The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-07-10
Seven Balloons will Leave Kan
sas City to Try For Honor Of
Representing U. S. in
Cup Contest
NOTED AERONAUTST TO COMPETE
Distance Travelled Will Alone Determ-
inc tho Winners. Participants
Landing in Water will be
ln Disqualified.

Kansas City. NO.. July 1O-seven
giant balloons, piloted by widely known
American aeronauts, today tug at their
moorings i'm the aviation field along the
Missouri river here and await the
starting signal I'm the National balloon
race. At s o'clock this afternoon, oi
rs soon thereafter as atmospheric con-
ditions win permit. the starter, A. h.
Lambert, president of the st. Louis
Aero Club, Will officially release the
first struggling air craft. An interval
of five minutes thereafter. until tho
last balloon shall have cleaned the
ground, a contestant Will be set free.
This is an elimination contest for
the purpose OF selecting two pilots TO
represent the United States I'm the
James Gordon Bennett cup race which
starts from Kansas City next october
5. In that race. which is an interna-
tional event, three pilots. the two lead
ers in the National meet and Alan X.
Hawley, will said under the stars and
stripes. IL was Hawley who piloted
the America ii to victory in the Ben
nett cup race last year by making a
spectacular flight OF 117i 1900 miles
into the Canadian wilds. on account
Of this performance he is eligible to
fly in the international contest this
year without making preliminary
trip.
The Entries.
The entries In the National race fol-
low:
Kansas City Aero Club-ISansas
City. III. T.. Honeywell. pilot.
ST. Louis Aero Club-St. Louis w.
Lieut.. Frank p. Lahm. pilot: Miss So
Mt. William y Assman. pilot and The
Million Population Club. John w. Ber-
ry, pilot.
Aero club of New York-New York,
Clifford b. Harmon, pilot.
Cleveland Aero Club-Buckeye, j. III. |
Wade, Jr., pilot.
Western Aero Association of Tope- |
ka-Topeka III. Frank M. Jacobs, pilot. |
The balloons are regarded as evenly |
matched, each being of eighty thousand
feet capacity. 'rEA.ias |
sidered in determining the leaders In
the contest. Kansas City, on account |
of it's inland location is believed to be
an ideal starting point for a race under
such conditions. With a good north \
or northeast wind, believe followers of |
be made. In the past many balloon
lists, sailing from cities nearer bodies
of water have been forced to alight |
long before their gas supplies were ex-
hausted because they feared they might
be carried out into lake or an ocean,
Alghting in water In this race will
disqualify the contestant.
Prize For Each.
The honor of competing i'm the Ben
nett cup race is, of course. the big |
plum for which the pilots in the con-
test today are striving, but there are
other prizes to be gained. Each pilot.
regardless of his showing in the meet.
will be given 500. Silver cups will
be awarded the two leaders.
One of the entrants. Lieut. Frank
T. Lahm, won the Bennett cup the |
first time II was ever raced for. That
race started from Paris on September
3O 1906. He flew to Whitby, England.
distance of 415 miles. Last year he
again was an entrant I'm the race.
That time he sailed the balloon he Is
plotting today. the st. Louis ~ $50
miles. Lieut.. Bahm has been long con-
nected with the army. At present his
duty Is that OF Instructor In aero
nautics at Ft. Riley, Kansas.
Truly clifford Il. Harmon. who has
entered the New York. loves to fly.
His father-in- law. Commodore E. c.
Benedict, is said TO have offered him
100000 to quit flying but Harmon
never seriously considered taking the
bait. Harmon ls wealthy In his own
right. He Is both a balloonist and avi-
ator
Capt. III. F.. Honeywell has made 165
balloon trips. more than any other en-
trant. His most noted flight was from
Chicago on July 4. 1908, when he
crossed Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario
and Lake Champlain before alighting.
In an attempt to win the Lahm cup on
May 10, 1910. Captain Honeywell be-
came becalmed while lowering over
Lake Michigan. After several hours
his craft was finally carried up and
crossed to the Michigan side, where he
made a safe landing. He manufac-
tured the balloon Kansas City. which
he Is sailing In this race
J. II. Wade, Jr., Is credited with be-
Ing courageous balloonlst Many of
his flights have been made I'm the Great |
Lakes section. where each ascension
Is fraught with great danger. He has