The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-07-31
AVIATOR TRIES 70 FLY TO LON.
DON IN AERoPLANE AND
FAILS.
SECOND BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT
Machine Drops Into Sea Two Miles
from Dover, EngIand.-Trlai Fol.
lows Preliminary Test that
' Results in Damage to Plane.

London, July 2S.-Hubert Latham,
the aviator, made another attempt to
cross the English channel and plung-
ed into the sea two miles off the
coast, near Dover, where a French
torpedo boat picked him up.
In Calais and Sangette it became
known that Latham, who was bitterly
disappointed at his failure to start
when Bleriot crossed successfully,
would make the attempt again.
Thousands. Of spectators crowded
the coast line to watch the attempt,
and the French torpedo boats, at a
word, steamed out and formed a. long
chain across the channel.
1t was known that, robbed Of his
anticipated triumph of being the first
to cross, Latham would make a des.
perate effort.
Exactly at o'clock the start was
made. =,
Early in the day. with cheering
thousands gathered about, Latham in
his monoplane made an effort to start.
Bad luck attended and the machine
came crashing TO the ground A
wheel was broken and the propeller
smashed. 1t was announced that the
attempt would be postponed to g.
o'clock in the afternoon. At o'clock
high wind was blowing off shore and
1t looked dangerous to start.
Shortly before o'clock Latham an
nounced that he would make the ef-
fort despite the conditions and with
his monoplane repaired he entered and
rose quickly passing out with rapid
flight over the sea.
From the French coast the machine
circled half way. then recovering it's
course headed straight across. A shout
Of triumph went up from the Assem-.
bled multitude who saw victory ahead.
with rapid flight Latham passed out
at height Of between 400 and 450
feet until he blended with tho sky
line and was lost to view.
On the English coast lookouts re-
into shape. 1t came onward with ev-
erything indicative of SUCCESS, al
though to the observers 1t seemed to
be dipping downward Suddenly, when
In full sight and not more than two
miles off shore, 1t dipped and fell
splash into the sea. Latham had dis.
tanced the foremost of the torpedo
boats, which was about three miles
away, but it steamed up and took him
on board after he had foated for .
short time.
Nineteen miles OF the twenty-one
that span the channel had been passed
and three minutes more Of flight would
have landed him.
The attempt was more spectacular
than that of Bleriot and more daring.
Latham was intensely disappointed
over his failure. but seemed to have
suffered no serious injury from his
TALL.
Hubert Latham is comparatively
recent aspirant for flying honors, but
several daring exploits already had
gained him much attention. He was
the first to attempt fight of the
English channel, but his effort failed.
After waiting many days for favorable
weather conditions, he set out from
Calais on July 10 last, headed for
Dover. He cleared the cliffs beautiful
ly and his flight appeared propitious
until midway in the channel, when his
motor failed him and his monoplane
settled gently on the unruffled waters.
He was picked up by torpedo boat
that had followed him. He was un-
injured, though the monoplane was
somewhat damaged in getting 1t
aboard.
Latham uses an Antoinete monoplane
designed by M. Levasseur, and which
consists principally Of central skiff-
like body from either side Of which q
main plane extends at slightly rising
angle.
Before his attempt to cross the chan
mel he had made several successful
flights at Mourmel-on-Legran France,
where on June he established new
monoplane record by remaining in the
air one hour, minutes and Al sec
g.