Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-01-27
AVIATION MEET CLOSES.
ourtiss Wins Speed Contest; Paulhan
Height and Endurance.

Aviation Field, Los Angeles, Jan. 21.
AS dusk gathered over the old Do
minquez ranch tonight four flying ma
chimes that had been circling in the
air in rivalry Of the meadowlarks that
for so many centuries have held do
minion there, settled softly to earth.
The masters Of the newest air craft
walked to their tents, the great crowd
filed down the roadway, and the first
international aviation meet ever held
in America was over.
All was peaceful and but few knew
that one man had been near death in
those last few minutes. Charles X.
Hamilton was returning from a 15-
mile fight toward the ocean, and while
mile from the aviation field the
crank shaft of his machine snapped.
To ship it would have meant a help
less drift upon the sea. To the aero
plane it means so little that no one
in the crowd noticed anything wrong.
Hamilton shut off his engine and SO
leveled and swayed his planes that he
was waited gently down, touching
with scarcely a thud. 1t was the best
piece of emergency handling of ma
chine that has been seen at the meet.
Curtiss and Paulhan-the great riv-
ais of the meet-furnished the excite
ment for the closing day. Paulhan
went up at 1925 o'clock for an endur-
ance fight. After he had gone two
or three laps of the course, Curtiss
started on a ten-lap speed trial, half
a lap, or more than three-fourths of
mile behind Paulhan. Instantly it was
seen that a great race was on-the
first real race Of the ten days.
The two airships, full power on,
came over the grandstand with the
speed of express trains. Curtiss, it
was plain, was gaining. He crept
swiftly on Paulhan 8 heels, and on the
third lap after starting he reached
Paulhan, flying above. The French
man for a few seconds held his own,
then Curtiss, in his American machine,
forged ahead by nose, length, and
finally by half lap. 1t was no race
after that. The American machine
was demonstrated as the faster be-
yond question.
As Curtiss rushed over Paulhan he
received the greatest applause that any
of his efforts have evoked. Paulhan
went on until he had travelled 64.4
miles and had been in the air nearly
an hour and half. Curtiss came
down after a 30-mile trip.
This race gives the whole story of
the meet. The Curtiss machines have
won all the prizes for speed, quick
starts, perfect landings, and those
events where light, swift machine
showed best.
Paulhan has won all the cross-eoun-
try, passengercarrying and endurance
tests, having a heavier, slower machine
and an engine which he trusts com
pletely. Paulhan has taken more than
$4,000 in prizes, and has broken the
worlds records for altitude and for
flights, alone and with
passenger.
A medal presentation took place
after this, then Paulhan went upon his
endurance flight. The French machine
never seemed to run so smoothly. NJ
E. Cleary, Paulhan's distinctly Eng
Iish manager, was filed with emotion
He broke out as follows:
Look at herl There she goesl
Watch the turn when the sun glints
the white planesl Isn't it mystical
above menY By George
like a magnificent albatross after a
Now it's lost on the
turnl It's greatl"