The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-07-29
.BLERIOT CROSSES
ENGLISH CHANNEL IN
HIS MONOPLANE
Plucky Frenchman Gets So,
Prize and American Exhib-
its Winning Machine.

Dover, July 2s.-This sleepy seaport
town experienced the keenest thrill
known In a generation, when at sunrise
yesterday morning q white winged,
bird-like machine. with loudly hum
ming motor, swept out from the haze
aobscuring the sea toward the distant
French coast and circling twice above
the chalky cliffs Of Dover. alighted on
English soil.
A Frenchman, Louis Bleriot, portly
tand red mustached, calmly descended
from the saddle. limping on a bandaged
foot. which had been burned in his pre-
vious overland fight. Immediately two
compatriots, who had been waving a
Dig tricolored flag as a signal for h
landing place, fell upon him enthus-
i~iastically embracing and pounding him
Jon the back.
They, with a few soldiers and others
who happened to chance on the scene,
were the only persons to witness the
performance OF a remarkable feat.
Bleriot left Les Baraques, three miles
from Calais, about 4:30 a.. m. on one
of the smallest monoplanes ever used.
He crossed the channel In a little less
Gha half an hour, twice as swiftly as
the fastest mailboat. His speed aver
aged more than As miles an hour; some
times 1t appropriated so miles. He
kept about $50 feet above the sea level
and for 10 minutes while about mid
channel, was out of sight OF both coasts
and the French torpedoboat destroyer,
which foll0wed him with his wife and
friends aboard. The wind was blowing
about 20 miles an hour and the sea
echoppy. The aviator was swathed with
"a single garment of drilling impervious
TO the wind which covered him from the
top of his e to his feet, only his
face showing. He wore also a cork
life saving belt.
rxyn~li.-A1 4, Y. 49, a n " A.. -
eve OF making an aeroplane flight, in
volving as great. II not greater, dangers
than Bleriot risked in crossing the Eng
lish channe early yesterday, Orville
Wright expressed great pleasure when
he learned of the success of the French
man.
II have said all along that Bleriot
would be the first to make the flight
across the channel once he decided to
attempt It," said Wright. 1T was a
great flight"
London, July 28.-Louis Bleriot. the
.Frenchman, who mad history by fly
Ing across the English channel from
Les Baraques to Dover, a distance of
81 miles in a little less than halt an
hour, and his famous little monoplane,
both reached London his morning, the
former to receive $5,0 900 and the latter
to be placed on exhibition to the inan-
cial advantage of both a London hos
pital and the enterprising proprietor OF
the only American department store
here.
The aviator is finding hero worship
much more trying than the strain OF
navigating the air.
An ovation awaited the aviator in
London, his compatrlots having gath
cred at Victoria station I'm huge num-
bers. With the help of the police, he
finally succeeded in getting away and
reached his hotel, where ne was pre-
scented with the check at a luncheon
party. q
Bleriot Fever RACES.
''Bleriot fever" seems to have seized
"a large part of the populace Of London.
Those unable to see the flyer himself
have been beseiging the store where
the compact little monoplane is in
stalled among other travelling requis-
ties. The machine Is so small II looks
like a large toy rather than a practical
flyer.
Numerous honors and medals are
awaiting M. Bleriot on this side of the
channel, the principal prize being a
gold cup offered by Captain Wyndham
for the first flight across the English
channel. 1t will be presented the
French aviator at the Aeroplane club
dinner, August 8.
Aeronautical experts here regard M.
Bleriot's feat rs a vindication of the
;monoplane type OF machine over the
bi-plane. The Frenchman's machine
carries a greater weight in proportion
to its plane surface than any other
type, which is considered a great adj
vantage.
Dover, England, July 2S.-Remarkable
scenes were witnessed at Dover this
morning, when M. Bleriot returned here
10 attend a civil reception in his honor.
The Frenchman was mobbed by the
enormou crowds, and the police had to
come to his protection. so eager were
the enthusiasts to greet him at close
quarters. a.