cities: and / believe that city
governments will find il necessary and
suitable open spaces for flying machines
TO land. and perha ps to pass ordinances
preventing aviators from endangering
their own lives and those OF the citizens
by flying over built-up portions of the
city.
Mr.. Beck said he was met with almost
offensive incredulity by the Hudson Full
ton Commission when, as chairman of
the aeronautics' committee last sum-
mer, he suggested that an aviator be
secured to fly from Grants Tomb to
Governors Island. Continuing. he said:
And yet. before we had signed orr
contracts. Bleriot had flown across the
Channel, and here twelve months later
we are sitting celebrating the event to-
day the very idea of which only one.
year ago seemed an impossbility. And
anything that | say in this regard is not
10 belittIe anything that Mr.. Wright did
at that time. which was then an extraor-
binary undertaking. 10 go up the Hud-
son 10 the warships and return. but il is
simply No illustrate what wonderful
progress &he science of aviation has
made.
Mr.. Beck added that the presence OF
the Mayor whom rlmor said might soon
he fving TO Albany and thence to Wash
ington. was fitting in the extreme.
Mr.. Maxim told of the aerial navies
that the world would be controlled by In
201o. and then said
Neither shall we have TO wait a hun