Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-08-10

prize requiring that fly between sun
rise and sunset. At 1870 daylight had
come. but it was impossible to see the
coast. A light breeze from the south
/ west was blowing the air clear, how
ever, and everything was prepared.
was dressed in khaki jacket, lined
| with wool for warmth, over my tweed
| clothes and beneath my engineers
suit of blue cotton Overalls. A close
fitting cap was fastened over my head
and ears. | had neither eaten nor
drank anything since arose. My
thoughts were only upon the fight and
my determination to accomplish it this
morning.
AT 4:35 AIS ready My friend,
lie Blance, gives the signal, and in an
instant | am in the air, my engine
making $4,000 revolutions. almost its
highest speed. in order that | may get
quickly over the telegraph wires along
| the edge of the cliff AS soon as am
over the cliff reduce speed There
is now no need to force the engine. |
begin my fight, steady and sure, to-
ward the coast of England. | have no
apprehension, no sensation-not at all.
The Escopette has seen me. 1t is
driving ahead at full speed. 1t makes
perhaps AZ kilometers (26 miles, an
hour. What matters it? | am making
at least 6S kilometers tower ~ miles,
Rapidly | overtake it, travelling at a
height of so meters ego feet. Below
me is the surface of the sea- disturbed
by the wind, which is now freshening.
The motion of the waves beneath me
| is not pleasant | drive on. Ten min
utes are gone. | have passed the de-
stroyer, and | turn my head to see
whether | am proceeding in the right
direction. | am amazed. There is
nothing to be seen-neither the tor
pedo boat destroyer, nor France, nor
England. | am alone; | can see moth
| ing at ALL
Fer 10 minutes | am lost. 1t is a
strange position to be malone, guild
| ed without compass, in the air over
| the middle of the channel. | touch
nothing; my hands and feet rest light
ly on the levers. | let the aeroplane
| take its own course. | care not width
er it goes For 10 minutes | continue,
neither rising nor falling. nor turning,
and then, 20 minutes after | have left
the French coast. | see green cliffs and
| Dover castle, and away to the west the
| spot where L had intended to land.
i 7 L. 70 i, iIA,N h. ,ryir, Il
has taken me out of my course. | am
almost at St. Marget bay, going in the
direction of Goodwin sands.
| Now it is time TO attend to the
steering. Ipress lever with my foot
and turn easily toward the west, re-
versing the direction in which Il am
| travelling. Now | am in difficulties,
| for the wind here by the cliffs is much
stronger and my speed is reduced as
! | fight against it; yet my beautiful
| aeroplane responds still steadily. fly
westward, chopping across the harbor.
and reach Shakespeare cliff. | see an
opening in the cliff Although | am
confident | can continue for an hour
and half. that / might, indeed, re-
turn 10 Calais, | cannot resist the op.
portunity TO make landing upon this
| green spot.
| Once more | turn my aeroplane
and. describing a half circle, | enter
the opening and find myself again over
dry land. Avoiding the red buildings
on my right, attempt a landing, but
the wind catches me and whirls me
around two or three times. AT once
stop my motor. and instantly my ma
chine falls straight upon the ground
from d height of 20 meters (75 feet
In two or three seconds | am safe upon
your shore.
| Soldiers i'll khaki ran up. and pc
licemen. Two of my compatriots are
on the spot. They kiss my cheeks
The conclusion of my flight over
whelms me. Thus ended my flight
across the channel-a flight which
could easily be done again. Shall dc
it? | think not. | have promised my
wife that after race for which have