The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-07-27
BLERIOT CROSSES BRITISH
CHANNEL IN M0NOPLANE
Speed of a Mile a Minute From
Dover to Calais.
AMAZING FEAT OF FRENCHMAN
No Land or Sea Gun Could Have
stopped the Swift Flight of the
Airship-Torpedo Boat Dis
tanced in Race.


Airship-Torpedo Boat Dis
tanced in Race.
Dover, England Almost mile
a minute across the English Chan
mel was the remarkable record OF
Louis Bleriot in his small monoplane,
which made the twenty-one mile run
between Calais and Dover in twenty
three minutes. No land or sea gun
could have stopped Bleriot's amazing
fight. 1t would be impossible to
point a gun and catch the airship
within the firing zone. A speedy
French torpedo boat destroyer which
had hoped to keep Bleriot and his
monoplane in sight was beaten into
Dover nearly an hour.
Bleriot went as high as 500 feet.
The startling fact that stands out is
that most of the journey was in a
good breeze, and at the finish the
wind was easily eighteen miles. This
seems to settle the stability of this
type of monoplane and puts France
first in the practical accomplishment
of air sailing.
1t was 430 a. M, when Bleriot set
his machine in motion from the high
land near Calais. While hundreds
were still cheering him he was two
miles away. To the amazement of
all he was lost to sight in nine min
utes, while the torpedo destroyer
could be plainly seen.
Then all knew that the monoplane
was breaking all speed records for
the air and would safely accomplish
the trip to England Bleirot sighted
the white cliffs near Dover after he
was out eight minutes. He could
feel the breeze growing stronger, but
his ship was not bothered in the
least. His control of the monoplane
was perfect and at 453 he descended
gracefully in the Northfall Meadow.
Bleriot described his remarkable
fight modestly.
land went to the aeroplane shed.
Finding everything in order on the
trial spin. / decided to make the
fight. The French torpedo boat de-
stroyer, which was in attendance,
was signaled, and it put out about
four miles. Then l rose in the air
and pointed directly to Dover After
ten minutes / was out of sight of
land and had left the warship well
behind For a few minutes | could
not see either coast nor any boat.
After first going 500 feet high, tried
to keep an average of $50 feet.
might easily have gone higher, but
it would have served no purpose.
This was about the right height, l
thought, to clear the Dover cliffs
safely.
"The machine dipped toward the
water several times in stiff breeze.
l put on more petrol once. | esti-
mated that the propellers were going
from 1890 to 400 revolutions min
nte. The first objects l saw were
ships off the English coast; then ]
observed Deal, and l discovered that
the wind, which was southwest, was
carrying me thither. l veered to the
southwark to Dover Castle, and then
saw friends fourishing flag in a
valley suitable for landing / made
two circles while lessening the speed
and then dived down, but l came in
contact with the ground sooner than
I expected. Both the machine and
myself were slightly shaken"
M. Bleriot's friends took him
quickly in an automobile to the old
Lord Warden Hotel by the pier from
which mail boats depart In the
meantime his wife arrived on the de-
stroyer. She embraced him weep
ing, but they were soon sitting al
breakfast, the centre of proud gath.
ering of French people. The Mayor
and other Dover officials called early
and welcomed NJ Bleriot in the name
Of the city and nation as the pioneer
of international fight.
The sailors on the ships in the har.
Dor were the first to discover thai
Bleriot was approaching. They hear6
the buzzing of the motor two OF
three minutes before they could dis
Germ the monoplane. Then what
looked like a big white butterfly
glided over their heads as fast as {
train of cars and with almost al
much noise. 1t reached the cliff
near the gray turrets of Dover Gas
tie, swooped around 1t twice in broad
curves and disappeared.
Count Lambert came from Calais By
boat to congratulate his rival,
telegram arrived from Hubert Lath
am, who few days ago failed in hi
attempt to cross the Channel, say
ing: II hope to follow you soon.
Bleriot announced that il Latham
crossed on the same day he would
share the $4,000 prize with him, bu
the heavy wind and the rain tina
came up dashed the hopes of Latham
The American Consul at Calais
James b Miner, who came here will
Count Lambert, said on his arriva
that he had left Latham sitting will
his head on his monoplane weeping.
Bleriot is thirty-seven years old
He is portly, about middle height ant
mas red hair. He wears a fierce look
ing red mustache and is always a
calm as minister in the pulpit.