Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-31
AVIATORS CIRCLE
LIBERTY STATUE
MINUTE
MoiSsant, American, Covers SO
Miles in 81 Minutes,
Beating Foreigners
8 MAKE DRAMATIC FLIGHT
Grahame-White and Count de
Lesseps Present SpeCtaCu-
lar Race in the Clouds
8 MAKE DRAMATIC FLIGHT
ASSOCIATED Press)

ASSOCIATED Press)
NEW YORK, Oct. 30.-Three avia-
tors flew from Belmont Park this
afternoon, circled the Statue of Lib
erty in aeroplanes, swept back through
the upper air without nlshap anu
alighted, chilled but exultant.
John B. Moissant, flying for America,
covered the estimated thirty-siX miles
in "a minutes 1874 seconds; Grahame-
White of England was second IN 81
minutes, 2130 seconds, and Count de
Lesseps of France was third, IN
minutes, 56.25 seconds.
None, however, wins the S10,OOO prize
for the flight, offered by THOMAS r.
RYAN. as the rules prescribed that the
contestants can start any time be-
tween 2:45 D. m. and $3.50 p. m" any
day of the international aviation meet
Under this Interpretation Moissant, al
though he protested, must await the
result of any possible fights tomor-
row. He is at liberty to better ms
time of today as are Grahame- Whlte
and De Lesseps.
Moissant used a 50-horse power Bic
riot purchased from the Frenchman
today for $4,000 He had previously
smashed his own monoplane. He did
not start until 4:06 p. M, after both
De Lessons and Grahame-White had
finished De Lesseps started at 3:Oe
and Grahame- White at 3:09.
The written rules prescribed that nc
contestant should start after S:3g
D. M, but they were not enforced
today.
Hardly had the bomb announcing
the Statue of liberty fight exploded
IN midair when up from the field sour
ried De I.esseps in his 50-horse power
Bleriot. Gracefully he rose, circled
across the starting line, and as though
to make sure that his machine was IN
shipshape, flew about the course ano
then pointed its prov upward and
west. and went sailing maJestically
over the grandstand.
WHITE FOLLOWS FRENoHMAN
Grahame--White in less than min
ute was in the air in Bleriot of nifty
horsepower. Once past the startine
nvlon. the Englishman was off on ms
Journey at the heels of De Lesseps.
over Jamaica, following the railroao
as a eride. De Lesseps and Grahame'
White held their course into Brooklyn
Thev kent up their express speed de-
spite the biting cold. Grahame-Whlt(
was gaining, but De Lesseps was mrs.
out across New York bay and arouno
the statue about 1000 feet above the DIE
course.
i .sThe crowds along the Brooklyn water
FROM on Governors island and along
fhe battery, shouted and waved hand
After the turn White, with
the wind at his back, put on full speeo
and began cutting down ms rival
advantage Midway over Brooklyn the
ayiators were on even terms, at al
attitude of between 1000 and 5000 feet
hut reached the outskirts of the city
with Grahame- White ahead. DE Les
sons kent directly in the Englishman'
wake and now and then could be seer
working his control in an endeaVor te
get greater speed from his engine
Passing back over Jamaica, era
bame-White had a lead of about two
miles. Arriving at the aviation field
the Englishman started his descen'
from a height of 5000 feet. He came
down in a graceful sweep over th'
tops of the great trees.
AMERICANS FAST TIME
Moissant was tuning up his newly
houoht Rleriot At first its motors die
not sing true, but finally they became
atuned and he was off over the grand
stand.
Fifty miles an hour was the speed
the spectators reckoned he was MAKING
fen miles an hour. He crossed Brook
ivn at an altitude of 1000 feet. tt
those who had seen Grahame-Whit'
and De Lesseps it appeared that Mois
SAINTS machine was less steady. Nov
and then it seemed to dip or swing
from one side to the other.
Reaching the East river, Moissan
swept across to New York and passed
above the Battery. Then describing {
nretty half circle he dashed out acros;
the hay and around the statue.
Moissant did not fly at the high al
tifudes of the other two. Probably
9000 feet was his average, but often HI
was below that. He was numb witt
cold when he alighted, but was al
happy as a school boy when his tim'
FOR the thirty-six miles showed tina
he had accomplished the feat at bet
ter speed than a mile minute.
MoIssANT TELLS OF TRIP
Moissant said tonight: "I started
with a biting wind against me.
climbed higher and higher, for by
climbing two objects were accom-
plished. BY slanting upward, in goine
against the wind, it was apparent tha'
much of its deterring force was broken
The other reason was that had made
M my mind that to win I must trave
directly over the city of Brooklyn, and
/
cause of the treacherous air current!
created by big settlement of build
ings. The higher up I was the better
could escape the twisting currents
It Is hard for people generally, per
haps, to understand that with us avia
tors the higher up we are the safel
we feel. If you start to fall near the
ground, you have little chance to save
Yourself. But from far above you have
many chances of righting your plane.
Moissant is indignant at the prospec
of Grahame- White and De Lessep'
being allowed to compete again to
morrow. He won today, he contends
and even If the rules leave the contes
onen to any aviator during certain
hours of any day of the meet, HI
holds that he has eliminated his rivals
Of today.
"If they let Grahame- White hav'
another chance" declared Moissant, ="