Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1911-08-25
BORDEAUX-NEW YORK

~ ~ - u " yE6G ~ quay
Aviation had, of course, made
mighty progress since Bleriot made
his famous trip across the Channel,
but though there was now a regular
line of aeropianes between Calais and
Dover nobody had yet succeeded III
flying across the Atlantic.
In 1927 young Stockefellow, the
American Millionaire. offered a Erize
of 100000 francs to the person who
made the first flight from Bordeaux
to New York.
One million francs! The prize was
tempting one, and 80 men announc
ed themselves ready to compete for
it, among these Marius, the famous
aeronaut Of Marseilles. All the world
was in suspense and the odds were 25
to ! that he would win the prize He
had a few months before invented
motor of marvellous speed. weighing
only 10 kilos, and he felt confident
that going at its slowest speed he
would cover the distance between the
two cities in between 80 and 36 hours.
II he went full speed he boasted that
half an hour would be enough, but he
admitted he did not think his aero
plane would be strong enough to
stand the strain
AS soon as he had arrived at Bor
deaux, Marius began to put together
his machine, assisted by M. Grin, a
very skillful mechanic, but of very
jealous and unpleasant disposition.
The night before the start, NJ. Grin
who had been driking heavily, was
severely reprimanded by his master,
because he came near Wrecking the
aeroplane by coming down from an
immense height at full speed. Grin
said nothing but swore that he would
get his revenge. Marius once more
tested his machinery, found that it
worked to perfection, and went to bed
early to get a good nights rest.
He had very pleasant dream He
came in far ahead of the others, of
course, and at his arrival at New
York was greeted by crowd of hun
dred thousands gathered in Van Court
land park, where the race was to fin
ish He was carried in triumph, in
vited to more banquets than he could
of beautiful American girls besought
him to marry them on the spot.
In the meantime the angry mechan-
ic, thirsting for revenge, entered the
shed where the aeroplane was kept,
and when he came out again he was
grinning most unpleasantly.
|. At dawn Marius took his seat in
the aeroplane, seized the steering
wheel, pressed a button, and like Ma
homet a few centuries before, went
risen far enough to be sure not to be
caught in the adverse currents of air
over the Atlantic, he looked at his
compass and set the course straight
for New York,
For an hour he saw nothing but the
clouds below and heard only the low
buzZing of the motor going at its low
est speed. He had said he would not
force is machine, but he had counted
without his temperament Like all
Provencals, he was a born chatter
box; he must hear himself talk, the
loneliness began to annoy him, the
silence became oppressive, and at the
end of five hours he exclaimed quite
aloud Il can't bear this" and put on
more speed.
An hour later he sighed: FSacre
bleu. this is getting tedious. | must
get there. and he made the motor go
a hundred times faster.
Towards II o'clock he made fast
the helm and began to lunch. He kept
on lunching until nearly dinner time,
occasionally increasing the speed of
the motor.
At night he wrapped himself in his
fur coat, stretched out full length in
his chair and was soon sound sleep.
1t was a bright day when he woke up.
II believe | must soon be there he
said. and as soon as he had finished
his breakfast he descended a little to
make out something grown below.
Was it land or sea? He went lower
still. 1t was land.
Good heavens he exclaimed, Il
must have passed New York"
AS he looked down he was dumb
founded to discover that instead of
coming toward him, the fields, the
woods, the houses were running away
from him-he was going backward,
and must have been going backward
all the time-M Grin, his mechanic,
had reversed the handles controlling
the motor.
Everything was lost.
He bowed his head and came near
crying. Some distance away q few
miles behind him he discovered
large city steadily drawing nearer. He
stopped the motor, reversed it, and
making a great curve he swept grace
fully downward.
When he came nearer he discover
ed an immense crowd yelling itself
hoarse, and he shouted down:
Il beg your pardon, but would you
kindly tell me where | ann"
From hundred thousand throats