Show World (July 1910)

4 THE SHOW WORLD July 16 , 1910 RECORD W ITH aviation meets in progress in every section of the world and the art of flying develop¬ ing by leaps and bounds records for human achievement in the air are scarcely made until they are broken. They last but a day. Of chief interest within the past few days have been the performances of Walter Brooking and Glenn H. Curtiss in Atlantic City, N. J. On Saturday evening, Brookins—but lit¬ tle more than a boy in years—made a world’s record for heighth by taking his Wright biplane up to an altitude of 6,175 feet—just 855 feet more than a mile. Brookins’ feat was sensa¬ tionalized by the fact that the descent was made without a drop of fuel in the biplane’s tanks, making the mo¬ tors useless. On Monday afternoon Glenn H. Curtiss, holder of the international trophy won some months ago in France, set a new American endur¬ ance and speed record by flying fifty miles over a measured course in 1 hour, 14 minutes and 59 seconds. Owing to the cross winds encountered Mr. Curtiss never reeched a speed greater than 50 miles per hour and averaged only about 40 miles per hour during the trip. He was materially handicapped as to speed because of having to carry excess apparatus for protection in case he fell into the sea. The course sailed was laid out along the beach and, in some places, over the Atlantic. The international aviation meet at Bethany Plains, Rheims, France, closed Saturday night but not before every world’s record save that for heighth had_been broken. The most remarkable performance there was that of Leone Morane who attained a speed of 68 miles per hour. New distance and duration records were established by Olieslagers who made a flight of 244 miles in 5 hours, 3 minutes, and 3 seconds. BIG BALLOON ON ITS MAIDEN TRIP “The Drifter” Will Start From Ham¬ ilton, Ohio, Saturday. Hamilton, Ohio, July 13.—This city has been chosen as the starting point for the initial trip of the big pas¬ senger balloon, “The Drifter,” which was recently built in Cincinnati by Albert Holz and Walter Collins for the purpose of establishing a regular series of balloon trips twice a week from that city. For its first trip the balloon has been chartered by the two local newspapers. The mayor will be asked to christen the big gas bag of which so much is expected. Walter C. Collins and George R. Howard are to pilot The Drifter on its initial flight and are going to make an effort to lower the American en¬ durance record for length of time in the air; this record is 48 hours and 26 minutes. Mr. Collins is one of the owners of The Drifter and Mr. How¬ ard is the pilot who made the exciting trip from Latonia last November, crossing Lake Erie twice and landing at Derby, N. Y. BIRD-MAN HURT AT NEWBURYPORT Newburyport, Mass., July 13.—Fol- ing a spectacular three-mile flight across Plum Island meadows Satur¬ day A. L. Pfitzner, the New York aviator, while flying at a height of sev¬ enty-five feet in a Burgess biplane, was hurled into the Plum Island river when the machine which he was op¬ erating was capsized by a cross-cur¬ rent of air. Pfitzner swam ashore and went to the aviation shed, where an examina¬ tion showed that his head was badly bruised. It is feared that he is also injured internally. S STAND FOR BUT A DAY Happenings in the World of Aviation—Brookins Gets Up More Than a Mile—American and European Marks for Endurance Are Set Berlin, July 13.—The Admiralty Board has arranged for the vessels of the fleet engaged in the grand maneuvers this year to be kept in constant communication with land by means of a dirigible airship fitted with wireless telegraphy. This is the first time that a dirigible has been used for this purpose. The new Gross airship, the largest craft of the semi-rigid type yet con¬ structed, has been completed for the army. The airship is 302 feet long, 42 feet in diameter; the motors develop 400-horsepower. It has fouir 'pro- pellors and . carries two gondolas. MEASURES DEPTH OF THE HEAT WAVE Lowell, Mass., JuJy 13.—Charles J. Glidden, an aeronaut, in an ascension here established the fact that the hot wave which was being experienced Sunday, was 2,100 feet deep. Mr. Glidden went up in the balloon, Mas¬ sachusetts, and his thermometer re¬ mained stationery at 90 degrees un¬ til the 2.100-foot elevation had been reached. At that height the temper¬ ature suddenly dropped to 70 degrees. GOVERNMENT TESTS AT TEXAS FORT. Berlin, July 13.—The German gov¬ ernment has unquestionably taken the lead among the nations of the world in recognizing the value of airships in time of war. The war office has evolved a plan for the subsidizing of airships to be owned by private par¬ ties. If the intending purchaser agrees to buy a machine which meets the war office’s requirements as to speed, size, and passenger capacity, material government aid is forthcom¬ ing. The only other conditions are that the vessels shall be placed at the disposal of the government in case of war and for the annual maneuvers. The first subsidized vessel is a Par- seval owned by the Imperial Aero Club. A western aeronautic supply house reports that it is in communication with 3,000 people who are building airships. This is but one firm but gives some idea of the activity in aviation there is in this country at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, July 10. A series of new experiments with the Wright aeroplane will be conducted here this week on behalf of the gov¬ ernment by Lieut. Ben. D. Foultis. He will make several long distance flights, and do some startling kinds of maneuvering to test the practica¬ bility of the machine in time of war¬ fare. The aeroplane has. been equipped with a wireless tejegraph outfit and will carry an operator on its long distance flights, who will keep the local wireless station advised of the progress of the trip. New York, July 13.