The Springfield herald., 1909-07-30
HOW N. BLER|OT
WON The PRIZE
FRENCH AERoPLANisT DESCRIBES
HIS FLIGHT ACROSS THE
ENGLISH CHANNEL.
RIVALS DISC0NSoLATE
WAS OUT OF SIGHT OF LAND IN
TEN MINUTES AFTER
STARTING.

Dover.-Louis Bleriot, French
man, at last has succeeded in crossing
the English Channel in an airship.
This sleepy seaport town expert
enced the keenest thrill known in a
generation when, at sunrise Sunday,
white-winged, birdlike machine with
loudly-humming motor, swept out from
the haze obscuring the sea toward the
distant French coast, and, circling
twice above the high, chalky cliffs OF
Dover, alighted on English soil.
Bleriot, portly and red mustached.
calmly descended from the saddle,
umping on bandaged foot, which had
been burned on his previous overland
flight. Immediately two compatriots
who had been waving big tri-colored
flag as a signal for the landing place,
fell upon him enthusiastically, en-
bracing him, shouting and pounding
him on the back. They. with n few
soldiers, and others who happened to
be on the scene. were the only per-
sons to witness the finish Of a re-
markable feat.
By his achievement Bleriot won the
prize of $4,000 offered by the London
Daily Mail for the first flight across
the English Channel. and stole =
march on his rivals Hubert Latham
and Count de Lambert. both OF whom
had hoped to make the attempt today.
Bleriot described his remarkable
flight very modestly.
Il arose at 3 o'clock" he said, "ano
went to the aeroplane shed. Finding
everything in order on the trial spin.
decided to make the flight. The
French torpedo boat destroyer which
was In attendance, was signalled and
1t put out about four miles. Then l
rose in the air and pointed directly
to Dover. After ten minutes l was
out of sight of land and left the war
ship we'll behind. For few minutes
could not see either coast. nor any
boat. tried to keep at on average
height of $50 feet. might easily have
gone higher but 1t would have served
no purpose. This was about the right
height, l thought. to clear Dover cliffs
safely.
'Grhe machine dipped toward the wa
ter several times. 1 put on more Pc
troll once. / estimate that the propel-
lers were going 1900 to 1,400 revolu-
tions a minute.
THE first objects saw were ships
off the English coast; then l observed
Deal, and l discovered that the wind.
which was southwest, was carrying
me thither. Iveered to the southwark
flourishing a flag in a valley suitable
for landing. l made two circles while
lessening the speed and then dived
down, but l came in contact with the
ground sooner than expected. Both
the machine and myself were badly
shaken up.
"A few persons quickly assembled
, and l was helped out, as my injured
foot was painful. am exceedingly
glad to be here"
Nj. Bleriot's friends took him quick
ly to the old Lord Wardon hotel.
Meanwhile his wife arrived on the de-
stroyer. She embraced him. weeping,
but they were soon sitting at break
fast, the center OF proud gathering
of French people. The mayor and
other Dover officials welcomed M.
Bleriot in the name OF the city and
nation, as the pioneer of international
flight.
Bleriot said, however. that he had
absolute control OF the machine
throughout and had no fear that the
motor would fail. The only difficulty
he experienced was the force of the
wind, which hurt his face and eyes
badly and the wind eddies which
twisted his machine about while near
Ing the English coast.
Count De Lambert came from Ca
lais by boat to congratulate his rival.
A telegram arrived from Hubert
Latham, who few days ago failed in
his attempt to cross the channel, say
ing:
II hope to follow you soon."
Bleriot early announced that il
Latham crossed the same day he
would share the prize with him.
The American consul at Calais,
James B. Millner, who came here with
Count Lambert, said on his arrival
that he had left Latham sitting with
his head on his monoplane weeping.
Aeroplane Crosses English Channel.
novor-J ppic p1oriDt the FreDch