Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-19
AERONAOllCS
ATTEMPT FLIGHT
ACROSS CHANNEL
FRENCH AVIAT0RS WILL TRY
FOR $4,000 PRIZE
TRIP FROM CALAIS TO DOVER is
NEXT AERIAL EVENT
Hubert Latham, Daring Monoplanist,
Now at Starting Point, Is Favor
ite of French Public Among
Contestants

Interest of aerialists is mainly GEN.
tered at the English channel, which
prominent foreign aviators are prepar-
ing to cross from Calais to Dover,
distance of tWenty-one miles. HUI
bert Latham is at Calais with his An
toinette, ready to make the flight at
the earliest favorable opportunity. M.
Bleriot, who won the French Aero club
prize Of $2S00 July 13 by twenty-five
mile cross country flight from Etampes
to Orleans, will try for the prize. Count
Lambert, one of the pupils of Wilbur
Wright, will make the trial with a
Wright aeroplane.
Each contestant will be permitted to
make the attempt at time chosen by
him and may make further trials aft
erward If he wishes. The aviator
crossing the channel in the fastest
time will be declared the winner.
Latham is easily the favorite Of the
French people, who are confident that
he will win the prize. He is known as
a daring aviator, who does not hesitate
to take long chances, and he has flown
his monoplane at a rate of forty five
miles an hour.
"The only difficulty in aeroplaning, -
he said last week, after a test Hight
at Calais, lis the question of landing. y
Extensive preparations have been
made for the cross-channel trials
Seven ships will be stationed across the
channel to watch progress and to be
ready in case of accident, while a fleet
of fast motor boats will endeavor to
follow the aeroplane. A landing stage
has been erected at Dover.
United States Lost
The Dick Ferris ballon, United
States, which broke away from its
moorings at Oroville July 5, has not
been found, despite the fact that Capt
Van Tassell, who was initiating it, tele-
graphed to every town in the foothills
toward which the balloon sailed. The
net parted when the balloon was about
two-thirds full of gas, and the envelope
slipped out. leaving the rest of the
balloon on the ground. When last seen
1t was travelling northeast toward the
mountains. Every effort has been
made to locate the envelope. The
American, the other balloon which Mr..
Ferris brought to Los Angeles, is lying
in a disabled condition at the Chutes
balloon grounds as a result of too much
captive work. II have two balloons,
but haven't either of them" said Mr..
Ferris as he left for Minneapolis Sat
urday.
Frankfort Exhibition Complete
Exhibits at the international aero
nautical exhibition, now open at Frank
fort -on- the Main, make the most COM
prehensive display of aeronautical
things that has yet been made. Every
type of gas, gasless, power machines
and powerless, dirigibles and balloons
that have been publicly tried or ex-
hibited in the last hundred years is
shown by an original or a model. The
Wright aeroplane is an exhibit. EX-
hibits are arranged in twelve groups,
placed in a hall 450x180 feet, and in
addition there are four big sheds for
housing dirigibles Dirigible trips and
exhibition, which will last three
months.
curtlss to Go Abroad
Glenn H. Curtiss. who made new
aeroplane records for the United States
Saturday, has completed a new ma
chine at the Hammondsport factory
larger and capable of faster speed than
the one flown at Morris Park. He will
take the new aeroplane to France next
month to compete in the international
contest at Rheims.
The aeronef which Curtiss is using in
this country is a biplane with surfaces
of tWenty-nine feet spread. four and
one-half feet front to rear, and the
same distances between. The total
weight, including that of Curtiss, is
only $50 pounds.
International Balloon Race
The fourth international balloon race
will be started from Zurich, Switzer-
land, October 8. Free gas will be sup
piled by the Zurich corporation from
the works at Schlieren, and arrange.
ments are being made for a capacity
of $4,000 meters under high pressure
in less than three hours. Aerial con-
tests preceding the international race
will begin September 50.