Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-07
TWO ARMY AIRMEN DECLARED
WINNERS IN BALLOON CONTEST
Capt. w. {. Kepner and Lieut..
w. @. EareCkson
Named.
Closely Pressed for Honor by
German Entrants in
Bennett Race.

Capt William Z. Kepner OF the Army
! Air Corps former World War infantry
/ officer and holder of the Distinguished
! Service Cross and Lieut. William o
EareckSon, 2S-year- old Marylander.
! have assembled 10 the honor of being
! the worlds foremost .ballooniStS by
virtue of having been officially de-
Clared the winners of the Gordon Ben
nett international balloon race by the
National Aeronautic Association
Capt Kepner and his aide. however.
were closely pressed for the honor by
Hugo kaulen and his son. pilot and
aide of the German balloon Barmen.
which established a distance IL miles
short of the Army Air Corps sphere
Had father and son known they we're so
close 10 first place they would have
continued in the air as they mad half
dozen bags Of ballast left when they
landed But, according to the story
told Carl F. Schory. secretary of the
contest committee of the association, by
the junior Kaulen. the two thought
they were III about ninth place. and
this, coupled with the fact that the
father was Ill and spent much OF the
time lying on the floor of the basket
brought about voluntary landing.
Capt. kepner and Lieut.. Earecksor.
landed with all ballast gone, a fact
which confirms their pre-race deter
minatlon to stay up rs long as il were
possible. When their last load Of bal
last went over the side to keep the bal
loon light. the two Army airmen we're
without means of checking a downward
plunge OF their craft had it taken that
course.
Travel 469.s Miles.
The total distance travelled bv he
Army balloon WIS 460s miles. from De-
troit to point three miles southeast of
kenbrldge. Va. The Barmen's distance
was 1924 miles the landing having been
made three miles south of Chase CITY.
Va. The French balloon Blanchard,
plotted by Charles Dollfus and carving
Georges Cormier as aide. landed four
miles northeast OF Walnut Cove. ~ c.
on the bank of the Dan River. but this
point was officially checked as being
only 4479 miles from the starting point.
The victory Of the Army team gives
the United States permanent posses
sion OF the coveted Bennett troph~,
which is the second in competition. The
flrst was won by Belgium'S famous areo-
naut, Ernest Demuyter and the Bel
gan Aero Club established a second
trophy. Now the National Aeronautical
Association will undertake the estab-
lishment of the third trophy to perpetu-
ate the memory of James Gordon Ben
nett and the sporting and scientific
contest he inaugurated
The Bennett Cups have been in COM
petition annually by the nations of the
world since 1906 except during the war
a.
and 1927 by W T. Van Ornnan and
E. j. Hill, respectively.
The standing of the other contestants
in the international contest, which
began one week ago, follows:
Fourth-The Lafayette of France.
Georges Blanchet and DIR. G. A. LIE Gal
les, pilot and aide landed near Fife and
Bula, Va: distance. 416 miles
Fifth-The Denmark OF Denmark.
s. A. u. Rasmussen and T. w. South
worth. pilot and aide. near Roanoke.
Va: 3ss miles
Sixth-The Munster af Germany
r. Eimermacher and Carl Zuch. pilot
and aide. landed at Big Island, Va:
3S7 miles
Seventh-The American Business
Club OF the United States c. A. Pal
mer and f. NJ Mckee. near Lipscombe,
Va; 1853 miles
Eighth-The Argentine OF Argen-
tina, Edward Bradley and H. H. ElIiT,
near Millboro, Va; 1853 mixes
Ninth-The Detroit of the United
States. w. c. Naylor and Russell Wher-
rift. near Marlinton. w. Va: 325 miles.
Tenth-The Wallonic of Belgium.
Lieut.. Joseph Thennard and Maurice
Bool, near Beverly, w. Va. 297 miles.
Eleventh-The Brandenburg of Ger
many. Otto Bertram and George Free
Dol. near Davis. w. Va. 295 miles.
Twelfth-The Helvtia of Switzer-
land. E. L. Mag, alone. near South
Worthington, w. Va, Isl miles.
Distances Computed.
The distances were computed by DR..
George Otis Smith. director of the Ge-
illogical Survey, and George O. Hawkins.
director of the computing section OF the
survey.
Capt Kepner was born in Peru. Ind,
in 1893 and served as an. officer
IN the Indiana National Guard until
the outbreak Of the war. He entered
the var as National Guardsman. but
received temporary appointment as
captain in the infantry in 1917. On
October and 6, 1916 near Cunel
France. while in command of hattal-
ion, Capt. Kepner led one company OF
his command in an attack on a woods
occupied by German machine gunners.
He was the first man TO enter the woods
and later, when part OF the attacking
company was heM up by machine gun
fre, he, with a patrol Of three men.
encircled this machine gun and after
. hand-to-hand tight. pui the gun out