The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1915-01-29

element along the reporters table.
Anxious eyes studied the biplane 10
see IL there WIS YET ANY sign ~ defec-
tive AIarhinrry. once the machine
started IT'S II TO settle cart il ward: then
II steadicd. and thuse who knew drew
"A long breath amt told one another
that the swerye was due To some up
per air current. for the biplane was
again climbing.
Although the whiZ OF its propeller
blades was clearly visible. like little
electric fan. the sound they made was
now altogether inaudible. The roar OF
Harriman's motor meanwhile sounded
like Il continuous accent of haste and
anxiety.
For the munoplane was now cOmplet
ing its first spiral. its motor running
full speed and its occupant evidently
bent OH gaining every possible inch OF
elevation. Again and again the elr
waiting plane lifted the insectllke body
10 sudden. almost perpendicular, up
ward flight. There was danger In
thus forcing the mechanism. Each
time the aviator took the risk that the
repeated stress would snap some, con
Meeting link between himself and his
apparatus and send it crashing down
ward. But to the audience each OF
these splendid upward leaps seemed to
be executed for its amusement. and ii
cheered them wildly. Here and there
people argued about the probable alti-
ttl1n httt 1a,in6 fh1f thn
plane was rising faster than the air
ship that had preceded it.
Under any circumstances Harriman's
monoplane was faster machine than
Clinton's biplane. The biplane was
built for stability. endurance and car
rying power. The lnonoplane was con
structed for speed first and other
things afterward
Again and again it seemed rs IL Har-
riman lifted his machine upward by
sheer force of will. AS the faint buzz
Of the motor sounded once more di
rectly above the grand stand it was
evident that the dragon fly had cut
one-third from the distance that sep
arated it from the biplane. 1t was
impossible to estimate its height above
the ground, but each successive spiral.
sometimes carrying the monoplane far
out over the river. evidently brought
the pursuer nearer the altitude Of his
quarry.
Fifteen minutes, twenty. twenty five
almost half an hour had elapsed since
the monoplane started. The two air
ships were now near together. and
fieldglasSes were necessary to follow
their evOlutions. The band had started
another march. but no feet beat time
to it. The field had altogether lost its
customary air Of hustle and prepare.
ton. The nvainrS had drawn together
and were looking steadily upward.
The mechanicinnS stood ~ idle groups
watching the aiiSiIirS The announcer
had put down his mcgnphone.
Then the biplane began to drop /;
fell slowly 10 the level OF the mono
plane. and for Il long thirty seconds
the two machines sprmed Ia be coming
down together.
One of the men nj the edge of the
field spoke into Il telephone. aud Il mo,
ment later Il motor driven ambulance
came into view from behind the hos
pital tent 1t stopped ana waited In
side Il couple of white coated surgeons
We're arranging stretcher. The chauf.
feur leaned forward. with his eye fin
ed on the biplanc.
But the two airships were again
p1nitntin0 .lnlnsf St1s, hu si1a
Even with the glasses it was imposs-
BILE to tell what the men in them were
doing. But the monoplane, putting on
speed. headed in front Of the slower
craft and then turned and plunged sud
denly downward.
\ quick indrawing of breath ran
along the grand stand, II mighty sigh.
as if all these thousands of people had
responded to Il given signal. The band
stopped playing. one instrument after
another invOluntarily silenced by the
general feeling of something imminent
and terrible.
UP there in the sky Hartman seem
ed to he performing fcats that were nu
longer amusing. but Criminally rprk
less. Ii was one thing. people told one
another. IL see Il man take risks. lui
they had not ,"ii;." t'Irrr 10 see Il man
commit suiritl" Three tunes in sax.
ceSSiUu ne drove his machine ncsuSa
the path uf the hiplanc and then divca
caribTHld AZ al angie that made II
seem i:3posSih;r that hr would not be-
pitched bodily ont lIur the tonra
time the other GllrlIinc followed. ara
the two hc@3n circlihs bark towar.
the earth
Aud now the race seemed to be 70
verscd The munUpIauc Ied. ana tlIc
biplane followed lie tong. graceful
spiraIs brought them nearer ana near
er 10 the landing place. The band, us
If ashamed of its lapse from duty,
played louder than ever
The faint GuZzing of the motors grew
to roar ms the two airshipS circlpd
the course not far above the heads of
the spectators. Then IL stopped abb
ruptly rs first one man and then the
other shut off his power and swooped
to the solid earth. Clinton climbed
hastily out of his machine and ap-
preached the monoplane. taking of
the pads TINT protected his ears from
the noise of his motor and hearing for
tie first time the thunder of applause
that had greeted his landing.
We'll Hartman" he said, II sun