The Sentinel=record., 1911-07-11
BALLOONS IN
 A TEST RACE
SEVEN LEAVE KANSAS CITY IN RACE FOR PLACE IN BENNETT
 CUP CONTEST.
All Sail In Northwesterly Direction Under Favorable Circumstances -One Lands at Palo, Mo.
 Pilot Quits.

Kansas City, Mo-. July 0.-Driven lby a fifteen mile wind from the lsoutheast, seven SS,00O foot capacity lgas balloons sailed away from here today in the national balloon race. |The two leaders in the contest will be privileged to sail two of the three balloons that will represent the Uni ted States in the James Gordon Ben nett Cup Race, which starts from here october 1.
 Every pilot in the race was pleased |when the wind carried them over to the northeast. A long path, now stretches before them. There is of course, the danger of falling into one of the great lakes, but none of the pilots appeared perturbed over this prospect. The Aero Club of Ameri- lea which controls the race, has rul- ed that disqualification would not follow for any of the contestants who should alight in water.
 Not a serious accident marred the start.
 Five of the aerial craft got away in what experienced balloonists said were perfect starts.
 Too much ballast caused the Tope- |ka II to collide with section of a |canvas fence. The occupants of the basket were jared slightly and after la couple of bags of sand had been dropped the balloon lighted itself and lsailed away. n The Million Population Club. pilot led by William F.. Assman did not fill perfectly and. refused to rise at first. Freed second time, it climbed very slowly upward for about 150 feet and driften at that height for approxi mately mile. The dropping of bali last at this point caused the balloon to rise. When it passed out of sight an hour after the start, it had ascend : ed to an estimated height of 2,0OO feet.
 The entries in the order of their starting fallow:
 Topeka No. 1, at 4:07 p. m., w. F. Jacobs, Topeka. pilot; Carl Deinst- back, Berlin. aide; F. w. Stein, At chison, Kans., passenger. This craft sailed as a pilot and was not off, ciaiiy entered.
 The Kansas City, 5:1O p. m, H. E. Honeywell, St. Louis, pilot; John Watts W ats, Kansas Kansas City, aide.
 Miss Sofia. 5:20 D. m, William F. Assmau, pilot; John M. o'Reilly, aide.
 Topeka No. ?, 5:26 D. m.. Frank Nj. Jacobs, pilot; Raffe Emersop aide.
 Million Population. 5:36 D. m., J.. M. Berry. pilot; McCulloch, aide.
 The Buckeye, 5:45 D. m., c. H. Wade, pilot; R. H. Hitchcock, aide.
 The St. Louis ". 5:4S D. m., Lieu tenant Frank IT. Lahm. pilot; Lieut.. John Hart, aide.
 The New York, 6:O2, Clifford B. Harmon, pilot, Augustus Post, aide.
 A race not on the regular program was run between here and Liberty, Mo-, distance of 15 miles. Just as the first entrant in the race, The Kansas City, was leaving the ground a passenger train left a railroad sta tion, near the field. Simultaneously it appeared, the engineer and Cap- tain Honeywell determined to outdis- tance the other as long as the& paths were parallel. The engine won the race by two minutes. Great in terest centered Sbout the New York because it held the choice starting position, seventh in the race, and also because Augustus Post, the pilot. di- vided honors with Alan R. Hawley in plloting the American II to vic- tory in the James Gordon Bennett Cup race last year. The New York is a new balloon.
 Shortly after 500 o'clock tonight, Cowan Hubert of St. Louis, left the field in his 10000 feet balloon. the Missouri. in an effort to break the records for balloons of that size The record is 325 miles. Hubert was accompanied by Henry D. Weber of St. Louis. The pilot was ill when he ascended but he refused to aban- don his flight. This is Weber's first balloon trip.