The Sentinel=record., 1911-08-13
COLLISION
 IN MID AIR
TWO AERoPLANES MEET IN AIR AT THE INTERNATIONAL
 MEET AT CHICAGO.
First Day of the Meet is Marred by a Series of Accidents But For
 tunately No Air Men Were Injured.

| NHlCdSo, Aug. 12.--A series Of ac- cidents that put three aeroplanes out | of business, without injuring their ] drivers, together with a darkened sky that threatened a downpour at any minute, did not serve to mar the success of the first day of the In lternational Aviation meet today While no records were broken, the number of aviators participating and the total time spent in the air exceed ed the anticipations even of the fliers.
 Arthur B. Stone and his mechanic in Queen Monoplane suffered the most serious accident, their fall re. sembling that in which Moisant maS death. They had risen to heignt ot 45 feet when sudden gust of wind struck the car and as Stone attempt cd q sharp turn, it overturned. Both fell under the monoplane but missed the engine and escaped practically unhurt.
 Almost immediately afterward F. c. Coffyn, by an earthward swoop struck the monoplane in which Rene Simon was rising, disabling Slmon's car so that it could not be used.
 The machines driven by St. Croix Johnstone, James V. Martin and Captain Paul w. Beck also were dam- aged while alighting. In no case was the aviator hurt.
 Incomplete arrangements for hand ling the aviators and lack of prepar- ation for events necessitated doing |away with tne program and only a part of the listed events took place Instead, the aviators started at once after endurance and altitude marks, attracted by the $2 offered for each minute of sustained flight.
 Earl l.. Ovington was the winner in the two chief events that were started. In his monoplane he de feated Thomas Sopwitn in the twenty mile monoplane race, making the l5 laps in 23 minutes and 51 seconos. ISopwith ended the race in six sec onds greater elapsed time.
 Ovington also won the IA mile race across water, the course being two trips from the judges stand around a crib three and one half miles out in the lake. Ovington completed the course in IT minutes and thirteen sec onds. Sopwith again was second with IT minutes, 20 seconds; Stone. who had obtained another machine, being third with 19 minutes 30 seconds. ] J Frisbie entered a protest to the decision, having been called.
 Unofficial estimates gave both the latitude and endurance contests to w /. G. Beatty. Owing to the confusion of cars. the judges were unable to keep track of their identity or start ing time and at late hour had been unable to figure the official winner of either. Unofficial timers recorded Beatty as having been in the air two hours and 45 minutes and having reached an altitude of 7.S00 feet, A. l l.. Welsh was second, with a total time Of two hours and three minutes C. P, Rogers was third, remaining in the air two hours and one minute. It was reported among the aviators tonight that Lincoln Beaohy prob ably would be disciplined for vio- lating the associations dales pro- hibitng taking unnecessary risks.
 It was after midnight when the judges finally completed their con ference and announced the official results of the five events on the af- ternoon flying program.
 At this time the officials announc ed that both A. L.. Welsh and w. C. Beatty had broken the American re cord for elapsed time in the air car rying one passenger. Welsh was III two hours and four minutes and Beat ty two hours and eleven minutes witf a passenger.