The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-07-29
FLIES OVER The
ENGLISH CHANNEL
LOUIS BLERIOT WINS $4,000 AS
FIRST AVIATOR TO ACCOM-
PLISH FEAT.
SPEEDS ABOVE CH0PPY SEA.
Monoplanist Describes Trip Which Was
Made at Rate of Nearly Mile
Minute
is MODEST ABOUT HIS FEAT.

DOVER. England July 26.-This
sleepy seaport town experienced the
1eenest thrill known in generation
when at sunrise Sunday morning a 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 chaIky cliffs of Dover, alighted
IN English soil. 4 calm Frenchman.
Louis Bleriot. a portly and red-mouS-
tached man OF 81 descended from the
saddle, limpng on a bandaged foot,
which had been burned on his previous
overland fight.
! Immediately two compatriots, who had
been waving big tricolor flag as sig
nal for the landing place, fell upon him
enthusiastical embracing him, shouting
and pounding him on the back. They,
with few soldiers and others who hap
pened by chance to be on the scene, were
the only persons to witness the finish
Of most remarkable feat.
Flies Mile Minute
Bleriot left Les Baraques. three miles
| from Calais. about 4:30 a. IN. on one of
2 the SMALLEST IlOuopldueS ever useu ne
crossed the channel in little less than
half an hour, twice as swiftly as the
fastest mailboat. His speed averaged
more than forty miles an hour; some
! times 1t approximated sixty miles. He
! kept about 300 feet above the sea level,
and for ten minutes. while about mid
channel, was out OF sight of both coasts
and the French torpedo boat which fol
lowed him with his wife and friends
I aboard.
The wind was blowing about TWEEN
~ miles an hour and the sea was chop
/ by. The aviator WAS swathed in
single garment Of drilling, impervious to
the wind, which covered him from the
/ top of his head TO his feet. only his face
showing. He wore also "A cork life belt.
An eye witness of the landing thus
describes il:
Very early in the morning a wireless
/ message was received from Calais that
/ Bieriot intended TO make the flight Then
in quick succession came the news that
ne had left land, that he was flying high
and was fast making Dover. 1t was eX-
pected that he would land west of Do
yer, but from the direction taken it was
soon evidenced that he would alight TO
/ the eastward. Only few minutes after
I the wireless announcing the start, the
! aconic message out of sight was re-
ceived at Dover. Hardly had this been
/ Transcribed when the keen eye coast
goard. scanning the sea with his tele-
scope, shouted that Bieriot was within
sight
Like Gigantic Hawk.
"Hastening to the cliff east of the bay
! was fortunate enough to arrive just
moment before the airship. which was
flying fast, like a gigantic hawk. The
craft approached the cliff, growing larg-
! or every instant. The noise of the en-
gines was audible in a moment. so swift
ly did it come. Bieriot swooped over
head, glancing from right to left, and
then turned his machine To the east and
came to the ground in the meadow. 1t
crcled with consummate ease and made
the landing gracefully, but even though
I it touched the land lightly, it was slight
ly damaged.
BY his achievement Bieriot won the
prize of 5000 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 Sunday.
Modest About His Feat
Bleriot who speaks a little English,
described his remarkable flight very
modestly.
Il arose at 3 o'clock" he said. "and
went to the aeroplane shed. Finding
! everything in order on the trial spin y
decided to make the flight. The French
=. torpedo boat destroyer which was in at
/ tendance, was sgnaled and il put out
about four miles. Then | rose in the
air and pointed directly to Dover. After
! ten minutes | was ont of sight of land
and had left the warship well behind.
/ For n few minutes | could not see
either coast, nor any boat. | tried to
| keep at an average hight of $50 feet.
might easily have gone higher. but it
would have served no purpose. This
was about the height | thought. TO clear
! the Dover cliffs safely.
"The machine Dipped toward the wa
ter several times. | put on more petrol
once. | estimate that the propelIers
were going from 1900 to 1900 revolutions
a minute. The first objects | saw were
ships off the English coast, then | OBJ
served Deal, and discovered that the
| wind. which was southwest, was carry
ing me thither. | veered to the south
| ward to Dover castle, and then saw
friends flourishing flag in valley suit
able for landing. | made two circles
while lessening the speed and then dived
down, but | came in contact with the
ground sooner than ! expected Both
the machine and myself were badly
/ shaken up.
a few persons quickly assembled and
| was helped out, az my injured foot
was painful. | am exceedingly glad to
/ be here"