The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-02-25
Among the aviators and experts on

| Among the dVldtOEb uuu cAk~
the field the knowledge OF Harr1mah
errand had spread from man to man.
It had Tapped over into the press DoA
and sent an unaccustomed thrill OF ex-
element along the reporters taDie'
Anxious eyes studied the biplane 10
see IL there was yet any sign OF defec-
tive machinery. Once the macnine
started as If to settle earthward; then
II steadied. and those who knew drew
long breath and told one announcer
that the swerve was due to some up
per air current. for the bipiane was
again climbing.
Although the whiz of its propeller
blades was clearly visible. ike little
electric fan, the sound they made was
now altogether inaudible. The roar OF
Harriman's motor meanwhile. sounded
like a continuous accent of haste ana
anxiety.
For the monoplane was now complet-
| ing its first spiral its motor running
| full speed and its occupant evidently
bent ON gaining every possible inch OF
elevation. Again and again the ele-
waiting plane lifted the insect-like body
to a sudden. almost perpendicular. up
ward fight. 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 1t
cheered them wildly. Here and there
people argued about the probable alti-
tude. but none denied that the mono
plane was rising faster than the air
ship that had preceded 1t.
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 monoplane was con-
structed for speed first and other
things afterward-
Again and again 1t seemed as X 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 1t 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
fleldglasses were necessary to follow
their evolutions. The band had started
another march. but no feet beat time
to 1t. The field had altogether lost its
customary air of hustle. and prepare
ton. The aviators had drawn together
and were looking steadily upward.
The mechanicians stood In idle groups
watching the airships. The announcer
had put down his megaphone.
Then the biplane began to drop. 1t
fell slowly to the level of the mono
plane. and for long thirty seconds
the two machines seemed to be coming
down together.
One of the men at the edge Of the
field spoke into telephone. and a mo-
ment later a motor driven ambulance
came into view from behind the hos
pital tent. 1t stopped and waited. In
side a couple of white coated surgeons
We're arranging a stretcher. The chauf-
feur leaned forward, with his eye fix
ed on the biplane.
But the two airships were again
mounting. now almost side by side.
Even with the glasses 1t was impossi-
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.
Ill.
A quick indrawing of breath ran
along the grand stand. mighty sigh.
as If all these thousands of people had
responded to a given signal. The band
stopped playing, one instrument after
another Involuntary silenced by the
general feeling of something imminent
and terrible.
Up there In the sky Hartman seem
ed to be performing feats that were no
longer amusing but criminally reck-
less. 1t was one thing, people told one
another, to see man take risks, but
they had not come there to see man
commit suicide. Three times in sue
cession he drove his machine across
the path of the biplane and then Owed
earthward at an angle that made it
seem impossible that he would not be
pitched bodily out. But the fourth
time the other machine followed, and
the two began circling back toward
the earth.
And now the race seemed to be re-
versed. The monoplane led. and the
biplane followed. The long. graceful
spirals brought them nearer and near
er to the landing place. The band, as
If Qshamad of Ito lanaa from dirty