CHANNEL RE-CROSSED

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 834, 4 June 1910, Page 5

CHANNEL RE-CROSSED

BY AN ENGLISHMANTO AND FRO, WITHOUT STOP, IN 95 MINUTESTHE NEW RECORDS. B> T»leeraph-Presa Aseodation-OopyrleM London.. June 2. Tho honour rests with tho Hon. C. S. Rolls (tho well-known English balloonist and aeroplaiiLst, and third sou of Lord Llaugattock) of being the first aoroplanist to cross the English Channel and re-cross it (without stopping). Last year M. Bleriot llew iu a Dleriot monoplane from Calais to Dover, and last month Count Jaques de Lesseps made the same flight, also in a Bleriot monoplane from Dover to Calais. Mr. Rolls, who uses a Short-Wright biplane, made his start from Dover, and, after circling above the semaphore station at Calais, returned to Dover. Hβ is thus the first biplanist to cross the Channel, the first aeroplanist to do it from the English sido, and tho first to cross and re-cross. Starting at 6.30 a.m., Mr. Rolls arrived at Calais half an hour later, at 7 o'clock. He circled for ten minutes above the semaphore station, but did not land. Restarting, he reached Dover at 5.5. There was perfect weather. UNEXPECTED RETURN. ALIGHTS CLOSE TO SHED DOOR. (Rec. June 3, 11.10 p.m.) London, June 3. Starting from Dover, Mr. Rolls quickly rose to a height of 600 feet. The highest point he reached was one thousand feet. Three' torpedo boats followed him across the Channel. He had no trouble in steering, but tho wind caused deviation of his biplane. He.circled round the semaphore station at Sangatte (not Calais, as at first reported). Tho biplane was fitted with air bags as a safeguard in case of immersion in the Channel. There was immense excitement among tho crowd at Dover when it was realised that Mr. Rolls, contrary to expectation, was making a return flight from France. The biplane, on its -return, circled round Dover Castle and -alighted sixty' yards from its owner's shed. The only prixa attached to the flight is an eighty-guinea cup.