The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-07-19
Herbert Latham Attempts tC
Fly Across the Channel.
Motor Fails When Is Miles Out
From Calais.
WASA GREAT HEIGHT
Picked Up by a Destroyer and
Brought to Land.
Found Floating on His Machine
Smoking a Cigarette.

Calais, July 19.-Herbert Latham, the
French aviator. made daring but
unsuccessful attempt to cross the Eng
ish channel in his monoplane this
morning. He got away splendidly un-
der perfect conditions from the top of
Chaf cliff at Sangatte and had covered
half the distance at an average height
oe 500 feet when the motor slowed
down and he was obliged to descend.
The air space of the wings, however,
kept the machine afoat and the mono
plane lying like a wounded bird, was
stretched out on the water when the
French torpedo boat destroyer Har-
pon, which had kept abreast through
the journey, came alongside and picked
UP the aviator.
NJ. Latham was not wet and still sat
on the saddle. which is located above
the wings, and behind the motor, calm
" smoking cigarette. He Immediate
ly announced that he was not discour-
aged by the failure and would try
again as soon as the machine was re
paired. The injuries to the monoplanel
were slight, the principal damage be-
Ing caused Wnen 1t was hauled aboard
the torpedo boat destroyer. The mo-
tor Is intact
The watchers on both shores had an
anxious hour after the machine was
lost to view behind a thin veil Of fog
on the French side and apprehension
was not allayed until the semaphore
at Calais reported that the Harpon
was returning with NJ. Latham Unin-
jUred, oil board. On landing the
aeronaut was given a frantic reception.
The failure of the motor is attributed
to a bad carburetter on the monoplane,
which when 400 feet in the air began
to descend. When the machine was
200 feet above the water, NJ. Latham
shut off the power and the machine
glided down lightly, arriving on the
waves with hardly a splash. In a brief
interview NJ. Latham said:
''I can not say exactly what stopped
the motor. I tried to get the engine
y orking again. but could not and was
obliged to fly gradually down to the
sea- I believe that previous to the
mishap I maintained an even flight of
400 feet above the water. 1t was un-
fortunate that the motor stopped, as
everything else was favorable and
was going well at the time. Never
mind I will have another monoplane
from Charlons with which another at
tempt will be made to cross the chan
mel within a week or ten days"
VI. Latham left Calais for Paris this
afternoon.
NJ. Lebavasseur, the Associated |
Pres correspondent and the construc- |
tor of the machine, who was to give |
made. slept on board the torpedo boat |
destroyer Harpon off Cape Gris-Nez.
Conditions Were Right.
At the first streak of dawn, NJ. |
Latham came out OF the 6neQ Clap |
ping his hands with joy at the sight |
of the smooth sea. A few minutes |
later a gun fired on the Harpon con- |
firmed the daring aeroplanist's opin- |
ion that conditions were right and an
automobile was dispatched to Calais
to apprise the authorities that start
would be made between and z |
o'clock.
While the monoplane was being
taken out and pushed to the top of the /
cliff a crowd of several thousand per-
sons assembled to witness the start
borning villages lined the shore below.
Latham was in high spirits as he care
fully inspected every part of the ma
chine and on making several trials
with the eight cylinder motor found
the ma chine perfect.
There was a wait of an hour until the
torpedo boats and tugs, strung out in
q line towards the horizon, took upI
their ptositions. Finally all was in
readiness and the monoplane was push
ed back about 260 wards from the crest
Of the cliff. which has a precipitous fall
Of geo feet to the sea
Latham was clad in n knickerbocker
suit ana had donned a life preserver.
He showed no signs of nervousness as
ne shook hands with his friends on {
mounting the saddle
Starting Signal Given.
start the motor" he cried to his
assistants, and then with a nod of his {
head and the words See you in Do
yer" threw the starting lever off, thei
machine running along the ground with
increased momentum at every turn.
Just refcre reaching the edge of the
Jeff the aeToraut touched the horizon
al lever ard the machine with its white
-utstretcnee wings rose gracefully and