New-York tribune., 1909-07-20
LATHAM FALLS In SEA
Fails TO CROSS CHANNEL.
MotOr Stops H0rb1ng 4fter COrer-
ing Half the Distance.

HS IIWI tHC btStQUtC.
Calais. July 10 Hubert lie athaIn tho French
aeronaut made daring hut unsuccessful attempt
10 cross the English Channe! in his monopane
this morning. He got away splen6idlr under per
feet conditions from the top of the chalk cliff at
Sangatte and had covered over half the distance At
average height OF 500 feet. when the motor
slowed down and ne obliged descend. The
/ air space Of the wind. however. kept the achine
ahOat. and the mOnOplane. like wounded bird.
was stretched out on the water when the French
destroyer Harpon. which had kept abreast Of the
airship throughout the journey. came alongside and
picked up NJ Latham. He wet. and
a. the saddle above the wings behind the motor,
calmly smoking cigarette. He said that he
not discouraged by the failure, and would try again
as the machine repaired. The in
juries the monopiane slight. the principal
damage being caused when II was hauled on board
the destroyer. The motor is intact.
The watchers both shores had anxious
hour after the machine was lost view behind a
veil fog the French side. The authorities
Dover reported that the machine had not been
sighted and the apprehension not allayed until
the semaphore at Calais reported that the Harpor
was returning with NJ Latham, unnjured, aboard.
The failure of the motor Is attributed to bad
carbureteer the monoplane which. when four
hundred feet above the sea, began 10 descend
When the machine two hundred feet above
the water NJ Latham shut of the power. and
the machine glided down gently. alightng the
with hardly splash. Mr. Latham said
after his return: -...--.-.
cannot exactly say what stopped the motor
% not to a5s gf as h osd to T F4s on 9g
10 the The heavy motor Immediately went
cork and lifted my my feet to spar to keep them
dry. l found my matches still dry, and lighted
ngaeo s f@r rooD %0 Toke IN IN cam g xer.n oer
sboyp e the FnqIisb Cbannei can he
crossed In football parisnce. we scored t.y
believe that previous to the mishap main
tained even fight four hundred feet above the
as everything else was favorable and 1 was going
well at the time. Never mind; shall have another
another attempt will be made TO cross the Chan
mel within week or ten days.
NJ Latham left Calais for Paris this after
noon.
I.atham's start was made under most propitiou.
circumstances stIn breeze which was blowing
yesterday subsidized dusk and tho clear night in
dicated that perfect conditions would prevail at
da ybreak NJ. Latham slept in a shed OF the old
tunnel works the foot of the cliff where the
monopane was housed. while NJ Lebavasseur q
correspondent and the constructor OF the machine.
who TO give the signal when the start to
be made. slept board the destroyer Hsrpon of
Cape Gris-Nez
At the first streak OF dawn NJ. Latham came out
Of the shed clapping his hands with JOY ct the
sight OF the smooth The sky was overcast,
but the wind was hardly perceptible. few min
utes later gun fired on the Harpon confirmed the
seronauts opinion that conditions right and
an automobile sent Calais 10 tell the au-
thorities that a start would be made between and
o'clock.
While the monoplane hastily taken out and
pushed TO the top of the cir crowd Of several
thousand persons assembled 10 witness the start.
and the entire population OF the neghboring VII
lagos lined the shore below. N. Latham carefully
inspected every part OF the machine, and after
making several trials with the eight-cyinder
motor found the machine In good order
There wait OF hour until the torpedo
boats and tugs. strung out in a line toward the
horizon. took their positions Finally the
plane pushed back two hundred yards from the
Of the Cliff which has drop of two hundred
feet TO the sea. Latham clad in a knicker-
booker suit and had donned a life preserver. He
showed signs of nervousness ne shook hands
with HIS friends mounting the saddle. Start
the motor" he cried TO his assistants, and then
with nod OF his head and the words. See you
Dover" threw back the starting lever, the ma
chine running along the ground with rapidly in
creasing momentum.
Just before reaching the edge OF the cliff the
aeronaut touched the horizontal lever and the ma
chine, with its white outstretched wings rose
gracefully and sailed out the shining waters
amid roar Of cheers from the cliff and shores.
The monopane after leaving the cliff, assembled
gradually until IL probably three hundred feet
above the Then. straight arrow. It
tnued its flight toward the English coast, appsr-
entity under perfect control, at of about
thirty five miles an hour. The Harpon kept almost
under her aerial companion. and at the end OF
fifteen minutes both disappeared in the haze on
the horizon. --' =. -
When last the monoplane was only, brill
liant speck on the hoFizon. with trail. of blue
smudge from the motor. The Harpon was below
the horizon. 80 - 3t 2. q. :
The piers and streets along the waterfront were
black with people when the destroyer entered the
harbor, at $50, with NJ Latham aboard. The
nsut received a great welcome. and on landing
made his way with dinculty through the cheering!
throngs. Dozens of times he compelled TO kiss
girls who threw their arms abo,t his neck.
In response to inquiries VI. Latham shouted re-
peatedly that he was all right. He said the motor
failed about twelve miles out and owing to the
slowing down OF the engines he was unable TO re-
main longer in the air ~
The appearance OF theSmachine with it's tangled
guy ropes and misplaced skids indicated that it
badly damaged .-..s .s
Hubert Latham is French aeronaut whose per ,
formances have only recently begun TO attrac, at
tention, mainly through the novel construction OF
his flying machine. built with single horizontal
plane, against the double planes used by the
Wright brothers and most other inventors OF air
ships. Although he made short flights n Nav last
his first important flight was last month when he
remained in the air hour, minutes and ~ sec
onds. for the first time attracting serious attention
TO his single plane device
The machine used by NJ. Latham has two rigid
wings foot thick in the centre and tapering into
flexible fms designed to give stability The space