South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-07-09
BeCkWith Havena and PaSSen-
ger Only Ones in HydropIane
Race to Reach First Stop
ping Place.
JANUS MEETS WITH
ACCIDENT AT WHITING
Three Other Contestants Are
Scheduled to Leave From
Chicago For Michigan City
This Morning.
.pecial 10 the News-Times.

Special to the News-Times.
MICHIGAN CITY, Ind, July g.
Beckwith Havena, carrying ]. B.
Verplanck, as passenger. was the only
man 10 negotiate the distance from
Chicago to Michigan City Tuesday
in the first leg Of the eO0-mile race
over the Great lakes.
He and his passenger arrived in
this city Tuesday afternoon shortly
after o'clock, making the run from
! Chicago in an hour and six minutes.
He reported little difficulty in max
ing the trip as he reached Michigan
City before the big storm broke.
Tony Janus, in BenioSt, another
one of the starters, experienced H.
Guilty between Whiting and Mic n
City and was tOwed back to Car lie
returned to Chicago but will start
again Wednesday morning.
Havena was forced to stop only
once. He passed Janus, whose hy-
droplane was floating on the water
between Whiting and Michigan City
but thought that he was not in Sc
rious trouble After passing the air
boat Nerplanck noticed that Janus
white flag was upside down.
He then reversed his machine and
went back to aid Janus but the lat
ter refused TO permit il. He said that
I a
I that he would be able TO reach shore
all right. Havena then proceeded on
TO Michigan City and Janus was
tOwed to shore.
A heavy wind which threatened
the boats with destruction If they
ventured in the open, prevented sew
eral OF the ships from leaving Chi
, cago. Only four got away and
Tavena was the only one to reach
the scheduled place.
After the wind calmed down the
air-bOats We're allowed TO start on
their journey, but they had not gone
far before the wind increased in
velocity. They found Il almost i'm
possible 10 keep their machines under
control and for a time serious results
threatened.
Havena stated Tuesday night that
his greatest trouble was in keeping
his boat on the water. The wind was
so strong that II lifted the hydro
plane in the air and threabned to
break the ropes with which it was
secured
Walter Johnson, another one Of the
starters. was forced TO seek shelter at
Whiting. The wind played havoc
with his plans and il was a task for
him 10 seek the shelter Of the shore.
The next leg Of the race will be to
Macatawa park. so miles from here.
Havena and his passenger will leave
here about 10 o'clock Wednesday
morning. They expect TO make the
trip in a couple of hours at the most
If weather conditions are favorable.
When the ship arrived here, Ha
vena and Verplanck alighted from il
and went TO the hotel. They were at
( tired in light trousers and Norfolk
coats and acted as If they had made
the trip by horse and buggy. He
stated that the worst feature of the
trip was that none Of the men were
acquainted with the territory and that
| they had TO guess as to their stop
ping place.
Three others will start from Chi
cago Wednesday. Weldon Cooke, Roy
Francis and Glenn Martin leave there
in their hydroplanes and expect to
better the marks Of the men who
started Tuesday
Martin was the man whose ship
was damaged in a collision on Mon
day. He has repaired the damage
and is able 10 enter the race. He was
not hurt although his machine was
spilled and he was held a captive on
the lake for a few hours.
Each OF the six air yachts carries
a passenger in addition 10 the pilot
and is required 10 make six full stops
on the water at designated spots.
Harold f. Mccormick is the official
starter The other officials are r.
Percy Noel. referee; Lincoln Beachey,
chief judge: A. A. Mertee and Lyman
J. Seeley control captains. All viii
accompany the contestants through
out the trip, travelling by train along
the lake shore.
The rules OF the contest require
that the trip be concluded in eight
days. The winner will be given the
major portion OF a cash prize OF S17,-
500. which has been offered by the
Aero club OF Illinois.
The running schedule has been
marked up 10 so miles an hour and
contestants will be discredited with
one point for each minute they arrive
behind the running schedule. Re
placement penalties also will be
marked, the tour being a reliability
journey such as is the Glidden auto
mobile tour.
NEW HORK-Americans spent