The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-11
The National Balloon Race Starts With 15-Mile Wind
 From the Southwest
NEW YORK" FAVORED, WITH HARMON PILOT
Two Leaders in Endurance Flight Will Be Privileged to Com pete in Race for the
 Bonnet Cut

Kansas City, July 10--Al of the seven balloons which raced away from here today in the elimination contest to choose two air bags to represent the United States in the James Gordon Bennett cup race October 5. were still in the air at midnight and sailing northeast. When last heard from four of them were sail- ing over Gallatin, Mo, 76 miles from here; two others had passed Holt Mo- 30 miles away, and the seventh balloon was reported to have been last seen from Hamilton, Mo, AS miles from here.
 Reports from each of the cities the bal looms passed say they are traveiine low and going only 10 or 12 miles an hour.
 At Hamilton one of the aeronauts was scooping out much ballast and gradually rising, apparently in an effort to find a better air current. But one balloon that left the field today has alighted. This is the pilot Topeka, which landed safely on a farm mile ard q half northeast of Polo. Mo, about o'clock l Driven by 15-miie wind from the southwest, seven ss.o09-foot capacity balloons sailed away from here today In the national balloon race. The two leaders in the contest will be privi- legged to sail two or three balloons that will represent the United States in the James Gordon Bennett cup race, which starts from here October. 5.
 | 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 America. which controls the race, has ruled that disqualification would not follow for any of the contestants who should alight in water.
 Not serious accident marred the start. Five of the aerial craft got away in what experienced bslloonists said were perfect 1 starts. | rao uiHeh gsnast es1sed t'e Torsla IT to eonide Silh a section of a canvas fence. The occupants of the basket were jared slightly and after a couple of bags of sand had been dropped the bal loon righted itself and sailed away.
 The Million Population Club. piloted by John M Berry did not fill perfectly and refused to rise at first. Freed sec ond time, it climbed slowly upard for about TO feet and drifted at that height for approximately mile. The dropping l of ballast at this point caused the bal loon to rise. When it passed out of sight an hour after the start, 1t had ascended to an estimated height of 2OOO feet.
 Those Entered
 The entries, in the order of their start ing, follow
 Topeka No. 1, at 4:F p. m., w. F. Ja- cobs, Topeka. pilot: Carl Dienstback, Ber- | lin, aide; F. W. Stein, Atchison, Kas., passenger. This craft sailed as a pilot and was not officially entered
 The Kansas City, 5:1o p. m., H. E. Honeywell St Louis, pilot; John Watts, Kansas City, aide.
 Miss Sofia, 5:20 D. m. William F. Ass man. pilot; John M. oReilly, aide. Topeka, No. ?. 5:26 D. m.. Frank M. Ja- cobs, pilot: Ralph Emerson, aide.
 Million Population, 5:36 p. m., John M. Berry, pilot Mccullough. aide.
 The Buckeye; 5:3s p. m, R. H. Wade, pilot; R. W. Hitchcock, aide.
 The St. Louis ", 5:B p. m., Lieut.. Frank Pahm. pilot; Lieut. John P. Hart, l aide.
 l The New York, 6:O2 p. m., Clifford B. Harmon, pilot, Augustus Post, aide. l A race not on the regular programme was run today between here and Lber- ty, Mo-, distance of 15 miles. AS the ] first entrant in the race, the Kansas City, was leaving the ground. pas so frai a rail Gf faf the field. Simultaneously, it appeared, the engineer and Captain Honeywell de- | termned to outdistance the other as long as their paths were parallel. The en- zine won the race by two minutes. Great Interest in "New York" | Great interest centered about the New York because it held the choice starting position, seventh, in the race, and also because Augustus Post. the aide, divided honors with Alan R. Hawley, in piloting the America II, to victory in the James Gordon Bennett cup race last year. The New York is a new balloon.
 Shortly after 8 o'clock tonight J. 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 S25 miles Hubert was accompanied by Henry D.
  when he ascended, but he refused to abandon his flight. This Is Weber's first balloon trip.
 The honor of competing in the Bennett cup race is, of course. the big plum for which the pilots in the contest today are striving, but there are other prizes to be gained. Each pilot regardless of his showing in the meet. will be given Sl00. Silver cups will be awarded the two Headers.
 Lahm Won First Cup
 One of the entrants. Lieutenant Frank P. Lahn. won the Bennett cup the first !time it was ever raced for. That race started from Paris on September 3O 19O6 He flew to Whitby, England dis tance of 415 miles. Last year he again was an entrant in the race. That time he sailed the balloon he is piloting to- day, the St. Louis ", 5oO miles. Lieu tenant Lahn has been long connected with the army. At present his duty Is that of instructor in aeronautics at Ft Riley, Kan.
 Truly Clifford B. Harmon, who has entered the New York. loves to fly. His father-in-law, Commodore p. c. Bene- dict Is said to have offered him $1oO,- GOO to quit flying, but Harmon never se- |