St. Louis Meet

The St. Louis meet was spoken of among airmen as " the greatest in the history of flying." Three hundred airplanes crowded the field. The giant Barling Bomber amazed spectators by its size, when it arrived piloted by General Patrick* himself. The smallest plane was Lawrence Sperry's " messenger " -- this curiously enough was caught in the wash of the giant craft and turned over without damage. The great Pulitzer Cup race was reserved for the last day of the race, but the events leading up to it were full of interest and excitement. Trophies and prizes aggregating thousands of dollars were awarded in various events. The "On to St. Louis" prize of $500 fell to "Casey " Jones of Mineola who flew from Mineola, L. I. The race for the Liberty Engine builders' trophy fell to the Army, which carried off all the cash prizes (amounting to $1,500), Lt. C. McMullen coming in first in a Fokker engined plane. Other events tested general efficiency and commercial value as well as speed. An average of 50,000 spectators visited the field each day, and military attaches of foreign governments, army and navy officers, congressmen, government officials flocked.

* Chief of the Army Air Service.