CROSS=CHANNEL FLIGHT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 605, 7 September 1909, Page 6

CROSS=CHANNEL FLIGHT.

M. BLERIOT'S TRIUMPH. ■" ' > A THRILLING STORY. Tho London "Daily Telegraph" of July 26, contains the following from its special correspondent at Dover in regard to the first flight across tho English Channel. by monoplane :— 51. Louis Bleriot crossed the Channel shortly after dawn on the airy structure to which he has piune<l his faith. The arrival of the intrepid aviator was totally unexpected till, a Marconigram to Dover announced his departure from Les Baraques, near Calais, just, after half-past 4 a.m. This is the first time auy considerable area of water has been crossed bv aeroplane.. After an exciting journey of about 43 minutes, M. Bleriot landed on. tho cliffs near Dover Castle, .none the worse for his great achievement, though his monoplane was somewhat damaged in the descent. • The distance covered was about 31 milos—a.rato of rather more than 40 miles an hour. M. Bleriot did not.take the exact time starting by his'own watch, so tho time can only bo fixed approximately., By his, recent effort in tho same direction, Mr. Latham demonstrated the fact that the Antoinette monoplane will float. SI. /Bleriot, whoso extreme eood fortune, is scarcely Jess commented on than his courage, has now proved that • his monoplane, which is one of the smallest in existence, can not only" fly, but can overcome vertical currents of air, which experts pTophesised would: be so dangerous to such an attempt. Though, every Briton would have, preferred that the feat should have: been accomplished by one of our own countrvmen, the next best thing' .was that it should be-the.achievement of a gallant Frenchman. A Sportsmanlike Offer. ( Like a great bird, the monoplane, bearing its single occupant, sailed across tho. Channel, making history as'it went; unattended by any craft, for it quickly shot ahead of; tho watch-" ful French torpedo-destroyer, " which should have convoyed it, and which subsequently reached .Dover Harbour. In'spite of .the aviator taking a wrong course, both at. the commencement and at the end of the voyage, the journey was accomplished in about 20 minutes less ttan it'takes a .turbine steamer to cross from Dover to Calais, and by six o'clock M." Bleriot was calmly seated at breakfast at "the Lord Warden Hotel. Having won the £1000 prize offered by the "Daily Mail,'" one of ,M. .Bleriot s first remarks on his ■ arrival was that if .Mr. Latham succeeded in crossing'during tho day he would divide the. prize with hun—a truly sportsmanlike offer. . • It. Bleriot's. magnificent.,spirit was.m evidence from first; to last, .and the dashing character of tho exploit is indeed . calculated, .to stir, tho imagination. On: the prpvious evening there was a friendly discussion between: him and Mr. Latham as to who should have the sendees of the, destroyer, which hod been lent by the French Government, the destroyer being faster*than the two torpedo-boats,'which were also-in readiness. The commander of _the destroyer wanted lus men to rest on Sunday, and M. Bleriot .said that if Mr. Latham would : agree not to start till the. following morning he,would do the same.. Mr.'Latham's enthusiasm ; would not,'however,, permit-of such, an arrangement.; While. Mr. Latham was anxious to make another attempt, M." Lavavasseur, designer'of the ; Antoinette monoplane, .6trongly advised him • that' the conditions were highly unfavourable. 11. Bleriot. went to bed, but not for' long. What followed. is best described in bis, own words.. M. Bleriot, who is 36 years of age, showed little signs of ' the - hardy struggle with , tho. elements .which ho .had just' undergone. He is a determined-looking man, of good'physique, but is exceedingly modest. '1 got up at half-past 2 a.m.," he said, speaking: in. French. - "I was feeling very . seedy,and had only been in bed 'an hour. I went out •in a motor-car witli a friend, and felt better. At "half-past 3:1 made a trial trip , over the land between'Sangatte and Los Baraques. .'I came hack to the' place I started from, and saw' that everything was By the time, the -6jin was up and' the destroyer was ready I-gavo signal to start, and I went off. I had neither compass nor watch., Tho de-stroyer-was travelling. at 26 knots, whereas ay speed was nearly 50 miles an : hour at this ..point, tho miid being with' me, It'was a very fine morning." ' , Was the pressure of ..wind very great? ' "Yes;, it' started at ten • knots, . increasing to nearly twenty; knots." M. Bleriot explaihed that lie soon lost sight of the destroyer, and travelled for. 