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Club of St. Louis

The financial standing of this "aero [[800?]]" is here mentioned not as evidence of social superiority, but merely to show that they have sufficient funds to buy the necessary balloons and to provide the proper food and other comforts for the foreign gentlemen who will participate in the international balloon "races" to start from St. Louis about the 19th of next October. 

The public has learned that the average balloon story is an air story, figuratively as well as literally, and hence few readers will nowadays penetrate deeply into an aeronautic essay unless shown at the start that the scheme is backed up by money.

The personnel of the club has been chosen with great care, and is no more representative of the wealth of the city than of its brains and culture. 
The international balloon "race" will be held under the rules of the International Aeronautic Federation, and will be for a cup valued at 12,500f., or $2,500. The cup goes to the club represented by the triumphant baloon--that one covering the greatest distance--the aeronaut in charge of the balloon receiving a prize of $2,500 in cash. 

In addition to the first prize, citizens of St. Louis have offered four other prizes for aeronauts, as follows: $1,000 for second place, $750 for third place, $500 for fourth place, and $250 for fifth place. 

The present scheme of the Aero Club of St. Louis is to make the international balloon contest the occasion of a general aeronautic carnival, extending through perhaps a week. Events for dirigible airships, aeroplanes, and other kinds of flying machines will probably be arranged.

One feature of the carnival will be a contest for the Lahm Cup, to be awarded to the person making a record of more than 402 miles, the distance covered by the Lieut. Frank P. Lahm's balloon when he won the first competition for the Gordon Bennett Cup last year. Entries for this event will be received from any aero club affiliated with the Aero Club of America. 


Five Nations to Compete.

At least five of the principal nations of the world, and possibly six, will compete for the Gordon Bennett Cup. Every nation is entitled to be represented by three starters, and each of the five nations entered--United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and the United States--will have that many balloons in the race, so that fifteen are certain to start. The nation mentioned as a possibility is Italy, reported by cable to have sent an entry to the Aero Club of America. The Italian entry was sent too late to be received before the time of closing of the entries, but may be accepted by the unanimous consent of the other competitors.

For the Lahm Cup innumerable starters are expected. 

The first contest for the Gordon Bennett Cup was held last year, the balloons starting from Paris, France, and was won by Lieut. Frank P. Lahm of the United States Army, who represented the Aero Club of America. Lieut. Lahm's victory brought the cup to this country, requiring the next contest to be held under the auspices of the Aero Club of America. 

Upon receipt of challenges for the cup a committee representing the Aero Club of America sought a suitable location for the contest. They had mapped out a big trip through the Mississippi Valley and Western country, but upon reaching St. Louis they found conditions so favorable that they closed arrangements for the balloons to start from a field in Forest Park, the city's great pleasure ground, situated con-

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