The Penn's Grove record., 1909-07-30
CROSSES BRITISH
CHANNEL IN MON0PLANE
Speed of a Mile a Minute From
Dover to Calais.
AMAZING FEAT OF FRENcHMAN

No Land or Sea Gun Could Have
Stopped the Swift Flight of the
AirshipeTorpedo Boat Dis
tanced in Race.
Dover, England.-Almost a mile
a minute across the English Chan
mel was the remarkable record of
Louis Bleriot in his small monoplane,
which made the twenty-one mile run
between Calais and Dover in twenty
three minutes. No land or sea gun
could have stopped Bleriot's amazing
flight. 1t would be impossible to
point a gun and catch the airship
within the firing zone. A speedy
French torpedo boat destroyer which
had hoped to keep Bleriot and his
monoplane in sight vas beaten into
Dover nearly an hour.
Bleriot went as high as 500 feet.
The startling fact that stands out is
that most of the journey was in a
good breeze, and at the finish the
wind was easily eighteen miles. This
seems to settle the stability of this
type of monoplane and puts France
first in the practical accomplishment
of air sailing.
It was 4.30 a. M, when Bleriot set
his machine in motion from the high
land near Calais. While hundreds
were still cheering him he was two
miles away. To the amazement of
all he was lost to sight in nine min
utes, while the torpedo destroyer
could be plainly seen.
Then all knew that the monoplane
was breaking all speed records for
the air and would safely accomplish
the trip to England. Bleirot sighted
the white cliffs near Dover after he
was out eight minutes. He could
feel the breeze growing stronger, but
his ship was not bothered in the
least. His control of the monoplane
was perfect and at ABB he descended
gracefully in the Northfall Meadow.
Bleriot described his remarkable
fight modestly.
81 arose at 8 O'clock" he said
"and went to the aeroplane shed.
Finding everything in order on the
trial spin. I decided to make the
fight. The French torpedo boat de-
stroyer, which was in attendance,
was signaled, and it put out about
four miles. Then I rose in the air
and pointed directly to Dover. After
ten minutes I was out of sight of
land and had left the warship well
behind. For a few minutes I could
not see either coast nor any boat.
After first going 500 feet high, 1 tried
RI Ennn on we ona re Ok n fnof T
might easily have gone higher, but
it would have served no purpose.
This was about the right height. I
thought, to clear the Dover cliffs
safely.
"The machine dipped toward the
water several times in a stiff breeze.
I put on more petrol once. l esti-
mated that the propellers were going
from 1890 to 400 revolutions a min
ute. The first objects 1 saw were
ships off the English coast; then 1
observed Deal, and l discovered that
the wind, which was southwest, was
carrying me thither. I veered to the
southwark to Dover Castle, and then
saw friends lourishing a flag in a
valley suitable for landing. I made
two circles while lessening the speed
and then dived down, but l came in
contact with the ground sooner than
I expected. Both the machine and
myself were slightly shaken"
M. Bleriot,s friends took him
quickly in an automobile to the old
Lord Warden Hotel by the pier from
which mail boats depart. In the
meantime his wife arrived on the de-
cfrnynr Che onohroa1l Ill.,
ing, but they were soon sitting at
breakfast, the centre of a proud gath
ering Of French people. The Mayor
and other Dover officials called early
and welcomed M. Bleriot in the name
of the city and nation as the pioneer
of international fight.
The sailors on the ships in the har-
Dor were the first to discover that
Bleriot was approaching. They heard
the buzzing of the motor two or
three minutes before they could dis
Germ the monoplane. Then what
looked like a big white butterfly
glided over their heads as fast as a
train of car and with almost as
much noise. 1t reached the cliff,
near the gray turrets of Dover Cas-
tie, swooped around it twice in broad
curves and disappeared.
Count Lambert came from Calais by
boat to congratulate his rival. A
telegram arrived from Hubert Lath-
am, who a few days ago failed in his
attempt to cross the Channel, say
ing: Il hope to follow you soon"
Bleriot announced that If Latham
crossed, on the same day he would
share the $4,000 prize with him, but
the heavy wind and the rain that
came up dashed the hopes of Latham.
The American , Consul at Calais,
James B. Miner, who came here with
Count Lambert, said on his arrival
that he had left Latham sitting with
his head on his monoplane weeping.
Bleriot is thirty-seven years old.
He is portly, about middle height and
has red hair. He wears a fierce look
ing red mustache and is always as
calm as a minister in the pulpit.