The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-09-30
bR00KINs HAILED
As KING OF THE AIR
Sets New Mark by Flying From
Chicago To Springfield, Ills,
and Wins $4,000 Prize.

4 ah Srounus Ut f.ZI D. m, yesterday,
seven hours. four minutes out from
Chicago, after having sailed his
Wright biplane the 1877 miles with
two stops.
He descended at Gilman. ILL.,, rs
miles from Chicago. at 1880 a. m.
and at Mt. Pulaski, H., 1853 miles from
Chicago, at 1920 p. m. The first stop
was for water, oil and gasoline; the
second for supplies and because his
pump had broken and the engine be-
came hot.
The railroad distance from the start
In Chicago to Springfield Is 1877 miles.
His official starting time was 9:15 a..
m. The longest sustained flight was
from Gilman TO Mt. Pulaski, 8S miles.
Beats Hamilton's Record.
Brookins thus broke Charles X
Hamiltons record for sustained cross
country flight OF &c miles from New
York to Philadelphia. He also made
the longest cross-country continued
flight In America and thereby won the
$4,000 prize offered by the Chicago
Record Herald.
In both places where the aviator
alighted, vast throngs gathered. Farm
ers, tradesmen and residents rushed
from their fields. shops and homes to
see what an aeroplane looked like at
short range.
AS Brookins swept out Of the field
at Mt. Pulaski one OF the small rub
ber-tired wheels on which he rolls In
making Roadway before arising.
struck hummock and was wrenched
off, Brookins, not knowing OF the ac-
cident, rose 1000 feet, and, heading
for Springfield. swirled away, leaving
the Illinois Central special train far
behind.
Locomotives Left Behind.
This was the second railroad loco
motive that the aviator had left far
behind In a fair race. Engineer w.
F. Burt, who made the first attempt
to defeat the air craft, had to give up
the attempt at Clinton, Ill.
Brookins reached the state fair
grounds eight minutes before the spe-
cial train reached The Springfield sta
ton, three and a half miles short OF
the fair grounds. The actual flying
time was Ave hours A minutes for
the 1s7 miles, an average OF - miles
an hour.
Brookins found some di6iculty in
alighting because of the inadequate
police provision at the fair grounds.
and although he arrived over the
grounds at 4:22, II was ave minutes
before he could land.
The crowd surged about hin. threat;
enins 70 crush thS rikehine. tin he
had to make q personal appeal to get
the thronG back.
When fAose on the special train
reached the aeroplsne, nearly half an
hour after the aviator landed, he said:
Where have you been all the time?
I got here and have been waiting TO
lunch with you as / promised. You
have kept me waiting half an hour"
Asked about the fight, he said:
why, II was nothing only staying
up, that's all. II merely took more
time and that's about the only differ
ence from a practice flight. / knew
could make It.
1T was one of the prettiest flights
Chicago and here Is delightful. Every
where l was flying low enough-and
went as low as 300 feet several times
Il could see the people staring up a.
me from every acre almost. There
must udNo D6tu tnfcC-iouA Oub Va
million looking at me.
MY arms are tired and It was quite
a strain because l had to watch all
the while, but l am good for the same
thing right now, II necessary"
Wilbur Wright JubIiant.
Wilbur Wright's first comment was:
"As the woman says. I told you So
After the aeroplane had ben stored
away, Mr.. Wright added: There was
never a time when felt he would
not make 1t. or course there was a
strong wind right in his face, most Of
the way, so that he had to use much
more gasoline and oil than he other
wise would, and this caused the first
stop.
1T was the broken pump, however,
heating up his engine that made 1t
necessary for him to alight at Mt.
Pulaski. Otherwise he would have
gone the whole distance to Springfield
from Gilman.
The machine will go for any dis
lance: the only difference between
this and a practice flight Is that the
operator has to work longer. He few
better the farther he went, because
he had used up more gasoline and
the machine was lighter.
Il think this has shown conclusive
ly that the aeroplane Is q successful
navigator OF the air, and those who
followed the machine from Chicago
In the train. with me probably feel as
confident and sure of Il now as do"
THAT Is what we are doing now"
interposed Roy Knabenshue, aviator
OF the Wright company. I'VE want
to disabuse peoples minds OF the fear
of the aeroplane and the idea that 1t
IL not dependable"
Miss Clarice Punch a dainty sing
ing Coincidence from the south, will
be on the bill In the Miles theater
next week, and will be heard In a
budget OF new songs of the kind that
are calculated to set the gallery going
strong on the chorus. One Of her
songs will be, ION Mobile Bay which
IL one OF Neil Moret's latest offerings,
Miss Punch is we'll known In the city