Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-08-24
BLER|OT'S GREAT FEAT
French Aeronaut's Own Story Of
Flight Over English Channel.
DROPPED CLUTCHES TO DO IT.

Land, With No Guide but Machines
-Outdistanced Swift Tor
pedo Boat and Landed Safely.
NJ, Louis Bleriot, one of the pioneers
in French aviation, who recently cross
ed the English channel in his small
monoplane from Les Baraques, near
Calais, France, to the North Foreland
meadow near Dover. England, in lit
tie over thirty minutes, winning the
London Daily Nails prize Of $1,000, de-
scribes his remarkable flight as fol-
lows:
II rose at 2:3O Sunday morning,
July rs. and, finding that the condi'
tons were favorable. ordered the tor
pedo boat destroyer EscOpette, which
had been placed at my disposal by the
French government, to start. Then l
went to the garage at Sangatte and
found that the motor worked well. At
4 a. m. took my seat In the aerOplane
and made trial fight around Calais
of some fifteen kilometers lover nine
miles,. descending at the spot chosen
for the start across the channel.
Here l waited for the sun to come
out, the conditions of the Daily Mail
prize requiring that fly between sun
rise and sunset. At 4:3O daylight had
come, but it was impossible to see the
coast. A light breeze from the south
west was blowing the air clear, how
ever, and everything was prepared.
II was dressed in khaki jacket
lined with wool for warmth over my
tweed clothes and beneath my en-
gincer's suit Of blue cotton overalls.
A close fitting cap was fastened over
my head and ears. had neither eaten
nor drunk anything since l rose. My
thoughts were only upon the fight and
my determination to accomplish it this
morning.
Flight Begun at 4:35.
''At 4:35 all's ready. Ny friend LIE
Blancc gives the signal, and In an In
slant l am in the air, my engine max
ing 1900 revolutions, almost its high
est speed, in order that l may get
quickly over the telegraph wires along
the edge of the cliff. AS soon as am
over the cliff I reduce speed. There Is
now no need to force the engine. be-
gin my fight, steady and sure, toward
the coast Of England. 1 have no ap-
prehensions, no sensation-pas Gu tout
not at all.
1.-The Escopette has seen me. She
is driving ahead at full speed. She
makes perhaps forty-two kilometers
twenty-six miles, an hour. What mat
eight kilometers lover forty-two niles.
Rapidly l overtake her. travelling at
height of eighty meters GEO feet. Be-
low me is the surface Of the sea, dis
turbed by the wind, which is now
freshening The motion Of the waves
beneath me is not pleasant. drive on.
Lost For Ten Minutes.
'"ren minutes are gone. I have
passed the destroyer, and turn my
head to see whether am proceeding
There is nothing to be seen, neither
the torpedo boat destroyer nor France
nor England. l am alone; l can see
nothing at all. For ten minutes l am
lost. 1t is strange position to be in,
alone, guided without compass in
the air over the middle Of the chan
mel. I touch nothing. My hands and
feet rest lightly on the levers. let the
aeroplane take its own course. l care
not whittier it goes.
Sees EnsIands Cliffs.
For ten minutes continue, neither
rising nor falling nor turning, and
then, twenty minutes after have left
the French coast, l see green cliffs
and Dover castle and away to the
west the spot where I had intended to
land.
"What can l do? 1t is evident the
wind has taken me out of my course.
I am almost at st. Margaret's bay,
going in the direction Of Goodwin
sands.
'Now it is time to attend to the
steering. press lever with my foot
and turn easily toward the west, re-
versing the direction in which / am
travelling. Now am In difficulties,
for the wind here by the cliffs ts much
stronger and my speed is reduced as
1 fight against it, yet my beautiful
aeroplane responds still steadily. ="
Il fly westward, chopping across the
harbor, and reach Shakespeare cliff.f
1 see an opening in the cliff. Al
though / am confident I can continue
for an hour and a half, that I might,
indeed, return to Calais, cannot re-
sist the opportunity to make a land
ing upon this green spot. 1
- Safe on Engiand's Shore. "
"Opces more II turn my aeroplane
and, describing half circle, I enter
the opening and find myself again
over dry land. Avoiding the red
buildings on my right, attempt @
landing, but the wind catches me and
whirls me around two or three times.
At once I stop my motor, and instant
~ my machine falls straight upon the
ground from height Of twenty meters
(seventy-five feet. In two or three
seconds I am safe upon your shore. X
Soldiers in khaki run up and POI