TO FLY THE CHANNEL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 604, 6 September 1909, Page 8

TO FLY THE CHANNEL.

' ' ■ ■ .'-J ■ ■ ■ ' ' ' ■'' x 1 LATHAM'S GALLANT FAILURE. FALLS INTO': THE SEA. N .-. ' London, July 24. : Mr. Herbert Latham has'failcd in hisifirit gallant attempt to win the "Daij,v Mail" £1000. prize for crossing the English Channel in an aeroplane Starting from Sangatte at twenty minntes - to" seven .on' Monday morning (July. 19), he flow some seven miles out to sea. Tho motor then failed, and he descended in mid-Channel,- being 'picked "up and taken back to Calais by a destroyer. Mr. Latham tells his,own story in London "Daily Mail" of his gallant attempt in tho following, words: —'" ,:' '' .'.". . ' Five seconds. before, tho • start, -.as . I !•■ sat' in tho pilot's seat of the aerqplano upon tho crest of Blanc Ncz,. a'vivid. mental picture came to me. . I can;recall jt.perfeotly., Away in tho distance, upon the Wafer,;lay the haze of the smoke from the funnels of. tho Har-pon;-dotted, upon tho cliffsido were eager, silent spectators; I noticed a , string.of motor-.-cars panting up the hill towards us, carrj'-. ing passenger's .anxious not'to! be; too late, after so much weary' waiting, for:'the conimencemont of my voyage. ,'■■ ■ . ■:■ "Thankful to be .able to start at last'.". That, was my thought..'And. then J was away. Thero was a short, swift run down :the slope towards tho sea, and I launched myself into the air. ■ My last thought was onp of confidence that my motor .would 'not leave mo in the lurch. Tho start could not have been more auspicious. I left the ground in infinitely better style than was the case with my trial flight '. on the.previbfis Tuesday. Instead of-wobbling on : getting into the air, I went up with porfget steadiness. ■ I flew so well, indeed, ■ that I. altered mv_ plans. Instead of describing a* circle, as I had meant to dp,'l'wcnt.straight.ofl : over tho edgo of the cliff. '-.First/ however, so as to judge my height, .from, 'the ground, I' steered. over -the ruined < ; Channel Tunnel workings. ■ I estimated that I was,then'six hundred feet above the level of.the water. .'■•'.

;.' A Record HlsH : Flight. Everything .-was going beautifully;' I. ran up to a little masthead, .between the main planes a.flag that I had decided should only, be hoisted .at'thoimoinent of/.leaving land. 1 Then I took .in; my>hah'd a'> little camera Iliad taken up. with mo; I was preparing to take a picture wh'en^a.disconcerting sound came to my ears.: .My motor was .showing signs of breaking down.'.-1 cduld hear that more than the eight.cylinders ,was misfiring. ■ . •'':'". . '..

Instantly! I gavp > uj> any' idea of photography, and did everything.! could to remedy the defect.; I. examined all the elecrical* connections jthat H were within my roach. I tried also, to alter the tion and ignition of : the 'engine. ■ But', it. was all iu.vain; in a few :Becon'ds my. engine had stopped entirely. .It ivas maddening, but I was .helpless. Never ;befpre .had. the engine played , mo such a trick, after so : snort a night. ■; ..■;■.-. ■, ;■■■. -•• ■..;.- .'.,-..' ;

At. the moment, my. , motive power was taken from, mo I ostinlate that I was quite 1000 ft., up in'.the .air.:- Thus, -even' though my first; attempt 'at .the:" Channel crossing failed, K.think I ;can. claim ■■to.;Jiavo established . a record ■ for ■ high-flying 'in .•an aeroplane. '. Tho previous' record 'in this ' respect was, I believe, for ■ an' altitude of 300 or 400 ft.: \. ;•:.. ■ '■■: : ':]:'. A'--. ,'.■,'. 1... took ' a quysk glance. : ahead, , ■ arid calculated, that: the torpedo-boaf-destfoyer was about a- milo away. I.: glided down to the 'surface of itKe water.' Tb'ero'wae nothing else to' bo' done. ■' I' camo ; ,down. not ia'. a 'Series' of short, glides,' _ but in' one ' clean, straight,, downward stope. It Bo'emed quite a long tiino to mo beforo. I. struck the water. Sly: speed at the moment, of: impact • was about forty or.foHy-fivo .miles'an h6ur.' ■

■' •■'■., ,'-'■:,;■, Under ■ ; ; V Tho' machine -was-under: perfect, control ! dufinei!i( l bo)[;<lesceilt/.ni!',ilnsteadaaof diving into'the sea at an angle -'I skimmed down, so that I. was ablo r to nialio the- contact.with :the 'isca' 'with',, the- , aerbplane' practicallyill a :,horiz9ntnl • It settled' .on.-the..water and floated- like.a cork., ■'• Iswung my on to -a "cross-bar to prevent them getting wet; Then I took out' my cigarette case, lit a cigarette,, arid waitod : for tho torpedo,destroyor toioome up. The wings and tail • of tho.machine supported: it in tho.water.' ..It floated almost flat, ,although. tllO'Weight of .the :motpr -mado the front part tilt down a.little, .I : did not eyon got wet; , only a splash of water flew ■ over rn'o at. tho,moment of. imp jot with the> sea.-; Tho torpedo,- destroyer was alongside ~ ; me"ia: -less than five , minutes; , ■':'■ ■': ">/!•.:■ •■.■ ;. .

After J had got on board the. destroyer the I aeroplane wbs drawn:alongside and hold fast iny case, it.. should sink.. -The steam-tug Calaisinn,;; which" was; cruising, as 'directed;in, mid-Cnannol, did not appear .on .thc-scone for half an hour—perhaps.mbr<v Before aho could lift the'aeroplano up on. to her. decks, by means of, a special, crane with.which she had been provided, the: swell,; although slight, had' damaged.the-slender'woodwork 'stays-of. tho supporting 7 surfaces of niy.; machine. .First of all, ono small section gave way; then,. as the framework is all' keyed, together; others .. Before; the .machine .'.-.could , bo. salved the frailest', of,, its"; parts.. woro sadly injured.. , ■.•"■■■.',.:''' \ '":":''.'"' .■"/"'■•■■.:' .". .■ .' - ( ■ For.myself—.well, Isat'-bn the deck-ofthe destroyer and-deplored my.hard' luck. ■ ■■: V • yT regard-.it'.as. a: trial,trip, because it has taught mo. so much. At >tno next attempt,for instance, I must chooser a qiritc, calm day, not so much;.concerning the wind-as for -. insuring a calmness' of- • tho' sea. i -Were it • at all- choppy, and I had itbemisfortuu'o to fall into the water, T'am convinced the machine would- break up,in-.V quarter-of. an hour; . There would : thus bo : . an element of danger wero my escorting -.craft some distance away from me , at.the time of. a fall.in the water.:,.■•;...-..' .' : .-V ; ■,•■'" '•)" '•'■■ ■ Another,- tiling I . : have '■ discovered, which is very, satisfactory,'is that..l'shall be, able, to reach exactly,the.point on the opposite foast' that has boon' chosen. .'. I fonntf quite; clearly this lnojning that -1 was perfectly master.of my direction; side''winds madono difference, to, me. ll : -wis precisely on the' proper 'course' for Dover when . tho machine, fell. 'I.stiall make,another attempt with as little delay : as possible.' r. '•-.'■'\ '-•:■'■'■