'some distance parallel; fwilh the coast, nearly as far as Sangatte.. fie .then'headed out : into,-the Channel again.' "I was about, ninety yards above water most-of the ■ time.• - For. ten minutes ri I saw; neither, land nor anything else, and felt as if I hot moving." ! A ; Curious-Experience." ; ■ Supposing you had'had an accident? r "It would have been very, dangerous," replied •M; Bleriot; significantly. "Presently I found myself off what I" now' know ; must havo been Deal). where I- had a curious experience, for I saw. a lind of submarines , under, thq'. water dike, a string of corks. There, were tiro destroyers" with them. • When .you are iip in a balloon or. air : sh'ip'you* can see .very deep into the -water." ! ->. M. Bleriot could have, landed at Deal, but he held .manfully to his determination, to alight at Dover,, in spite of severe difficulties. [ "Presently, after passing St. Margaret's Bay, I: saw a:gap,in tie cliff, and with some difficulty, managed to alight there, , though' the '.wind was • blowing in all directions. Thero was .only one. man waiting there, a French journalist." ' ' . - - ' . • Do you think a biplane , could have/Crossed the Channel this morning? ' '"Nover,"; 'was, the emphatic repljr of M. Bleriot. He pointed out that , the increased' surface of the planes could not have withstood such a .wind. , ■ ~r ; i- ■ .. Mr.. Latham .was .in ied.when the'news was brought to him that.Tl. Bleriot had started for England.' Mr. Latham ordered his 1 assistant to prepare his machine for flight, and, in the midst.of this.news, the came that M. Bleriot had arrived safely at Dover, and lie declared-.—"l shall, try "to follow Bleriot,. arid go as far inland as possiblo and try to rocross to France! . M..Bleriot is a.plucky uu, and he is a lucky man. I have just sent him a telegram' Sincere congratulationshone to follojv- you.—Latham.' Jttr. Latham's desire ■ then was ,to have a .trial flight - inland.. .His motor was working perfectly,' but tho wind made even a trial impossible, and reluctantly Mr. Latham descended, and, with bent head and his. hands ; clasped behind hi 9 back, -set. off across the fields' to Sangatte, a solitary and pathetio, figure." . . ' Mr. Latham's Second, Attempt. / ■Of : Mr. Latham's sensational flight later, when he? nearly, succeeded' in crossing the Channel, an exchange says'"For • tho; second time Mr.'Latham -has failed in' an attempt to cross the Channel on a monoplane. He started late this afternoon from Sangatte, near Calais, and .was, within,,a couple of miles; or .less, of Dover, where an expectant crowd was eagerly watching his flight, when disaster again overtook him, and; lie, dropped suddenly- into the sea. It is estimated that he had covered 21 miles when he fell, and had been in the air 20 minutes, so that he attained a speed of CO miles an hour—half as'piuch again as M. Bleriot. Mr/Latham said:—' "I had had a splendid flight across from Santattt untiV this hecident . happened.',- Tho accient was diie to,the motor breaking down, just as it did on my first. attempt. The motor failed very, suddenly, and the machine at once commenced.to fall. .Seeing that the monoplane: must., fall* into the. sen, I lay down in order to lighten the force of tho blow as-much a* possible. The monoplane struck the sea fairly easily, but .with greafer force than on the last occasion, the descent being a very rapid one. It was unfortunate that the accident should .have happened just- when It; did, - as' in' another* couple of minutes, if the motor' had held out, I should have been ablo to land near Shakespeare Cliff. •-I am disappointed that I have failed again to-day; but I nnvnot at all disheartened, and hone vcrv soon' successfully to accomplish the crossing l of'the Channel, and perhaps , a still longer trip. I Jiave set my heart, on making a crossing from France to Lngland,. and feel sure that I can accomplish it, barring' any sncli 'accidents as I had -today. ' '