Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 191, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 August 1911 — HAVE CONQUERED THE AIR; BIRDMEN ON LAKE FRONT. [ARTICLE]

HAVE CONQUERED THE AIR; BIRDMEN ON LAKE FRONT.

Many Rensselaer People Witnessed Marvelous FUghts in Aircrafts in Chicago Sunday. One hundred Rensselaer people went to Chicago on the excursion train Sunday and many more went on the regular 10:05 train, a rate of one and one-half fare prevailing during the meeting of the aviators in Chicago this week. The excursion train started at Greencastle and consisted of fourteen coaches, all well • filled. The, greatest drawing card in Chicago was the aviation meet on the lake front, which is said to have attracted over three hundred thousand people to Chicago that day. Beginning last Saturday and continuing all this week, the leaders in America in the triumph of the air are holding a great meeting and giving daily exhibitions of daring. It was this exhibition that impelled the greatest number to go from Rensselaer, and the crowd was not disappointed, as the exhibition was a magnificent success. It may now be said that man has conquered the air. Onl/ a few years ago people were practically agreed that man could never fly in the air and direct his movements contrary to the currents of air. Now they rise to great heights, circle contrary to the wind, and perform all manner of stunts that make the spectator marvel at the ingenuity of man. The performance in Chicago Sunday was marvelous and inspiring, and the countless thousands of people were delighted as never so vast a throng has been before in Chicago. At one time eleven areoplanes, mostly biplanes, were in the air. Some skimmed the ground and then would dart upward and sail for a time at a height of one or two hundred feet or much higher, and then come down close to earth again, and indulge in all the spectacular stunts of the aviation game. The following results of the Sunday program were announced in today’s Chicago Tribune, showing the entire success of the day’s program: i Twenty Mile Race for Biplanes— Won by Lincoln Beachey in Curtiss; time, 23 minutes 11:26 seconds; prize, SSOO. Earle L. Ovington in Curtiss, second; time, 23 ulinutes 56.07 seconds; prize, S3OO. Jimmie Ward inCurtiss, third; time, 25 minutes 12.75 seconds; prize, S2OO. Eight Mile Passenger Carrying for Monoplanes—Won by Tom Sopwith in Bleriot; time, 9 minutes 34 seconds; prize, S6OO. No other competitors. Alighting—Won by J. V. Martin in Grahame-White biplane; distance from mark, 1 foot 3 inches; prize, $250. Lee Hammofid in Baldwin biplane, second; distance, 26 feet 4 incites, prize, $l5O. Tom Sopwith in Wright biplane, third; distance, 31 feet, prize, SIOO. C. P. Rodgers In Wright biplane, fourth; distance,*,34 feet 9 inches. W. R. Badger in Baldwin biplane, fifth; distance, 61 feet. Special Prize ($3,000 for firßt man to break world’s record by carrying two passengers more than one hour) — Won by Tom Sopwith in Bleriot monoplane; time, 1 hour 10 minutes; passenger b, Harry England and Edward Kraemer. * 1 As the meeting will continue throughout the week and over next Sunday it is probable that many more Jasper county people will get to see the aircrafts. •,>

T. D. Conaghan has been over from Pekin, 111., for some time, looking after bia farm Interests and will continue here for several weeks more. He will have a new barn erected and considerable tiling done.