GREAT AIR RACE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1224, 5 September 1911, Page 8

GREAT AIR RACE.

- • ■ WON BY A FRENCH NAVAL OFFICER. A THRILLING STORY. Tho second .£IO,OOO prize given by "The Daily Mail" for a supreme test of the reliability of the aeroplano was won on Wednesday, July 26, by "Andre Beaumont," the aimamo ot Lieutenant Jean Conneau, of the French Navy, who flew 1010 miles rouiK? Britain, through mist, rain, and squalls, and over fells and mountains in less than 221 hours actual time in the air. Hours of flight. Miles H. M. S. per hour. Beaumont 22 28 IS ... 45 Vcdrinos 23 38 5 .„ Hi Won by lhr. 9min. 47ecc. Tho total distance of 1010 miles was covered by '.'Beaumont" without injury of any kind to his'Bleriot monoplane. It is a feat unparalleled, and one which opens new horizons to mankind. Closo behind him came. M. Yedrtnes, pressing hard upon him even to the very end. No episode in the whole story of air-racing is moro thrilling or replete with incident than tho prolonged nnd desperate struggle between these two Frenchmen. Their experiences reveal in a breath tho mystery and romance of the new art that has so suddenly, been acquired by man. They drove for three davs almost without sleep and food, through lightning and rain and hail and eddying gusts; and dazed, nunibed, and toil-worn but triumphant made their goal. 31. "Beaumont," whoso experienco is unique, describes tho race- as tho severest he has undertaken. M. Vedrines laments his ill-luck. It was hard that the victory should have been snatched from him when at tho outset it seemed well within his grasp. In recognition of his splendid struggle, Lord Northcliffe presented him with a personal prizo of £2110 uii his arrival at Brooklands. A wonderful scono of enthusiasm marked tho closo of a wonderful race at Brooklnnds. When M. "Beaumont" dropped gently down from the sky with tho grace and ease of an eagle settling after a long flight the crowd poured about him, cheered him to the echo, and carried him in triumph shoulder-high. lie responded with a spoeih of perfect modesty and tact to this great ovation. Nor was Jl. Vedrines forgotten when ho too fluttered down. Once moro the crowd fiwopt down and boro him with cheers from tho field. Not the least feature of tho Tace was the proof it afforded of the reliability of the modern aeroplane. Neither 11. "Beaumont" nor If. Vedrines had to replace any one of the ten marked parts in their machines. Fivo parts in each engine and five parts in each aeroplane •■ere sealed, and by the of the race two of "these parts in each case had to be in place at the close of the. race. After the prolonged flight, after the incessant buffeting, the engines and aeroplanes wero intact. A flying ■ machine has been evolved which in skilled hands will stand any strain, and which is capable of enormous journeys through tho air. The winner used the Bleriot monoplane, whilo M. Vedrines made his flight in. a MoraneBorel machine. > Enormous crowds of spectators were another distinction of tho race. It was regarded throughout England and Scotland, and especially in the villages, as a national event. "Beaumont" had tho hononr of being received by the King at Buckingham Palace on July 2". HOW I WON. BY JNDRE BEAUMONT. I was told when. I entered for this race that it would bo the hardest task I had ever undertaken. I liave certainly found it so. All tho difficulties which can. hinder an airman's progress seemed to combine to bother us. First, there was fog. We ran into it thirteen miles from London, and it continued until we got nearly to Harrogate. It was tho cause of a number of descents. From Harrogate to Newcastle was merely a little promenade. Tho weather was delightful. The sympathetic welcome which wo received from tho peoplo of Newcastle—as, indeed, ercrywhers—helped us very much. Between Newcastle and Edinbnrgh difficulties increased. There wero mists, air pockets, anv' rain.. To cross the Cheviots in rain was extremely disconcerting. I found myself 600 feet above the Tweed, and had to rely entirely upon tho working of my motor. Had it stopped by any mischance my predicament would havo been unfortunute. After Edinburgh came the hardest section of tho" route. It bristled with difficulties. The wind blew in heavy gusts, and tho rain poured down savagely. In that region of Scotland I understand that it rains on 300 days of the year. It might have lot us pass on one of tho other days, out we were not so fortunato as that. Between Edinburgh and Stirling it Hew so hard that cur progress (vas seriously checked. Vedrines, who has a particularly fast machine, faster tlian mine, enid thai once or twice Iho gale brought him to a dead stop in the air. From Stirling to Paisley the rain never ceased, and rain is moro worrying to the airman than other people can imagine. You can scarcely sec through your goggles, and tho landing-placo seems to be nowhere. ! ■■ After Carlislo came the, severest test of tho whole circuit. Both Vedrines and I broke down on this part of the route. One has only to look at tho map. It is black withJJie marks of mountains. They aro very gTand, no doubt, but not an ajfrcoablo sight for an airman. Hero, to my dismay, my motor begain to work badly, and I went slowly against tho strong wind with my weakening engine. Near Lagdale Fell I found myself in a gorgo little moro than two hundred yards wide, with frowning mountains to the right and left of mo. The wind blew mo this way and that. I had to pay minute attention to my level's, for if the lip of ono of my wings had touched I was done. Tlifr only thing was to rise out. of the gorge. With a defective motor that was far from easy. At last I rose to GOO feet above the summits of the hills, still terribly blown about by the wind. At this moment, with no possible landing-place in sight, my motor stopped altogether. For five or six seconds no sound cam© from it. I beg-an to fall. It was a sinister experience, for I had not tho least idea where I could land. Just at tho moment of peril my motor started again, very feebly, it is true, but just enough to keep mo going as far as Settle, where I sighted a largo stretch of meadow land and there enmo down. Tho field in which I landed was a mile and a half from the town, and there was nobody in sight. "Now," I thought, "nil my chances aro gone; I can never win the race." Ono should never despair. In that unlikely place I found help. Before fifteen minutes had passed fully two hundred people were round my machine, and quite a clover young man came forward and helped me to remedy the defective ignition. It took us an hour and a half before the motor worked well enough to lift me into the air again. I got off very well. The motor still worked badly, but I induced it to drag me as far as" Manchester. The rain came again and I could scarcely find the. landing-place. Thero was no white cross marked on tho ground-. I saw a great crowd of people. I felt sure that must be the place. I descended and found I was riglii. The generous weloomo of the people encouraged mo greatly after my tribulations. Vedrines came down just as I was leaving. Tho evening was delightful, no wind, no sign of rain, no more mists. I should have been perfectly happy if my motor had been all right, but it had suffered a great strain and it needed cleaning. Only by a tour do forco could I manage to keep it going. Directly afterwards tho clouds gathered beneath me, and it begnn to grow dark. Through flic gloom I saw a flame, which I took to bo a signal fire on the landing place. Alas, it was only a row of furnaces. I soon picked up tho railway line and so iii the end came to Bristol, and very glad indeed was I to see that famous city. Not only did my motor need cleaning, but alfo I had run out of petrol, for by mistake one of my tanks had been filled with (lie castor oil which we uso for lubrication. I enjoyed a sweet sleep. In the morning I found the weather again delightful, a recompense for all its ovil treatment. My motor had been thoroughly overhauled. It felt well and I felt well. I laughed and I snug. .At Brighton I was slightly tired, perhaps because. I havo had no regular meals for threo days. But as soon as 1 started from Brighton for Brooklands the. soft air rcvivrd me. The end of my journey was in sight. In a hrgo incisure I attribute my sui - - ce?s to my familiarity with uiapi and with tho coinjiass.