New-York tribune., 1911-10-02
GBBONS'S PLEA RAIN ENDS FLYING MEET
Now Woodruff Plans Unofficial
Show at Nassau Boulevard.
SHORT FLIGHTS YESTERDAY
Five Aviators Go Up to Claim
Prize Money-Nothing for
Sheriff to Do.

What the Bishop Of Long Island and HIS
sympathizers could not do was accom-
plished by nature yesterday. and that was
TO stop Tim" Woodruff's flying meet
There actually was some flying az Nassau
Boulevard, but those who saw It did not
pay to do so and II did not accord with Mr.
Woodruffs wishes.
Sheriff DeMott and Deputy Sheriff Weise,
their hands tied by a sweeping injunction,
were on the grounds early to look after
excise and order. They soon had the salts
faction. however. Of hearing that TO all
those who had already paid their way into
the aerodrome rain checks would be issued
and that the remainder would be met at
| the gates with the announcement that the
meeting had been postponed. The strictest
| interpreter Of the Sunday law could not
quarrel with the conditions that resulted.
| Needless 10 say, no arrest was made.
The committee in charge Of the meet. in
cluding Mr.. Woodruff George F. Campbell
! Wood, Augustus Post and W. Irwin Twom-
bly, called the aviators together at the
! field headquarters in hangar row about
2.3O o'clock and asked them whether they
thought IN view Of the threatening clouds
and high wind, an attempt 10 hold the
events scheduled for the day should be
made. Opinions differed. and the COM
mittee could come 10 no decision because
! Claude Grahame- White and T. o. NJ Sop
WITH the English flyers. We're absent. As
soon as these two arrived, according 10 the
American aviators, the committee took
them apart for a conference. from which
they returned with the announcement that
there would be no flying.
The American aviators. piqued by what
they considered a slight Immediately de-
cided that there would be flying, and that
those who flew would put in claims for the
prize money involved I'm the scheduled
events. Accordingly, Heutenants Ellyson
and Arnold and Eugene Ely, Lee Hammond
and George W. Beatty made several flights
before the rain began TO inundate the
grounds al 40 o'clock.
Edwards's Sister as Passenger.
All Of them used biplanes. and none Of.
them did more than circle the aerodrome a
few times with or without a passenger.
The last two to go up were Beatty and
Lieutenant Arnold. Beatty with sister OF
Commissioner Edwards as passenger and
Lieutenant Arnold with Robert Bacon. jr,
son OF the American Ambassador 70
=
after short flights because Of the down
pour. Young Bacon. who wore a pair OF
white flannel trousers. was as anxious as
any one TO find shelter from the storm.
little later he could be seen trudging down
hangar row looking very much as If he
wore tights.
In spite Of Elys remark that If they
treated American aviatOrs in England as
handsomely as they treated English ayia-
tors I'm America it would be hard 10 restrain
him from sailing on the next steamer era
hame- White discovered grounds yesterday
for a protest. The Englishman was told
when he arrived at the aerodrome in the
morning that. although he had broken the
American record for altitude with a passen-
ser the day before he had started two
minutes after the official time for closing
the event, and could not share, therefore,
in the prize money.
He asked @. F. c. Wood, secretary Of the
Aero Club of America, If, in accordance
with the rules Of the meet, a bomb had
been exploded TO mark the end Of the event.
Wood replied in the negative, whereupon
Grahame- White pointed out that he could
not be held responsible for his tardiness,
and would claim the first prize OF 500.
All Of which led the aviator TO remark
that instead of starting another flying
school over here there should first be es-
tablshed a school for the training Of flying
meet officials.
Drenching for Spectators.
Fifteen hundred or two thousand persons /
shared IN the disappointment caused by the
wind and the rain, and half of these added
q thorough drenching 10 their disappoint-
ment. The other half escaped getting wet,
on the grounds, ut least by taking early
trains back TO town. Some were told to
come again to-day and others that their
tickets would be honored next Saturday or
next Sunday.
AT O. meeting last night Of various Of
fcials responsible for the International
aviation tournament # was decided TO end
the meet officially. The weather man was
called mp ana said that the prospects were
bright for three or four days Of rain AS
the Aero Club of Americas sanction for a
meet can he extended only three days be-
yond the last day scheduled on the pro-
gramme, no other course seemed open 20
the conferrees
Mr Woodruff is now trying 20 arrange for
two days Of further flying next Saturday
and Sunday. He win try to persuade all
the aviators available TO compete then for
the events cancelled in the two days Of
bad weather. and Will honor then the rain
checks and tickets SIN held by those who