580 CIRCLING EIFFEL TOWER IN AIR SHIP. 



doubts. The Santos-Dumont V had doubled the tower, he announced, 

 passing 20 yards to leeward, time 6.54. That meant half the journey 

 in thirteen minutes, a gain of two minutes. 



WAS THE GRAND PRIX WON? 



The crowd gazed upward to the still distant balloon, and some in 

 their enthusiasm yelled to the aeronaut to hurry, hurry faster. The 

 grand prix was won, of that everybody was certain. But as the min- 

 utes were counted off, and the balloon did not seem to be approaching 

 with the speed expected, doubts began to grow among the eager ones. 

 Only four minutes left, only three. Was he going to lose, after all? 

 There he was, steering far above the river, and they could even hear 

 the popping of his motor. Evidently something was wrong. The 

 air ship labored desperately in the face of the wind, and when at last 

 il hovered over the park the time was 7.22 — eleven minutes late. 

 And yet he had not landed. Instead, the wind swept him back across 

 the river. Twice he returned with extreme difficulty; and then, sud- 

 denly, the motor stopped. With that the Santos-Dumont V was as 

 an ordinary balloon, and she went with the wind, off over the Bois de 

 Boulogne. A moment later she came down heavily and disappeared 

 in the trees. 



A CATASTROPHE IN THE GARDEN OF BARON ROTHSCHILD AND THE RESCUE 



BY A PRINCESS. 



A dozen friends sprang to their automobiles and raced away in that 

 direction. Each one dreaded finding Santos-Dumont probably mangled 

 and lifeless. They found him on his feet, with his hands in his pock- 

 ets, reflectively looking up at his airship among the top branches of 

 some chestnut trees in the grounds of Baron Edmund de Rothschild, 

 Boulevard de Boulogne. 



" I should like to have a glass of beer," he announced, which called 

 forth a nervous laugh of relief. 



Now, next door to Rothschild lives His Royal Highness, the Comte 

 d'Eu, and from a window Her Imperial Highness, the Comtesse d'Eu 

 had been watching the antics of the flying machine and its finale. Her 

 imperial highness is a daughter of Dom Pedro, of Brazil, and conse- 

 quently a compatriot of young Santos-Dumont. As there ought to be 

 a princess somewhere in an airship story, it proved quite convenient 

 that her imperial highness lived next to the Baron Edmund do Roths- 

 child, for she sent over a hamper of champagne and refreshments, with 

 kind inquiries. Santos and his rescuers disposed of the champagne 

 and refreshments; and then Santos, coatless, dusty, and mussed up, 

 hurried over to thank the princess. Her highness spoke words of 

 encouragement and pointed to Dom Pedro's picture, and then Santos 

 went back to untangle his air ship from the chestnuts. 



