The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-07-20
AIR SAILOR
FALLS In SEA
French Aviator's Flight
a Failure.
TORPEDO BOAT TO RESCUE
Herbert Latham Meets With Acct
dent In Channel.
while Attempting to steer Menepiane
From calais to Dover, Motor Fails
and Machine Dips Inte
Waves.

Calais. July 19-Herbert Latham. the
French aviator. made O daring but un-
successful attempt to cross the English
Channel In his monoplane this morn
Ing. He got away spiendidly under
perfect. conditions from the top OF the
chalk olin at SanEatte and had covered
over half the distance at an average
height of 500 feet. when the motor
slowed down and he was obliged to
descend in the channel.
The air space OF the wings. however.
kept the machine afioat and the mono
plane. lying like . wounded bird. was
stretched out on the water when the
French torpedo boat destroyer Harpon.
which had kept abreast throughout the
journey. came alongside and picked up
the aviator.
M. Latham was not we, and stiii sat
on the saddle. which, IL located above
the wings and behind the motor. calm
ly smoking q cigarette. He Immediate
ly announced that he was not discour-
aged by the failure and would try again
as soon a. the machine was repaired.
The injuries to the monoplane were
slight. the principal damage being
caused when 1t was hauled aboard the
torpedo boat destroyer. The motor II
intact.
The watchers on both shores had an
anxious hour after the machine was
lost to view behind q thin veil OF fog
on the French side and apprehension
was not ailayed until the semaphors
at Calais reported that the Harpon was
returning with NJ. Latham. uninjured.
aboard On landing. the aeronaut was
given a frantic reception.
Motor Gives Out.
The failure OF the motor Is attributed
to bad carbureter on the monopiane
which. when 400 feet in the air, began
to descend. When the machine was zoe
feet above the water, Latham shut OF
gently, aiighting on the waves with
hardly q splash.
In a brief interview. Mr.. Latham
said: II cannot exactly say what
stopped the motor. I tried to get tho
engine working again but could not and
was obliged to ny gradually down to
the sea.
under water. but the machine itself
hoafed fike cork and I lifted my feet
konto Spar 70 keep them dry. found
lsmy matches still dry and 30 wac able
to light cigarette. believe the ma
chine would have hoafed for two hours
In calm sea. but the wings were soon
broken to shreds My experience has
shown me that the English channel can
be crossed. In football parlance, we
scored a try, but no goal believe that
previous to the mishap. maintained an
even flight 400 feet above the water.
1t was unfortunate that the motor
stopped. as everything else was favor
able and was going well at the time.
Never mind, will have another Antoin-
cite monopIane from Cartons with
which another attempt win be made to
CROSS the channer within a. week or ten
days.
M. Latham left Calais for Paris this
afternoon.
Herbert Latham, who today made the
daring attempt to cross the English
channel in his monoplane, is a French
man. His dying machine Is built with
single horizontal plane as against
the double planes used by the Wright
brothers and most aviators Although
he made short flights fast May, his first
important flight was In June. when he
remained in the air one hour and seven
minues and forty-seven seconds, thus
for the first time attracting serious at
tention to his new single plane device.
Since then he has made several short
flights
The machine used by M. Latham sug-
gests a bird. 1t has two rigid wings
a foot thick in the center and tapering
into flexible fms. designed TO give sta