The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-10-10
$4,000 PRIZE FOR
A|RSH|P FLIGHT
Hearst Offers Sum for Crossing
American Continent
NEW ERA IN AVIATION
Prizes Have Been Given for short
Flights But the Cross Country
Trip Will Lay others In
the Shade

New York, October 9--(SpeciaL) Fifty
thousand dollars for flying across the
American continent.
William Randolph Hearst offers this
amount to the aviator who will blaze the
aerial way of 5000 miles that separates
the Atlantic seaboard from the Pacific
slope.
1t is the richest individual prize ever
offered in America for the most impor-
tant cross-country aviation feat in his
tory.
Curtiss flew 14O miles from Albany to
New York Hamilton flew from New
York to Philadelphia and return, a dis
lance of liz miles. Paulhan traversed the
1S4 miles between London and Manches-
ter in an aeroplane. Moissant winged his
way 100 miles from Paris to London. Le-
Blanc, Auburn and Weymann scared
from Paris to Macy, on the German from
tier, and back to Paris again, a total OF
500 miles. There are purses for flights
New York to ST. Louis. The feats that
have been accomplished are remarkable
demonstrations. of the. praeticabiIity OF
the aeroplane. Those that are to be at
tempted in this country in the near fu-
ture are still more wonderful proofs OF
the marvellous progress in aerial trans
portation during the past two years. But
in far-reaching consequences they will
all be eclipsed by the momentous achieve
ments to which the Hearst prize invites
all aviatorS.
The continent that stretches over 5000
miles between the stormy Atlantic and
the slumbering Pacific ranges in climat tic
conditions from seni-Arctic frigirity
| through African aridness to the tropica
luxury and heat of the Orient Upon
its broad expanse are the worlds great
est fresh water oceans, rivers that are
like the Egyptian Nile and the German
Rhine, mountain ranges more wonderful
than the Alps and vast empires whose
stately wastes and wildernesses man has
never penetrated.
All this within travelling distance which
is about equal to the mileage between
New York and Gibraltar or New York
and London or scarcely less than the
distance to Paris, Vienna, Merlin or St
Petersburg.
The first aviator to drive an aeroplane
over this route will live in history. 1t
will be the greatest feat in the annals
of transportation. 1t will conclusively
prove that a new realm has been opened
to the dominion of man for practical
uses
Prosperity followed the first mule and
OK train that blazed the Oregon and
Santa Fe trails. In the wake of the first
chain of the first transcontinental rail
roads came work and wealth. After the
first automobile toured from ocean to
ocean a vast new industry, with many
busy little relations, came into being. The
effect of the transcontinental flight fol
the Hearst prize will even be more far
reaching At least 100000 people will
see the flight. Its educational value can
not be overestimated.
The conditions of the competition fol
the Hearst prize are simple. The flight
must be made over the breadth of the
continent In any self-propelled aeroplane
The contestants may start at Boston OIL
New York and alight either at Los An
geles or San Francisco or he may start
from either of these cities. on the Pa
ci1c coast, and finish at New York II
Is optional with the aviator to fly In
either direction He may fly as many
miles a day as he likes and stop as
often as he pleases or wherever he
pleases There is no limit to the num-
Der of stops that may be made nor to the
time the aviator may stop In any one
place The man who flies is the sole
Judge He may repair and rebuild his
craft so often that he is practically fly
| ing a new machine by the time he
reaches his goal. The only condition IL
| that he must make the entire flight with.
| ing 30 consecutive days. 70 consecutive
| hours and starts on the fight within one
wear from today