—The New York Times announces that it has received six formal entries for the Chicago- New York aeroplane race under the auspices of the Times and the Chi¬ cago Evening Post to start from Chi¬ cago on October 8 next and to be completed within seven days. The entrants are Glenn H. Curtiss, Charles K. Hamilton, J. C. Mars, Captain Thomas Baldwin, J. D. McCurdy, the Canadian aviator, and O. P. Hellings, a machinist of Newark, N. J., who is building an aeroplane of his own sign. Ghent, Belgium, July 13.—Daniel Kinet. the Belgium aviator, was ser‘ ously hurt Sunday while making flight. The rudder of his machine broke when he was at a considerable height and the aeroplane turned over several times, dropping like a stone in a wheat field. It is thought that Kinet is fatally injured. WANTS TO COMPETE ONLY AS AMATEUR Chicago, July 13.—Because he wishes to remain an amateur aviator, Clifford B. Harmon, best known amateur in the western hemisphere, has so far held off his entry to the intercity aero¬ plane race from Chicago to New York for the $25,000 prize. Harmon is at¬ tempting to have the promoters of the race offer a trophy for amateurs. If this is done he will undoubtedly enter. MARTYRS TO AVIATION London, July 13.—Lady Abdy, wife of Sir William Abdy, Bart, has of¬ fered to give $250,000 toward the pro¬ motion of a scheme for an aerial pas¬ senger line between London and Paris. A committee of prominent aviators is to be formed to utilize the gift in the construction of a com¬ bined dirigible balloon and aeroplane which will carry passengers between this city and the French capital. OCTAVE CHANUTE IS IMPROVING. Paris, July 13.—Octave Chanute, the Chicago engineer and pioneer aviator, who was brought here a few days ago from Carlsbad, suffering from bron¬ chial pneumonia, is showing steady improvement. He is being treated in the American hospital. The rapid development of navigating the air has not bee without its accidents and the roste of martyrs to aviation is constant! growing. One of the first accident which took place in developing th aeroplane resulted about fifteen year ago when lay-brother John Montgon ery, of the Jesuit institution at Sant Clara, Cal., sent a man named Ma loney up into the air 3,000 feet out o which he was to jump and ti glider; Maloney jumped as pe structions and was dashed to Other fatalities are recorded as lows; Sept. 17, 1908.—Lieutenant .. fridge, U. S. A., killed by fall ( Wright aeroplane driven by Orvill Wright, at Fort Myer, Washington. Sept. 7, 1909.—Eugene Lefavre, i , Wright aeroplane, killed a£ Juvisj Sur-Orge. Sept. 7, 1909.—Ena Rossi, Italia c killed in Rome in machine of his oi inventon. Sept. 22, 1909.—Captain Louis Fei )] dinand Ferber, of French army, flyin under name of M. De Rue, killed i Voisin biplane at Boulogne, Franc ■ Berlin. Nov., 1909.—Dr. Brenckma and Hugo Francke, two noted Ge; mans, were killed through the ci lapse of their balloon. j Dec. 6. 1909.—Antonio Fernande Spanish, killed at Nice, France, l fall of 1,000 feet. Motor exploded. January, 1910.—Leon Delagrang - French aviator, while trying to bres e the speed records, saw his aeroplane . wings suddenly blown inside out. Tl machine darted to the ground like rocket and the aviator was killed. April 2, 1910.—Hubert Le 1 Frenchman, fell at San Sebastia Spain, with his aeroplane,- from height of 140 feet. He vflr i a jelly. April 3, 1910.—The German balloo Pommern burst in midair, throwin I: three men to earth, killing alt , 1 dec. April 4, 1910.—At Breslau, German Prof. Abegg was killed while attemp : ing a landing with his dirigible ba loon. April 5, 1909.—Balloon carrying t« -en and a woman came down in tL breakers off the French coast. Th . men were rescued in a half-drowne 1 condition. Their companionfs bod was never found. April 16, 1910.—Four men droppe 500 feet with exploded dirigible b loon in Germany. All were kflfed. May 13, 1910.—Chauvetto Michelii ti Antoinette monoplane, Mt derric tear Paris and instantly killed. June 2, 1910.—Zesily, a Hungarian killed at Budapest while makir flight. j _3, 1910.—M. Popoff, .... of aviation in Russian army, kille at Gatchina, Russia, in Wright m; chine. June 15, 1910.—At the Worceste a England, agricultural fair, .aviate Dartigan lost control of machine aa dashed into crowd, killing one we m ’ and injuring many. June 9, 1910.—Herr Fery, 3. Gernu aviator, dashed into crowd at Bud: pest, fatally injuring two women. June 16, 1910.—Eugene Speyer, : years old, boy, killed at San Francisc a a glider. • June 18, 1910.—Herr Robe,! in ..ran biplane, fell 200 feet and " killed ,at Stettin, German«0^T July 3, 1910.—Charles Wachter. Hs, Antoinette monoplane, fell and "? killed at Rheims. Wife and child wi nessed accident. Walter L. Marr, of Flint, Mich., d signer of the first Buick autornobil has constructed a biplane oHms °T design in which he made successn flights in Denver, Colo.