Blériot, in a moment of unsteadiness, charged a wheat stack with his swift monoplane, damaging his sharp-bladed propeller. Count de Lambert sailed under Paul Tissandier, heedless of the aërial wake beneath. The crowds applauded and cheered every novel and bold maneuver. The closing hour with its sunny calm atmosphere and its vivacious well-pleased populace, presaged greater joys for the morrow. Sir Henry Norman, who was present, declared that those events marked the birth of a new epoch in human development. Monday, the second day of the meet, dawned fair and calm, with promise of settled weather. It was the last qualifying day for the ten-thousand-dollar long-distance prize, the Grand Prix de la Champagne. No one who had not flown a reasonable space on, or before Monday, could take part in the trials for that coveted honor on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The aviators were about early, and many had qualified before evening. Several of the pilots tried for speed records. Blériot, with an 80-horse-power monoplane, made one round of the course in 8 minutes, 42⅖ seconds. Curtiss, in his 60-horse-power biplane, lowered the time to 8 minutes, 35⅗ seconds. This was an achievement of the greatest concern, since Curtiss stood alone, as champion of America, against the more experienced flyers of Europe. He thought of nothing, engaged in nothing, except the speed trials, for in these he hoped to win, with his 60-horse flyer, even against renowned Blériot, in his 80-horse machine. Other interesting events were designed solely to entertain or amuse the people. Lefebvre again furnished merriment by sweeping over and under, and around Paulhan, who was flying at an elevation of 25 feet. M. Kapferer had navigated from Meaux, in the dirigible _Colonel Renard_, and sailed about the grounds, with fine effect.