The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-07-09
Two of Three Starters In Nine
Hundred Mile Trip Meet
With Disaster
CHICAGO TO DETROIT
Is ROUTE SELECTED
But One Entrant Covers First
Stage of Trip Getting to
Michigan City at Mile
A Minute Clip

CHICAGO, July S.-A severe cleo
trical storm accom- panied by a high
wind. developing suddenly after
sultry morning, brought disaster to
two of the three starters In the nine
hundred mile Chicago to Detroit
hydro-aeroplane reliability cruise. the
first in the history of airboating.
Beckwith Ravens was the only one
OF the eight entrants to reach the
first control at Michigan City. Ind.
in safety. Anthony Janus and wal
ter johnson. with their mechani-
clans, were both wrecked by the high
wind between South Chicago. and
Gary. Ind. plunged into the lake. and
were rescued by lifesavers. The air
boatings of-ahoth men ~were so badly
wrecked II Is doubtful IL they Will be
stsist TO- rssssfn1e the racs thrnoiFow II
the cruise la continued. officials of
the Aero club, of Illinois, who hung
up a prize of sl7.500. were In doubt
tonight whether to call off the event.
Others Do Not Start.
Roy Francis, another of the en-
trants. started from the Clarendon
Beach hangar for Grant Park. the
starting place of the race, but he
decided not to start. owing to the
threatening weather conditions. Lo-
gan Villas became sick and withdrew
his entry. Delloyd Thompson, Wei
don Cooke, and Glenn Martin. failed
to appear. Martin being out temper
arily because of the mishaps of yes
terday, when his boat was partly
wrecked in the preliminaries.
Antony Janus. who halls from st.
Louis and operates a Benoist ma
chine, with Paul Mccullough as me-
chanician was the first to get away
the officiar time being 1910 He was
followed five minutes lateE, by Beck
with Ravens In Curtiss' machine,
and with B. r. Ferplank as me-
chanician Walter Johnson, In
Thomas boat. with Earl Beers as me-
chanician. started at 1880
Ravens went through without mis-
hap at a mile minute clip in fifty
nine minutes. He skidded out over
the water from off Twelfth street to
a perfect start. and rose into the air
like a sea gull. and TO the cheers of
$1,000 persons who had gathered on
the lake front to see the start
Janus. too. had gotten away to a
perfect start. but when between Hyde
Park and South Chicago he began to
slow down slightly. and Havens
passed him.
Propeller Snaps.
While Hayens and Janus were
racing TO Michigan City. Walter john
son made two unsuccessful attempts
to start in pursuit. The first time
he rose from the water In sight OF
$4,000 spectators the propeller OF his
machine Strapped off. and he was COM
PEELED to descend. He repaired the
propeller with the help OF hts me-
chanician and made another start af-
ter a few minutes delay.
This time he had magnetic trouble,
and had to return a second time to
the starting point. He said It would
take him two hours to get his engine
in order for another start.
Johnson finally got away. but not
until the wind had swung around
into the northwest, and was blowing
gale. on South Chicago the
mechanism OF the boat again went
wrong, and Johnson decided to de-
scend and make land. A gust of
wind capsized his craft and he and
the mechanician were thrown into the
water. Lifesavers In patrols went TO
the rescue OF the two men and
brought them to shore. Neither was
seriously hurt.
Janus was forced to descend when
the propeller of his craft broke after
he had passed Gary. He dropped IN
to the lake and returned to the har-
Dor OF Gary. Another propeller was
rushed to him from Chicago on re-
ceipt Of tho information that his boat
had been crippled. but the storm
broke before he could repair the craft
and ne decided not to make further