Champion of the Air.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 14042, 28 October 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

Champion of the Air.

FARMAN* RECORD MAKING. A graphic account of the contest on the Plain of Belheny, near Rheims, where M Farman won the Grand Prize of Champagne (£2,000) by Hying the longest distance yet covered by aeroplane, is' supplied by Mr. Pereival Phillips, to the. "Daily Express." » The spectacle began (he writes) at 4 o'clock, when Roger Rommer, having taken on four hours' supply of petrol opened the throttle of his Wright, and sounded a note of challenge as he sped past the sheds of rivals towards the line. . t Three minutes behind him came Farman, fortified with 15 gallons of petrol, and 43 pints of oil, setting his course with the deliberation of a driver prepared to stay up all night, if necessary. He was buzzing down the track after fiommer, and we were watching with interest when a scattering cheer to the left came to us with the first notes of the song of the Antoinette. She was gliding upward to her own place in the skies ,and there was Latham, lounging back in the. cushioned seat, steering with his feet and waving -a farewell with both hands, to the crowd.

He pursued the two biplanes relentlessly, niifl as all three competing craft came along the third side of tho course, we had another of those supremely thrilling, pictures of a neek-and-neck .race,between swift-winged airships. ....'

As they came round the post, Sominer was ahead, while above him, just ;behind, but having the outside position, was Farman, overtaking him steadily. The Antoinette was at least 100 ft. above t,hem. and was gaining on both every second.

Sonmer was the first round the pillar, 1 hut as ho headed straight for the finishing line to complete the first round .Farman came abreast, and just above. So they continued neck and neck, with Latham peering down on both.

Fifty feet beyond the line the Antoinette passed them, all three still at different altitudes.

Farman did not like this procession. He fell out, veered behind the timekeeper's lodge, and came. back to the course when the others had passed! After two rounds Snramer dropped, and. Latham and Farman settled down to wear each other out. The superior sneed of the Antoinette was shown by the fact that'.sho did,; seventy kilometres (43* miles) in one hour two and a half minutes, and Farman a moment afterwards finished sixty kilometres (37$ miles) in exactly the same time. Arrayed before us we now bad a summary of ail that man has accomplished in his fight for the mastery of the air—the Antiouetto the very embodiment of speed and grace, the fastest in the world: a Bleriot monoplane, carrying Delagrange around in a Slower current; and finally the unlovely biplane, struggling 'gamely to keep Farman in the air.

Latham kept on splendidly until just as he was beginning .the twelfth round a slight defect, became apparent in the. apparatus controlling' one wing, and he descended, having done 111, kilometres (sixty-nine miles) in about one 'hour and forty-one minutes.

A 11.0 vies worn now fixed on Farman who; although forging along more slowly, was .nevertheless piling up ten circuits steadily. In the grey twilight, with a leaden ;hazo enwrapping him save when ho" flashed around the western end of the rectangle, he finished his fourteenth round, . and Paulhan's record of 81 .miles went down to third place. Far'man did this journey in 2 hours 22min. Slsec.

AVe Could jiist pick him out in the [rapidly advancing darkness, his knees ''■di-awir up-almost to his chin, his head bent as though to protect his eyes against the chill night wind which ;swepfc against him when travelling toJwards the post. Now he was approaching the world's record—the record (96 miles) made by Jjatham the previous night. Suddenly we saw him, a mere dot of white dancing through the mist. He was higher than before, and we knew already that lie had won. 5 Ho passed the line, and Latham lifted his voice with the rest of us. For the third time this week we cheered the holder of a new world's record. ■ At half-past 7, when the official control of the races ended for the day, Farman had done ISO kilometres (112 miles) in 8 hours 4min. o6sec, and although the, timekeepers shut the office, and the course was pitch dark, he continued his flight. He could hardly see the posts, but insisted on remaining in the air as long as possible. Farman thus won the first Champagne prize, in. addition to smashing all the world's records for distance and time in the air.

.Farman completed 19 circuits, making 186 kilometres (II6J miles'*, in. 3 hours l.Oniin. ,