Surely never before in the history of Rushden has such a general feeling of virtuous complacency pervaded the town as on Monday morning. Never before had the old advice as to early rising been so generally acted upon, for by the unwonted hour of 4 a.m. practically everyone in the town who was able to get up was dressed and shortly afterwards was to be found out of doors imbibing the refreshing and bracing morning air. But if the procedure of the inhabitants of the town and district were unique, so was also the occasion, for it was the day on which the competitors in the greatest race in the air which has yet been witnessed in England were to pass over Northamptonshire.

As soon as the route to be followed by the competitors was published it was recognised that Rushden and Higham Ferrers were on the most direct line of flight, and it appeared likely, therefore, that the inhabitants of these towns would have

Exceptionally Good Opportunities

as spectators. Expectations were fully realised, and so close did several of the airmen pass that their distinguishing numbers could be easily read.

The great question agitating the minds of people in this district during Saturday and Sunday was as to the best position to take up in order to ensure a good view of the wonderful machines. So important was the question regarded that some of the more enthusiastic of our townsmen actually had a walk round the neighbourhood of Rushden on Sunday to pick out the points of vantage. Having decided this to their satisfaction, they retired to bed early so as to be up with the lark. Not that there was any danger of over-sleeping one’s self, for at 3 a.m. on Monday the streets were as well peopled as they are usually five or six hours later. Brake loads of visitors from towns and villages off the line of flight poured into the town, and many hundreds came in by motor car, motor cycle, or cycle.

The Airmen at Last

The weather was beautifully fine, but heavy mist or fog hung over the ground and some doubt was expressed as to whether the airmen would be visible. As five o’clock drew near the thousands of spectators who had assembled on the Bedford-road, Newton-road, and other likely localities eagerly scanned the horizon in the direction of Bedford, wondering whether, after all, the airmen would pass out of range of their vision. Excitement grew intense and when at last, a few minutes before five o’clock, a monoplane was sighted coming up out of the mist to the south enthusiasm was unbounded. The shouting had not subsided when another machine appeared in the air and again the crowds of watchers voiced their interest and good wishes. Little did spectators imagine that one of those first airmen would be the winner of the £10,000 prize on Wednesday, and that the other was to be in close attendance on him throughout the race. Such was the case, however, for the leaders on Monday were

Vedrines and “Beaumont,”

the latter of whom was declared the winner on Wednesday afternoon. By six o’clock, six aeroplanes had been sighted, and then there was a long break, for it was not till 8.10 that Lieut. Cammell, in his Bleriot monoplane, flying splendidly, passed apparently directly over Rushden. Just before nine o’clock another monoplane, driven by Astley, passed over the Newton-road allotment fields flying very low, and another was seen before ten o’clock. There were still a number of competitors unaccounted for, but it was not till about two o’clock in the afternoon, that the now familiar buzz of an aeroplane’s engine drew attention to the fact that Weymann in his marvellously swift Nieuport machine was passing. A longer interval still passed and it was about seven o’clock in the evening when Reynolds in a very large bi-plane passed directly over the town flying very steadily and swiftly. This proved to be the last of the airmen, misfortune having very early spoiled the chances of the rest of the competitors. Those who had passed carried with them the best wishes of the people of this district, and it is only to be regretted that the wishes were not efficacious in averting subsequent misfortune to the intrepid aviators.

Irthlingborough’s Aerial Visitor

Mr Astley studying the map

It was not long after Mr. Astley passed Rushden in his Birdling monoplane that the report spread that he had descended in the meadows at Irthlingborough, and there was quite a rush to the river from all the surrounding district. The report proved quite correct, Mr. Astley being found in the meadow of Mr. Cross, farmer, Irthlingborough. In the course of an interview with a representative of the Rushden Echo, Mr. Astley said that he left Hendon at about 4.40 a.m., and until he reached Luton he had nothing to complain of, the condition of the weather being in every way favourable for flying. Just after leaving Luton, however, he plunged into a fog so dense that it was almost impossible to see the barograph. He however, continued the journey as far as Bedford, where he decided to descend until the fog had cleared somewhat. With that object in view he circled the town three or four times while looking for

A Suitable Landing Place

He then shut off his engine, thinking that he was at least 2,000 feet above the ground, “but,” said Mr. Astley, “the height could not have been so great as my estimate, as in descending I felt a bump and thought I had struck a chimney stack. Next moment I found I had landed in a grass field at Kempston, having struck the earth with considerably more force than was conducive to comfort.” Fortunately the machine sustained no injury, but Mr. Astley decided to give the fog a chance to clear before making a fresh start and meanwhile he partook of a breakfast of fried eggs. After a three hours’ rest at Kempston, Mr. Astley again ascended, but in the meantime, the wind had increased in power, and when in the air, to use Mr. Astley’s own words, he was “buffeted about like a piece of paper” the motion producing such a feeling of nausea that he felt bound to again descend. Flying low over Rushden, he eventually

Alighted Safely at Irthlingborough

at about 9.15 a.m. Mr. Sidney Harris one of the patrols arranged by the Northants Automobile club was on the spot a few minutes after the descent and took Mr. Astley up to the telegraph office for the purpose of notifying the officials at Harrogate. Mr. Astley then went to the residence of Mr. Armstrong, headmaster of the National Schools, where he enjoyed an hour’s sleep. Upon awakening he was visited by Dr. Robb with whom he lunched and spent the afternoon. Mr. Astley decided to continue his journey at 8.10 p.m. and soared off towards the north in very graceful style, but he met with such strong choppy winds that after circling round Irthlingborough he returned to the meadow and gently glided to the ground, postponing his start till the morning. On Tuesday morning the aviator was early astir and at five o’clock after carefully inspecting his beautiful machine he started the engine, gave the signal to the men holding the aeroplane to let go, and was off on his journey.

Rushden to Brooklands

After the departure of Mr. Astley, the show was over as far as East Northants was concerned, but the doings of the various airmen after leaving Rushden were followed with the keenest interest. Beaumont’s success on Wednesday was recognised to be the result of ability and experience in the air, while much sympathy was manifested with Vedrines. Perhaps national pride would have been better satisfied if one of the Englishmen had finished first, but it was not to be. On Tuesday evening it was reported that “our man,” Astley had reached Edinburgh, but on Wednesday morning it was learned that he made a good flight to Harrogate and then stayed there.

Idle Rumours

Of course, during the race there was the usual crop of idle rumours as to what had happened to some of the competitors. Mr. Cody was a favourite subject for the exercise of the imagination. Before nine o’clock on Monday it was reported that the well-known aviator had been killed by a fall at Sharnbrook, but as he had passed Rushden several hours previously the report was evidently, to use Mark Twain’s expression “greatly exaggerated.” It was also alleged that Cody had been killed at Podington, but no one at Podington knew anything about it and the aviator himself is understood to have denied on Tuesday that there was a word of truth in the allegation that he was fatally injured on Monday.