LATHAM'S DARING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 660, 10 November 1909, Page 8

LATHAM'S DARING.

• SPLEKDID. FIGHT. DTOING; STOEM;" : '.- / ■ A''.thrilling -"description of;Latham's', dariaj :■ flight -at; the Berlin ■ aviation meet ie given .by - the special correspondent of the "Daiß" Tele6W»\':' It::was: about- • thtee- (he -■- writes)- when-a man ran into ( Bongier.'s shed— ■ the only-one cried, in ■, a voice -o{ - empfaon that Latham, had; started fißtn Tempel-; ,hoferf i eld.,,.V...., i -,... ~ ~l'. •" ■"-• ■- : " •'-'■'• . . The aviators,as?em.bled'.rtxind..the doora wer»-'' incredulous:, "Not..in , this..Treaaor,;Bnrdy!V : <- . Everyone/.ran put -to ..the , field, as if :)>6vt&' dovu and. : began''.tog=a,}..thP_sky to,.the south,,in the: direction"of Berlin., The thought of so danng - a flightiVat' disquieting, because, the' weather. of a great storm. The wjind-whistled ominously, and the\6ky. wasV covered ■ with black ■ clouds, ; : Growing a shadow-.c-ver tho^la'jii , " ; --.-i -. ■ U">-. When"a.few minutes-mprp'had;passed;;soino. ■ one said,',:"lmpoEsiblo," - when, a" shout, "He'e< left 1 went up from the roof of. Answenng. shouts of' "Whore P Vhen?" filled .'th». air, and'a ™ion suddenly came into view. -.- , Away.m. the distance' of the" dark.h6riz6n",' ; a't a .height■ which seems immense, '■ which, thrillti one with a fantastic andVdreadful-:spasm'*6fV terrbr.suoh as the. abysses we 'Ece in the {;hroe«: if fever,': Latham can 'now '.be faintly ■disceVneijj! lardlv than a. pin-point,. darting across ■■ the_sky like an.arrow from a.bow. .■ . : ,' ,;'••. We may. have witnessed a : thousand aero.'■'• jlane but -it ie neverthbless -imftossibl*". ipr us. to with calmness thißßpeb. ado: at once so' sublime and grindidse.;: me aviators present look upwards with emotion, •' ,J.he: same,thought strikes .us all ;■ a man ie petv, forming,this feat, so incredible and tremendous, - - The aeroplane comes towards ns, rises in, the ■• ;air a little,-.and shows.itself ito better advant. age. ,We' see it Cmbving without • Ihe slightest' oscillation,, almost with thecalntuessof abird;' :it soars thrbu'gh'the' clear' , Bky.:with ! a,kind, at tragic : '-XatHain. darts 1 fbrwardi ■ runs' into',' a.-;• rain-cloud,-''and 'ascends' again.- ' •Wβ watch V him,; with ■'.'■ fascination,' ■ anguish,- e'n..\tnUsiasmj every second seems an eternity, - Tie': aeroplane .'• shows up white against,' ■ the ,• black ' smoke of thefactories. : .-'■'■'. ' '.- ,--,'"i"'-,' l > ■ On the field, everyone stands lookinglupwardt with omotiori and anxiety. Latham'appears , ' heads. , The .wind :gete,' stronger,'and blows cold 'and chilly;.but;the; marvellous'winged machine does-, ntot 'Beem.'Jd- , be flarturbed. ,1 ;..''-. ; '". ■-•'; .!''.;■."-•;•/.■.' I .;WeVcaA-Know distinguish,. althoughi-i/fairrtjliv' the rumbling: of the' motor, and-: can. perceiy'47 the putli nes of. the enerinpns : wings. '.' ..';"'; -.- ~-.• ■ ;A' r \ho\tr_pf' joy.' goes up.,' r Ainout;. tcjrori" .einbtions, "ahd; ; anxieties are 'dissipated' in,- a loud roar. We no longerl hear the dißciplified :German "Hoch!" but: the unrestrained; shbut of'a'delighted'crowds ■;:,- ; '-.'.-;■..■■:: I' ' ! Latham has completed his circuit "and ;;de-. .sfcerids,'-. touching', the ■'ground,:like a -.seagull: twhich' comes once' again to earth: after a long' flight:"-,' ' ; -,■ '.v,/'; VvO':/'- , ,-; :--:■■- ' As ;Latham'gets out we rush- towards him., Bloriot, hnlf-stnbthbred in his inevitable- blue; jacket, reaches hirii first, closely followed -by KOugier,,Leblanc,:.and others—superintendents, commissionaires, eto., Everyone leaves his post,: and the Germans,cast aside:their-phlegmatioS •"- >"■■'-.:;:-v .'■:■.■'■ -: : ■■.>-■■:', ■■/'-.'. , Wo find:Latham cool and wllectcd,'throwinga sheet over the-winga of his aeropla&e, which still puffs and rambles'" as if trying' to recover; .its breath.,'-, ,•; :.].;:..._- : \ '~' ,' ;:';:-:;■';.. V , ;-.,^. , :: ;. .The" aviator ; himself,. while lookirig.; rather pale, is quite calm. Hβ: smiles.. His ! face'ii spotted with -drops of oil;: His forehead i» wrinkled.' ..;■.■••.. ■..'■,:.... ..V..' ..'■.■.'■,.-/>,., 'Bleriot throws his arms round h?s confrere"* neck arid, kisses .him:' No one-can-.speak .for. a; moment.j■ but Bleriot,says at : length: ''You -havs dbho something wonderful." Latham; waves hie -.hand with a: careless .gesture; anil, afieweri: "Nothing; extraordinary. ' done.'it' before." He takes-out. his case', aridv lights, a cigarette, but: the movements of ■..his, hands betray his apparent 'calm; And , .theto is-another , pause.:" ' .-•':. ',>:..'.; . When. Lathanj. shakes-handsswith:-me,.'hii fingers are.like ice. , ' ■;'' '. ,'' -..' i-.':"-