The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-06
DEFEAT, Ell Y
AM ..OBINSON
Young Aviator Who Flew Over
Niagara Falls Captures Prize
of S5,ooo-Ely Makes Start
at Last Minute, and Loses
Only Through Hard
Luck.
Especial to The Times Dispatch ]

New York. August 5.-Lincoln
Beachey. the twenty one year-old avi-
ator. who few over Niagara Falls. to-
day won the $1,000 prize offered for
the swiftest Hight from New York to
Philadelphia. Starting from Govern
or's Island at 2:il. he landed at Phil
adeIphia at 4:i5. making the entire
trip. including 1912 minutes stop
a, Trenton. in hours and minutes.
His actual lying time between the two
cities was l hour and 81 minutes.
In competition with the diminutive
Curtiss flyer were Eugene Ely and
Hugh Robinson. also members OF the
Curtiss hook. All three aviators took
wing from Governors Island within
one minute and a half OF each other
Although Beachey had the advantage
half minute. the ianky nier VINO
achieved the honor OF being first to
rs on and off battleship overlook
his little rival between New York and
Railway. and beat him into New
Brunswick by ten minutes.
At New Brunswick. however. the
leak and he was obliged to ahght on
the farm of K w. Johnson. three
miles west of the town. While he
was feverishly repairing the damaged
tank Beachey came sailing past and
few steadily toward Trenton. where
he made the prearranged landing.
Loses His Why.
Robinson. who had left a minute
after the other fiier. lost his way
shortly after he left Jersey City. and
consumed much valuable time in an
effort to locate the Pennsylvania
tracks.
He likewise was obliged to land at
Highland Park. near New Brunswick.
10 replenish his fuel supply, coming
TO the ground at 3:45 o'clock. just two
minutes after Ely had been forced to
the ground.
Robinson managed TO get into the
air again at 4:o3h. and landed at Tren-
ton at 4.43 o'clock He started for
Philadelphia at I'VE minutes after
o'clock. Ely left New Brunswick for
Trenton at $3.50. with new fuel tank,
which had been hurried to him by one
of the Curtiss mechanics from one of
the emergency stations along the route.
Ely's accident. while he seemed to
be in the lead. is particularly disap-
pointing to him, because he entered
the race only at the very last minute.
He was totally unprepared to make
the effort to reach Philadelphia.
Charles X. Hamilton. who made the
Hight last summer, had been scheduled
to fly in the machine pilote6 by Ely.
But since making the flight to Phila-
delphia a year ago Hamilton has not
driven Curtiss machine. During the
past six months he has been flying a
Wright biplane. The Curtiss machine
o-day Is considerably different from
the craft used by Hamilton in his
round-trip flight between New York
and Philadelphia. 1t had been his in
tention to practice on the new craft
at Mineola for the past two days, but
various things interfered to make this
impossible.
When he arrived at Governors Island
this morning he intended to make
preliminary practice flight But tina
machine. which was brand new, had
not been completely assembled. Whcn
1t was ready the wind was so high
that Hamilton hesitated to make
flight. AT noon the manager of the
Hight urged him to make the start.
Beachey and Robinson were ready
with their craft in shipshape, waiting
for the signal to go. But Hamilton
decided that the fifteen miles an hour
wind blowing was too puffy to make it
safe for him to go on the long flight
He declined to participate unless he
could get some practice under favor
able conditions.
Three starters Demanded.
The prize had been offered with the
condition that there must be at least
three starters. Ely, who has been
visiting New York for a week past,
happened to be on the island to see
the start. The flight TO Philadelphia
was furthercst from his mind He was
not dressed fittingly to protect him
self from the cold air currents in the
upper areas. But Moore appealed to
him to make the effort and he agreed.
borrowing cap from one aviator and
pair of gloves from another.
Just before 2 o'clock all three avia-
tors had started on the first cross
America. AS the aviators passed along
the river course they made their CIR
Gle around the Gimble building be-
fore swinging out for Philadelphia
The factories took up the acclaim by
shrieking their whistles All manner
of water craft were gathered below
and Joined In the din with their vari-
Gus vociferous instruments. The sky
scrapers were black with people and
the river fronts were densely crowded
Each craft carried twelve gallons OF
sasolene. three gallons OF lubricat ting
oil. and ten gallons OF water The
aeroplanes are twenty-siX feet wide
and are driven by sixty horsepower
motors.