Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1909-07-19
AVIATOR
FLIES z MILES
But Fails to Cross
the English
Channel
latham Fiji |NT0 THE cFA
LATHAM FELL into THE SEA
Calmly Smoking Cigarette as
He Floated on
Waves.

Calias, July 19.--Herbert Latham,
the French aviator, after waiting for
week for a favorable opportunity to
attempt TO cross the English channel
in his monoplane, made his attempt
this morning, and after covering six
teen miles, the motor failed and La
than fell into the sea from great
height. He was uninjured and to-
gether with his machine, was res
cued by the torpedo boat Harpon. AT
across the channel, had taken their
positions the start was made from
the top of the cliff at San Gate under
favorable conditions. Shouting See
a life preserver rose in the air and
headed straight for the English coast,
the machine apparently under per
feet control and making 50 miles an
hour The torpedo boat Harpon, kept
almost under the monoplane and at
the end of fifteen minutes, both dis
appeared over the horizon. The avi-
ator was anxiously awaited at Dover,
but was not sighted from the English
coast. When the Harpon picked up
the monoplane it was floating with
Latham sitting calmly in his seat
smoking cigarette.
Latham received a tremendous ova-
ton on landing, being compelled to
kiss several women. He said the mo-
tor failed 12 miles out and compelled
him to descend. He will try again.
Curtiss' Aerop|ane Wrecked.
New York, July ia frightened
amateur, sitting like "a wooden man,
went up in Glenn Curtiss' areoplane,
which lowered moment in mid air
and then crashed to the earth. The
beautiful craft in which Curtiss made
his remarkable flight was badly wreck
ed. When the would-be aviator was
lifted from the twisted frame he was
delirious, his left arm was broken and
his body bruised. His injuries, how
ever. are not serious.
The accident occurred on Hamp-
stead plain. Mineola, where Curtiss
has been giving demonstrations for
the New York Aeronautic Society, to
which he recently sold his aeroplane
for $4,000. 1t was a member of the
society, Alexander Williams, AZ years
old. who was injured.
While Williams had driven many an
automobile and is familiar with gas
engines, he seemed to lose complete
control of himself as the aeroplane
scared upward. When it had attain
ed a height of 80 feet, the craft careen.
ed sharply to the right, swooped to-
ward the earth and striking on end
turned completely over, then rolled
on it's back. William remained pin.
ned in his seat until lifted out. AS
physician bent over him, Williams
in his delrium muttered that some
one had collided with him in the air
Witnesses declare it was merely case
of a man attempting something which
taxes the nerves, the body and the
brain simultaneously and that Will
liams simply had stage fright. His at
tempted flight followed successful
one made by Edward Foster Willard
of New York, also member of the
Aeroplantic society, who remained in
the air % seconds, making a short
flight at an average height of 20 feet.
Wright AeropIane viii Attempt to
Cross.
Wissains, France, July 19.-Count
de Lambert will attempt to cross the
English channel with the Wright aero
plane before Latham again is ready
to make the attempt.