The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-07-29
THE BLERIOT FEAT.

actually Inundated. at being 30 quick
ly outdons in his cross channel expert
ment. He had hardly recovered his
equilibrium and eouanimity after his
upintentional and unprecedented de-
scent into the English Chanel when an
imitator. Bleriot, sailed across an
swiftly and with as much apparent
ease and security as a bird, and quiet.
ly settled down at Dover. Judging
by the reports sent out he made the
trip as easily and almost as swiftly as
an eagle might have done. and with no
more apparent danger. so far az
known.
1t is quite true that the distance
traversed was Insignificant. being
about twenty FIVE miles. we believe.
Much more than that has frequently
been done over the land. SO far as dis
lance Ia concerned. but the English
Channel is what the Britons call "a
nasty bit of water" and its winds and
gales are uncertain and at times dam
gerous to navigation. It was not the
number of miles traversed that makes
the feat in any way notable but the
area through which he had to pass,
and which might have blown him out
to sea or tumbled him down into the
water. or might have sent him back
unsuccessful to his own country.
One remarkable feature of the feat
as The New Orleans Picayune notes.
was "the fact that the machine he
used was exceedingly small. being not
more than twenty-five feet from end
TO end of the plane. 1t was driven
by a 25-horsepower engine and did not
weigh more than 400 pounds. So swift
ly did the machine movs that 1t was
no sooner lost sight of from the French
shore before it was sighted from Do
yer. In alighting at its destination
the machine was slightly damaged,
showing that no matter how success
full the landing. 1t is always attended
with more oreless- risk both to the
aviator and to his machine. In this
case the daring Bleriot was not In
iured."
The fact that this machine was even
slightly damaged when It came to
earth shows that aviators have not
yet mastered one of the details of their
business. ANY one who has noticed
heavy domestic fowl alighting from
short fight will have observed that
It comes down heavily and awkward
ly. while the fowls of the air aNght
almost as lightly as feather. There
fore 1t is that those who practice avi-
alton must not only learn to fiv but
must also learn how to come down
gently. This will come by practice
and experience. and the man who
learns to fly properly will also learn
to come down safely. 1t may be that
the small damage to NJ. Bleriot'E ma
chine was caused by the fact that a
slight breeze had sprung up just as he
was completing his flight.
1t will be interesting to read in the
papers for some time the views and
comments OF the English people re-
garding this latest feat of aviation.
Whatever we may think of the good
80 nf
the fact that those people have been
In something of a stew Of late through
apprehension of invasion from Ger
many. Perhaps fear would be a bet
ter word. for that seems to be the
condition of many Of the British: they
appear to actually fear invasion.
Whether that is to come on the water,
under the water or through the air
they are not sure. but it Is q certain
fact that the activity OF the aviatorG
seems to have impressed MANY of the
English with the belief that 1t with not
of flyers to sail across and alight on
them like g flock of crows on a corn
field.
VIII this successful flight of Blertut's
tend to ease their minds any? We
should say not. Rather 1t may give a
new impetus to their apprehensions. II
little monoplane like that used bv
this successful Frenchman can cross
the channel swiftly and safely It seems
at least reasonable that larger ana
more carefully constructed machines
can do the same. and not onlv sail
from the shores of France but may
make the voyage from Germany itself
and land a hostile army and all the
addenda OF war in any part Of Eng
land. 1t is that possibility which -
likely to cause the English people to
lie awake at night and listen for the
outbreak of the Teutonic invaders
Bleriots success may be a hne thing
for the scientists and the aviators. bur
there may be dark side to 1t from
the English point of view.
Will the Burlington fever become