PEGOUD, THE DARING.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1900, 7 November 1913, Page 4

PEGOUD, THE DARING.

HOW HE DAZZLED A BRITISH CROWD. SKY-TUMBLES AT BROOKLANDS. Thore was one calm man fit Brooklands among all tho thousands who saw I'egoiid'S. marvellous feats in mid-air (writes Mr. G. Valentino Williams, in tho "Daily Mail"),: That man was M. Pegoud himself. He bays he has no nerves. He proved it yesterday. At ono moment I had seen htm clearly through my glasses at a groat height • hanging head downwards in his braw--llko strappings, at tho top of an. immenso aerial loop—abovo him tho grey spread of canvas wings, landing wheels pawing tho sir, propeller idly revolving Waiting for the engine to whirl it again' into action: beneath him a thousand feet, drop on to tho grassy plain from which spellbound people looked up to him, Tho next minute his machine had curvetted to earth. Tliero lie sat, strapped to his chair, cahn, unrufiled, and smiliiig, a few petrol e tain so n Ijia wliito. sweater and on (ho front of liis . machine. M. Poßond looked at !>l. Bleriot; ; "Hoin?" ho said. "Tho best loop yoil over did," Baid' M.'Bleriot. • "As easy as sitting in an armchair,"' 6aid M. Pegoud. "Iload up, head down, ; It's nil tho. same to mo." . "Show them the descent tail down-? wards—you know, 'the chimney/ " urg-*-ed M. JBleriot-, ooaxingly. 1 • : Falling Nose Up. "Bionl" said M. I'egoud, with tho ut- ; most tranquillity. Two. minutes later ho was up again, hovering leisurely aloft preparatory to lotting his monoplane fall vertically, earthwards, r.oso lip, tail down. It was an astonishing display. Tho so who went to Brooklands prepared to sen Pegoiid "loop tho loop" in a swooping rush wora amazed nfc tho leisurely graco of all his ■ movements. Seen With the -naked eye, the airman .rearing tip his machine .on ono wing until it -stood at an angle of BOileg. with the earth was agonising "to* watch. Seen through the. glasses tliero was an easo and deliberation in his. ' 'nioyomMitls which niado oai© wonder whether to marvel most at (he supreme daring or at tho exquisite skill of this, mail who. made seemingly impossibla feats look so amazingly easy- . It was four o'clock when Pegoud, clad. in 4 light wash-leather helmet with goggles., white sweater, and groy knickers, with loggings, brought out his tna-. chino, tho Blcriot monoplane with which "Andre Beaumont" won tho "Daily Mail" £10,000 Circuit of Britain. Ho to so a thousand feet jjftd soared slowly.. above tho ground in wido circles. Slid-> denly, just in front of the members' closure, after a few preliminary "banking" turns, his machine slowly rose on . one- wing, then fell forward and oyer until tho airman hung upside down. Tho machine started on a downward course, ■slowly- righted itself., as slowly turned over 1 again, then regained its normal position so that a big S had been traced ■ ■in the air. There wero long, swift hori.-. zont al dives that mado tho heart stand still and beautiful swooping turns that made one exult at tho pure beauty of tho thing. Now tho little monoplane looked like a fring-weary bird seokiiip.,; a resting-place, siid the next moment-] •sotne thrilling plungo reminded one that, it was tho slave of a wrist ;of steel and* ■a nerve of iron.

i The crowd Was alternately thrilling nrtid terrified. One woman fled tola ait, adjacent slied and declared she would not come out until Pegoud was .safe ore terra firnja., sret5 r et tlie man wlio caused all those,- .ivihrms,.. when . Bounded hy'.iti, doctor on descending to earth, _ was •; foirad to. bo entirely unaffected, with ai ■ jMrfectly .BQrjMl pulse-. ~