The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1911-08-17
BrindIey Rocks In 40-Mile Gale
4,442 Feet Above FAKE
at Chicago.
II. MACHINES IN AIR AT ONCE
No Accident MARRIED the Days Pro-
qram-Beachy Wins by IS Seeopds
-sopwith. Makes Record-Huee
Crowd at Meet.
DAYS RESULTS IN AVIATION
CONTESTS.

Twenty Mile Race for Biplanes-
Won by Lincoln Beachy in Curtiss;
time, % minutes 1925 seconds; prize,
$500 Earle l.. Ovington in Curtiss,
second; time, 20 minutes 56:07 sec
onds; prize, $500. Jimmy Ward in
Curtiss, third time, rs minutes 1879
seconds; prize, 5000.
Eight Mile Passenger Carrying for
monoplanes-Wo by Tom Sopwith
in Bleriot; time minutes "a sec
onds; prize, $500 No other competi-
tors.
Alighting Won by ]. v. Martin in
Grahame-White biplane; distance
from mark, l foot 8 inches; prize.
$3.50 Lee Hammond in Baldwin bi.
plane, second; distance. 26 feet 4
inches; prize, $3.50. Tom Sopwith in
Wright biplane. third; distance, 81
feet; prize, $100 c. p Rodgers. in
Wright biplane fourth distance, "a
feet 8 inches W. R. badger in Bald.
win biplane, fifth; distance, 81 feet
Grant Park Aviation Field, Chicago.
$4,000 spectators witnessed many
daring feats by ayiators in the second
day of the international meet.
A dashing, spirited race between
three biplanes stirred thousands OF
spectators in the Grant Park aero
drome to the highest enthusiasm, and
mystery surrounding an aviator who
for nearly two hours hung thousands
of feet in the air over Lake Michigan
held them until after dark.
The race was declared the greatest
ever witnessed over an aviation
course.
The weird picture in the sky-the
lone speck of machine rocking,
floating and sometimes apparently
without motion Of any sort. then drew
their attention. 1t bound them to the
field until guided by huge bonfire,
surrounded by torches of red fire,
called him away from his then in.
visible perch and down toward earth
again.
The official records show that there
were nearly twenty-five hours OF In
dividual flying crowded into the three
and half hour program the first
day That is, the total OF the hours
in which the different machines were
in the air was sufficient to give an
average of six machines in the ali
all the time. Nine was the greatest
number observed In simultaneous
! flight. but on the second day on sew
eral counts there were eleven In
flight at the same time
Not even trifiing accident
marred the days program. No ma
chine in the air met with trouble Of
any sort.
The afternoon closed, twilight came
on, the city began ITO twinkle with
lights before OscaE A. Brindley re
turned to the flying field from hi.
jaunt in the clouds--the highest
fight of the meet SO far
At an altitude OF about 4442 fee
I. Brindley hung over Streeterville, {
mile north of the Chicago limits
! when the meet closed. AS he wal
| too far away to be signaled down b.
the cannon, it was necessary t.
light five power torches on the field
signal in the flying world tina
4 means Come on down "
Brindley descended, but leisurely
He drifted in slow. wide spirals
sometimes sitting back in his sea
| with his arms folded, he said later
Quite crowd waited in the dusl
to cheer the Wright aviator when b
landed a little after 1880 o'clock. II
had been UP in the air two hours an
half