Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-07-31
AVIATOR SAILS
over CHANNEL
Louis BleFiOt ACCOmpIies Feat
| in a MOnopIane.
WINS PRIZE or $4,000

Miles In TWenty-three Minutes and
Landed at Dover-Spectator Says II
Resembled Gigantic Hawk as 1t APP.
preached English Coast.
Dover, July 26.-This sleeping sea
port town experienced the keenesi
thrill known in a generation when a
sunrise Sunday morning a white
winged, bird-like machine, with loudly
humming motor, swept out from the
haze obscuring the sea toward the dis
tant French coast and, circling twice
above the high, chalky cliffs of Dover,
alighted on English soil. A calm
Frenchman, Louis Bleriot, descended
from the saddle, limping on band
aged foot, which had ben burned on
his previous overland flight 1mme
diately two compatriots who had been
waving a big tri-color flas as signal
for the landing place, fell upon him en-
Enthusiastically, embracing him, shout
ing and pounding him on the back
They, with few soldiers and others
who happened by chance to be on the
scene, were the only persons to wit
ness the finish of a most remarkable
feat.
Travelled at High Speed.
Bleriot left Les Baraaues, three
miles from Calais, on one of the small
est monoplanes ever used. He crossed
the Channel in little less than halt
an hour, twice as swiftly as the fastest
mail boat. His speed averaged more
than forty-five miles an hour; some
times 1t Appropriated sixty miles. He
kept about ESQ fet above the sea level,
and for ten minutes, while about mid
channel was out of sight of both
coasts and the French torpedo de
stroyer, which followed him. with his
wife and friends on board. The dis
lance is about twenty-one miles
Bleirot was in the air twenty-three
minutes.
An eyewitness of the landing thus
describes it:
every early in the morning wire.
less message was received from Calais
that Bleirot intended to make the
flight. Then In quick succession came
the news that he had left land, that he
was flying high and was fast makine
Dover. 1t was expected that he would
land west of Dover, but from the direc-
ton taken it was soon evident that he
would alight to the eastward. Only .
few minutes after the wireless an
nouncing the start, the laconic mos
sage, out of sight was received al
Dover Hardly had this been tran
scribed when the keen-eyed coast
guard. scanning the sea with his tele
scope, shouted that Bleriot was with
in sight.
Looked Like Giant Hawk.
Christening to the cliff east of tn
bay. was fortunate enough to arrivs
tust a moment before the airship
which was flying fast like a gigantic
hawk. The craft approached the Gilt
growing larger every instant. The
noise of the engines was audible in 2
moment, 30 swiftly did 1t come
Bleriot swooped overhead, glancne
from right to left, and then turned his
with consummate ease and made the
ground in the meadow. 1t circlec
with consummate east and made the
landing gracefully, but even though /
touched the land lightly it was slightly
damaged" -
BY his achievement Bleriot won thf
prize of $4,000 offered by the Londo-
Daily Mail for the first flight across
the English Channel and stole a march
on his rivals, Hubert Latham and the
Count de Lambert, both of whom had
hoped to make the attempt.