Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-28
FLIES NEARLY TO GOAL
Hubert Latham Falls Into Sea
at Foot of Dover.
MOTOR STOPS IN MIDAIR
Two Miles More and Aviator Would
Have Accomplished Feat.
HIS OWN STORY OF FLIGHT
Anticipations of Triumph Dashed
by Unlucky Mishap-His Nose
Broken by. the Fall.
HIS OWN STORY OF FLIGHT

DOVER, England. July 2S.-Trying to
Guido Bleriot's feat of Sunday. Hubert
Latham came to grief Yesterday
Latham announced in Calais that he
world not only fly across the channel
as did Bleriot. but continue in fight to
London and descend there.
Latham, who wept when he learned
that Beriot had anticipated him, failed,
as he failed a week ago Monday
Within two miles of this shore he and
his aeroplane fell. He hurt himself The
fly again.
Ships Herald Latham's Approach.
Soon before 6 o'clock in the morning
the clamor of sirens and bells on the
ships in the harbor notified the town that
another crossing was to be attempted.
In a marvelously short time the water
front, piers and cliffs behind the town
were crowded.
Thousands gathered there, many carry
ing telescopes, marine and field glasses
and cameras. Soon two French torpedo
boats. which preceded the aerop!ane. were
seen approaching at furious pace.
At GA O'Clock an airship was discerned
heading straight for the center of the
town The rapidity Of its flight was
evidenced by the quckness with which it
grew larger and assumed birdlike out
lines.
Suddenly it began to slacken speed. at
the same time gliding toward the sur
face of the channel. 1t fiuttered a few
times and fell, like a wounded water
bird.
The aeroplane dropped with a lateral
incline to the sea. There it fioated. al
though only those with glasses could
make out that it had not sunk.
The excitement while the boats were
darling to the rescue was intense, but
soon a fleet of all kinds of craft gath
cred around the wreck The force with
which the aeroplane had fallen caused
fears that the aviator might have been
killed in the wreck. If not drowned, but
signals from the ships soon told those on
shore that Latham had escaped, although
slightly injured.
Landed by Torpedo Boat.
1t was nearly S o'clock when the Esco-
petite, the same swift torpedo boat de-
stroyer that accompanied Bleriot's flight
came alongside the Prince of Wales pier
to land Latham and his machine His
aeroplane is much larger than Bleriots
little flyer. and the crowds cheered the
bandaged hero enthusiastically. He was
followed to the hotel by thousands. all
trying to learn the details of the accident
There 1t was learned that a pinnace
from the British battleship Russell picked
up the unlucky flyer and put him aboard
the Escopette.
After a surgeon had attended to his in
juries the destroyer brought Latham
Warden Hotel His face was banda eed
and bleeding and his nose was broken.
The machine, badly wrecked, was hoisted
from the boat to the dock
no frvht tn fIn
sensational finish in some respects
eclipsed Bleriot's. He made greater
speed. being only twenty minutes in the
air from the time he left the coast of
France.
Bleriot. although he had to fly five ex
ira miles along this coast, was thirty
three minutes.
Latham steered straighter course than
Blerlot. lie was making directly for
Dover when he fell
The officers of the Escopette. which can
speed twenty-seven knots an hour said
that she, starting first by signal. was ten
miles from Calais when Latham set sail
and that he overlook them in a quarter
OF an hour. waving his cap as he passed
overhead.
Latham's Story Of Flight.
1T is another case of real hard luck"
said Latham. sadly. When 1 started
everything was rosy. The wind was lust
right, and the rain was not a serious i'm
pediment.
Il flew to height of 500 feet, and i'm
mediately felt confident that / would
reach Dover The splendid sensation of
a coming triumph griped me. l felt that
victory was within my grasp at last
Il did not turn my head. The engine
was working with rhythmical accuracy,
delightful sound to me. i seemed to
stand still over moving plateau of blue
out in reality / frovolino
speed
I'm few moments, 1t seemed. I could
discern the dim gray line Of the Dover
cllns. In ten minutes l must have gone
at least eight miles. The coast seemed to
rise, to grow. to issue clearer with every
pulsatiOn of the motor.
Half way across L felt there is Dover
clearly visible. | am going splendidly.
looked at the motor: all was right. Twen-
ty minutes. l thought, and 1 shall be on
those cliffs.
II glanced around momentarily Calais
and its great tower were mere hazy lines:
Dover was growing. I even thought I
could see the people. Then, within three
miles of the coast 1 heard the sirens and
hooters
His Motor Fails.
My heart beat rapidly at the mex
pressible feeling Of coming victory.
longed for the moment of descent.
Then came the tragedy
II was only a mile and half from
the harbor mouth. A dead silence; the
pulsations of the motor appeared to
hesitate: they stopped. Ny speed slack
ened, the engine gave spasmodic throbs
and then ceased.
During these moments l had been
gradually descending. At thirty feet
above the water l drifted like an in
jured bird. fearing to alight, realizing
that I had failed again
My thoughts turned to my own safe
ty and I lay down in order TO Tighten
the force Of the blow as much as pos
sible. Away in the distance 1 could
see the torpedo boats. and wondered If
all would turn out right.
AS luck would have it, I struck the
sea with comparative lightness. not
with the splash that accompanied nv
previous fall. although the descent was
very rapid. My goggles struck a piece