The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1911-07-07

only in America and Europe,
but in far-off countries like
Japan air craft are being built
by the hundreds and scores OF exhibi
tions are planned for the next few
months. In this country and in Eu-
rope alone total of more than 81 500
600 is offered in prizes for aviatCrs
No such wonderful progress in a new
means of transportation has ever been
witnessed in the world before. The
flying machine is coming into general
use more than twice as rapidly as did
the automobile Although travel by
land and water will not be rivsled by
travel in the air for many years TO
come, yet the airship is likely to out
strip all other methods of rapid trans
portation within the next year or so.
America is still far behind Europe
both in the giving of prizes and the
flying of machines. This, however. is
not likely to continue TO be the case
Not even France is showing more &C
uvity in aviation than America is be-
ginning TO. The list of prizes that are
open for competition thus far this
year in America totals almost $500
600 Under the auspices of the Chi
Cago Aero club, there will be a tour
nament that in the wealth of its prizes
and the distinction OF its contestants
will exceed anything the world yet has
seen. The most expert OF pilots will
be In charge and the most famous OF
inventors will there meet in contest.
The prizes are fixed at a minimum of
100000. At the very first meeting of
the club called by Harold F. McCor-
mick, $4,000 was subscribed. and
since then the total originally desig
mated has been made up.
Like all the other contests OF this
year, II will be a country meet
that is, II will be a long-dstance affair
and not merely an exhibition II will
be utilitarian, and nothing will be per
mitted in the way of competition that
will not have for its intent the evolu.
tion of the science of aviation. The
Chicago Aero club in this particular is
following closely the lines laid down
by the Aero Club of America, which
has for its basic principle the making
OF mere sport subsidiary 20 utility and
advancement. Hence Il is that il has
enlisted hundreds of thousands of cap
ital contributed by men whose eco
nomic genius forbids a questioning OF
the correctness Of their foresight
These men do not fly machines. But
at their desks they write out the
checks that stimulate pilots" and in
cite inventors 10 their best efforts
They pay the expenses, precisely as
the grocery men in the days Of the
Argonauts "grub-staked" the pros.
pectors for gold and other precious
metals.
Among the other prizes that will be
competed for this summer is that Of
fered by the Automobile Club Of Amer
ica, motor reliability, $1,000 Then
there is the $4,000 prize offered by
Edwin Gould for the most perfect and
practical heavier-than-air flying ma
chine designed and equipped with two
or more separate motors and propell-
ers so connected that they may be op-
Grated individually or together. There
are two big prizes for long flights
One Of these is $4,000 for a fight
across the continent, and the other
$4,000 for a fight from New York 20
St Louis
In England the biggest prize that
has been hung up thus far this year
10 FOR the 100O.niie race around Great
Britain. and the winners purse is $780,
600 On the continent the French
governments competition for military
Aeroplanes has s24O. 900 In prizes. The
prizes at miscellaneous meets and cir.
cults IN Germany. Italy Russia and
Belgium amount 10 t150.000. There
are many big individual events All