Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-10-05
FLIES TO CAPITAL
eRooklNs SCARS FROM CHICAGO
TO SPRINGFIELD IN REC
ORD TIME.
is GIVEN GREAT OVATION
Young Aviator Goes 1856 Miles in Five
Hours and 40 Minutes and
Wins $4,000 Cash
Prize.

Springfield, Ill.-Walter Brookins, in
Wright biDlane. Thursday smashed
all records for cross-country aerial
navigation and brought the attention
of the world to this youngest of air
craft pilots by what is considered one
of the most remarkable feats in the his
tory of aeronautics.
With only two stops, neither of
which was actually necessary, he made
the trip from Chicago to- Springfield,
distance of 1856 miles, in five hours
and forty-nine minutes, maintaining an
average speed of 327 miles an hour,
and won the $4,000 prize offered by
a Chicago newspaper.
Along the entire route, from Chicago
to the state fair grounds here, hun
dreds of thousands Of people cheere6
the daring young aviator as he passed.
AS the great mechanical bird came
to the ground hereSi in the presence OF
10000 people he was cheered vocifer.
ously for fully half an hour.
Brookins left Chicago at 9:15 a. m.
He dropped out of the clouds over the
fair grounds in Springfield at 4:45.
One of the first persons to grasp
the airman by the hand as he Stepped
from his seat after the long and spec
tacular flight was Gov. Charles 8. De-
neen. who was followed by Mayor
John s. Schnepp Of Springfield.
Forty.seven minutes after Brookins
rose from the ground in Washington
park. Chicago. the Daylight Special"
left the Park Row station over the iii.
nois Central. A special car had been
attached In which Travelled Wilbur
Wright, the airship inventor: Roy
Knabenshue, special representative OF
the Wright brothers; members OF the
Aero club of Illinois, and about forty
newspaper men. This train was fated
to suffer the ignominy of being defeat
ed in race from Gilman to Spring
field by an airship.
After flight of two hours and TWEEN
ty-eight minutes Brookins came to GIL
man, where he arrived at 11:43 Brook
ms was far ahead Of the train and he
decided to alight and await the arri.
val of the train
The train arrived at Gilman at 1875
and orders were given by the division
superintendent Of the railroad to hold
the train until the biplane should re-
sumo its flight. The gasoline and wa
ter tanks were replenished, and after
the engines had been gone over care
fully by Wright and Knabenshue,
Brookins resumed his fight.
F'0m Gilman to Springfield the spe-
cial train and the aeroplane ran neck
and neck, first one forging ahead,
then the other. but never at any time
more than a quarter of mile apart.
Brookins was forced at 1920 to de.
scend at Mt. Pulaski for fuel, only
twenty-four miles from the state fair
grounds. The landing was one OF
the most remarkable that has ever
been seen in the history OF aviation
Trees and fences surrounded him on
all sides and with perfect control he
picked out q spot, after soaring about
In short circle. scarcely more than
half block square, and landed square
in the center. The special train was
held up. the aeroplane's supplies again
were renewed. and at 3:45 he as
cended again. From Pulaski to the
fair grounds speed of thirty-five
miles an hour was maintained.