Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-01-20
AvlAToas HOLD HIGH CARNIVAL
Frenchman Astounds Multitude and
American Outdoes Him.

Orusj thrlllIng nights with and without
passengers and four aeroplanes in the
air at the same time, breasting d semi
gale that sported dangerously with the
delicate contrivances, made a thrilling
finale for the 10000 spectators at Avi-
alton field yesterday afternoon that
had promised only tame little feats Of
fight.
Glenn II. Curtiss, the silent Ameri-
can, defeated his mercurial French
rival, Paulhan, in the keen race for
honors, and shattered the speed rec
ord for passenger carrying aeroplanes.
Rising into the high wind that held
the ponderous dirigibles of Knaben-
shue and Beachey helpless, the Ameri.
can few a wide circle in front of the
grandstand at the rate of So miles an
hour, with his friend, Jerome S.
FanchuilL, beside him.
Not to be outdone, Paulhan took one
of his mechanicians into his machine
and flew twice around the mile and a
half course. He failed to equal the
speed Curtiss had developed, though he
covered more ground than his oppon-
ent.
In the beginning the intrepid little
trenchman seemed to have again mo-
nopolized all the honors of the day.
Thrice he drove one of his big Far
man biplanes around the course, disre-
garding the stiff wind blowing in from
the sea. Then, in tiny Bleriot mono
plane, that looked like huge horse
fly, he gave the immense throng in
the stands and boxes the first thrill of
the day with an exhibition of nerve
and daring that surpassed anything he
has heretofore attempted.
Several times sighs of apprehension
and shrieks of nervous women rose
from the crowd as the tiny machine,
tossed by fierce gusts of wind, rolled
and careened in the air. Every mo-
ment was fraught with danger so great
that when the flight was safely over
and the monoplane had landed, far
across the field, the throng applauded
wildly.
Apparently secure in his renewed
role of star of the meeting and de-
lighted by the applause, Paulhan
brought out his Farman and flew
twice more, once going probably two
miles north of the immense aviation
field, out. over the trees of a contigu-
Gus ranch.
Curtiss remained silent. CARRIED in
oil-spotted working clothes, an old cap
and shoes that had seen duty, he spent
his time tuning up the eight-cylinder
motor on the biplane with which he
won the international cup at Rheims
Never once did he look at Paulhan.
When the fourth flight of the Far
man ended, the Americans machine
was trundled to the starting point and
without hesitation Curtiss motioned to
Fancuilli to get in.
Climbing in beside his passenger, the
aviator gave the word to his assistant.
A pop and rattle like automatic artil-
lery followed and the most remarkable
fight of the day had begun.
Describing a wide circle in front of
angles of the wind, giving his mana
ger thrilling fight. He landed al.
most at the spot from which he
started.
Lieutenant Paul Beck, of the army
signal corps, one of the judges, an
nounced that he figured the speed at
So miles an hour. When the record
breaking figures were posted, the
crowd went wild. Shouts and cheers
rose from the seats, automobile sirens
shrieked and hats were thrown up in |
the air to be blown away by the wind. |
Paulhan, standing beside his biplane
on the side of the field, saw the per
formance through binoculars. He
droppel them suddenly, gestieulating
wildly AS he ratified off instructions to
his crew, sending them racing to start
his motor. Then he mounted his seat !
and rose majestically. At the same
time Willard and Hamilton brought
their machines to the start in front Of
the grandstand. AS they rose, Curtiss
beckoned to Clifford Harmon, the New
York sportsman and balloonist, and
swept upward again. The four aero
planes circled the course and the
crowd cheered with renewed frenzy.
Paulhan landed in few minutes,
to regain some of his lost
laurels. He ordered one Of his assist
ants into the seat with him. Then
he arose and twice circled the circuit,
his great biplane soaring as gracefully
with the extra man as it had done
with Paulhan alone.
In quick succession, Curtiss tried for
a starting record and a record for
landing. He succeeded in establishing
both, but Willard, coming next to the
trial at landing, beat the best his chief
could do. Curtiss, however, set new
record for getting away, rising from
The ground SO feet from the start in
2-5 seconds from the time his engine
started
Paulhan tried to beat both marks,
but the best he could do was to rise
n 1917 seconds from the time his en-
yine started, and his machine ran
more than 100 feet along the ground
before it rose.