Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-03
VAN ORMAN HOLDS
BALLOON CUP EDGE
Unofficial Standing Places
Him lis Miles Ahead of Bel
gian Entry in Race.

BY the Associated Press.
CLEVELAND. September 3.-A new
record in 10 years of international bal
loon racing--five successive victories in
the famed Gordon Bennett cup race
today appeared safely within the grasp
of the United States.
Repeating his triumph of year ago,
Ward T. Van Orman of Akron, Ohio,
America veteran balloonist, brought his
Goodyear VIII down on the outskirts
of Boston last night after travelling ap-
proximately $50 miles from Cleveland,
the starting point.
This was more than 100 miles farther
than the nearest of the five other COM
petitoIs and barring misfortune when
the race is officially checked, made him
an easy winner.
Official announcement of the winner
and the standings of the other contest
ants will be made by the National
Aeronautical Association at Washington
after paragraphs of the balloons are
checked.
The Belgica piloted by Capt. Ernest
Demuyter of Belgium, the most ex-
perienced of all the entrants and him
self a victor four times. appeared to
have covered the second longest dis
hility of being disqualified because q
farmer loosened the drag rope when it
was caught in tree at Esperance, N. Y.
Standing of Balloons.
The unofficial standing. as announced
by the race committee here, was:
Goodyear VIII, piloted by Van Or
man; Allan MacCracken, aide; landed
at Canton Junction, Mass, three miles
from Boston; distance, $50 miles.
Belgica, piloted by Capt. Demuyter;
Leon Coeckelbaerg, aide; landed at
Adams Mass: distancs, ABS miles.
City of Detroit, piloted by Edmund
j. Hill; Arthur G. Schlosser. aide; land
ed at Coeyman, N. Y; distance. 400
miles.
Barmen Germany, piloted by Hugo
Kaulen. Jr.; Carl Goetz, jr., aide: land
ed at Pittsfield, N. Y; distance, 425
miles.
City of Cleveland, piloted by Roland
j. Blair Akron; F. A. Trotter, Akron.
aide; landed at Copenhagen, N. Y;
distance, $50 miles.
Pierre FiSbach tFrance), piloted by
Albert Boitard: Jean Herbe. aide; land
ed at Beamsville. Ontario; distance, 100
miles.
Travelled Even Farther.
All of the big free gas bags travelled
many more miles as they met various
air current, but the air line distance
from the starting point to the landing
place determines the winner.
If Van Ornan's apparent victory be-
comes official, it will give the United
States its second leg on the third Cor
don Bennett Trophy. which must be
won three times in row for permanent
possession. Capt. Demuyter turned the
49, L.. a.
tire the original cup. Than began the
succession of American victories, which
gave the United States the second
award in 1923 and this year seemingly
has placed her on the verge of acquir-
ing the third trophy
The race started here late Monday
afternoon Winds carried all the con-
testants In general northerly direction
in a storm-ridden course, but swerved
their hopes of finishing in Maine or
perhaps in Labrador.
All of the pilots told of battling storms
and bitter weather in the high alti-
tudes they sought for better speed and
endurance. Van Orman, however, said
thundershowers did not greatly deter
his progress, but he had to land to es-
cape being blown out over the Atlantic
after remaining aloft S minutes short
OF 20 hours. ne A1OOQyedT VIII, IlISt
drifted southwest to Berea, Ohio, about
faced out over the middle of Lake Erie,
touched shore at Portland, N. Y, and
then f1oated directly east across New
York to Springfield, Mass, southeast at
Pomfret, Conn, and northeast again
to Canton junction. 1t barely missed
smokestack in landing.
Aide Leaves Craft.
Capt. Demuyter and Coeckelbaerg
couragsously fought lightning, snow and
low altitude, and Coeckelbaerg even slid
down the drag rope into a tree top to
tighten the load, but the Belgica was
forced down a few minutes later. The
aide was unhurt and wandered into
a farm yard four hours afterward.
Coeckelbaerg's daring act was an adj
ditional possibility of disqualification
Race headquarters said the rules re-
quired both the pilot and aide to remain
in the basket until the end of the flight.
The German crew experienced no less
y hazardous fight. A terrific thunder
storm near Buffalo, icy temperatures in
the higher attitudes and the necessity
of tossing overheard everything not alb
solutely essential, including extra cloth
ing, conspired to beat them.
Most disappointed were the French
entrants, forced down in a storm in
Ontario. Their 100 miles was the short
est distance covered.